Senior Private Sector Specialist
Job #: req23523
Organization: World Bank
Sector: Private Sector Development
Grade: GG
Term Duration: 4 years 0 months
Recruitment Type: International Recruitment
Location: Washington, DC,United States
Required Language(s): English
Preferred Language(s): French, Spanish, Portuguese,
Closing Date: 7/31/2023 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC
Description
Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? Working at the World Bank Group provides a unique opportunity for you to help our clients solve their greatest development challenges. The World Bank Group is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries; a unique global partnership of five institutions dedicated to ending extreme poverty, increasing shared prosperity and promoting sustainable development. With 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide, we work with public and private sector partners, investing in groundbreaking projects and using data, research, and technology to develop solutions to the most urgent global challenges. Visit www.worldbank.org.
BACKGROUND
The World Bank Group’s Finance, Competitiveness & Innovation Global Practice (FCI) combines expertise in the financial sector and private sector development to foster private-sector led growth and help create stable, resilient and inclusive markets in client countries. Through this work, FCI strengthens the World Bank Group’s evolving approach to development finance: to maximize finance for development and to leverage private sector investments for sustainable and inclusive growth. FCI focuses on six thematic areas: Financial Stability & Integrity; Financial Inclusion, Infrastructure & Access; Markets, Competition and Technology; Investment Climate; Long Term Finance; and Climate & Risk Management.
The Markets, Competition & Technology (ETIMT) unit is a team of microeconomists, policy specialists and development practitioners. The unit focuses on a thorough understanding of the industrial organization of markets and the mechanisms of adoption of technologies with the objective of removing economic distortions to promote competitive, contestable, innovative and inclusive markets and thus boost productivity growth. The unit’s goal is to provide cutting-edge, evidence-based advice to developing countries around the globe on policies to level the playing field and promote competitive and contestable markets, competition, product market regulation and digital business, innovation and technology adoption as well as non-distortive industry and sectoral development policies (including green competitiveness). The unit also focuses on new technological disruptions to markets to better assess policy implications of these technological changes on existing sectors and markets as well as understanding policy implications of new emerging market structures (e.g. digital platforms). It accomplishes this by carrying out original research, contributing to lending and technical assistance engagements led by FCI regional units, and developing partnerships with multilateral institutions as well as bilateral partners and donors.
The responsibilities of the ETIMT unit include:
- Provide intellectual leadership on issues and policies to support competitive markets, competition, SOEs and private sector, innovation, technology adoption and firm upgrading, as well as effective sectoral development policies (including on hard-hit sectors by COVID19 such as tourism and to respond to green, inclusive and resilient recovery in industries);
- Support client countries by delivering lending operations and technical assistance projects in the ETIMT areas of expertise, in collaboration with FCI and other World Bank Group’s regional units.
- Create global knowledge on frontier topics in the field of industrial organization
- Facilitate knowledge diffusion and adoption of good practices in areas of expertise through policy dialogue, analytical and advisory work, including leading the design and implementation of empirical quantitative structural IO assessments and impact evaluations with a focus on randomized controlled trials (RCTs);
- Support World Bank Group senior management through briefings, guidance notes, and other inputs to inform and shape the WBG institutional strategy on ETIMT areas of expertise.
DUTIES, ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Among other things, the senior private sector specialist will:
- Develop knowledge pieces to understand market distortions and policy constraints affecting value chains across sectors, with an emphasis of the effects of new business models; mainstreaming broader micro-economic analysis of market dynamics in standard country economic analysis frameworks as well as indicators and statistics on the status of markets, value chains and disruptive technologies at the economy and industry level.
- Produce markets, value chains and sector deep-dive assessments of key markets, with an emphasis on services sectors (e.g. tourism) with actionable recommendations that support reforms.
- Provide intellectual leadership on the effects of new technologies, business models and digital platforms in improved access to markets, with emphasis on tourism and services sector.
- Contribute to developing knowledge tools to support markets, industry and sectors analysis for core diagnostics including on climate business and finance
- Coordinate a variety of operational tasks, e.g. technical analyses, design of technical assistance interventions, advisory services and lending operations, participation in loan negotiations, in projects with Markets, Competition and Technology components across 2 regions based on client demand.
- Provide guidance and assistance in country-specific policy work
- Conduct policy dialogue and cultivate strategic relationships with client governments
- Develop collaborative partnerships with internal and external and partners, particularly in the transformative technology space.
- Play an active role as member of the Global Markets, Competition& Technology core team and ensure optimal client response, knowledge generation and dissemination of best practice on competition policies across countries and regions.
- Provide expertise to missions and supervise major Markets, Competition & Technology projects, interacting with clients at the policy level, organizes and manages policy development initiatives and evaluation work in collaboration with other development agencies and donors.
- Coordinate and produce major/complex country economic, research and policy reports. Works independently and mentors more junior staff.
Selection Criteria
- Master’s degree in Business, Economics or Applied Economics, Law and Economics. Specialization in industrial organization is a plus.
- At least twelve years of relevant professional work experience. Experience in conducting market and industries assessments across different markets is a plus.
- Exposure to industrial organization analysis and market design tools is a plus. Direct private sector experience is a plus.
- Understanding of the institutional and political context and exposure to market and sector policies, strategies, institutions, and regulations.
- Proven experience in embedding critical microeconomics/structural policies: competition, innovation and technology, green industrial policies in sectors is a plus.
- Strong analytical skills; and proven ability to write professionally.
- Professional experience in developing countries including FCV is a plus.
- Strong organizational, research, and oral presentation skills.
- Ability to work effectively under pressure in a diverse, team-oriented environment, with minimal supervision.
- Hands-on and action-oriented approach and capacity to work independently.
- Computer skills: advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office (PowerPoint, Excel, Word) required and new digital solutions is a plus.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills in English.
- Additional language skill desirable (Spanish, French, Portuguese ideally).
- Enthusiasm for, and commitment to development work.
- Willingness to travel.
- Experience in developing countries and exposure to markets, value chains and sector deep-dive assessments of key markets with actionable recommendations that support reforms is a plus
World Bank Group Core Competencies
The World Bank Group offers comprehensive benefits, including a retirement plan; medical, life and disability insurance; and paid leave, including parental leave, as well as reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities.
We are proud to be an equal opportunity and inclusive employer with a dedicated and committed workforce, and do not discriminate based on gender, gender identity, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability.
Learn more about working at the World Bank and IFC, including our values and inspiring stories.
