Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? 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 and promoting shared prosperity. 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. For more information, visit www.worldbank.org.

Eastern and Southern Africa (AFE) Region:

We need the best and brightest talent focused on our region to harness the potential and innovation happening across the continent. Home to about 700 million of Africa’s people, Eastern and Southern Africa is a geographically, culturally, and economically diverse region of 26 countries stretching from the Red Sea in the North to the Cape of Good Hope in the South.

The subregion harbors some of Africa’s protracted conflicts, rendering many of its countries fragile, while significant gaps in education, health, and skills development continue to keep people from reaching their full potential. This creates a huge development challenge, impacts heavily on the lives and livelihoods of people, and hinders regional integration and trade. But it also creates an opportunity to work closely with country leaders, civil society, development partners, and young people to chart a brighter course for the future.

Are you ready to make an impact? We are looking for dedicated professionals to join our innovative and diverse team to improve people’s lives and help countries build back better after COVID-19. For more information on the Eastern and Southern Africa (ESAFR) Region, visit: https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/afr/eastern-and-southern-africa.

Planet Practice Group

The Planet Practice Group of the World Bank supports the WBG’s vision by focusing on sustainable and inclusive growth and ensuring that the Bank’s work focuses on people. The Group comprises five operational units including Agriculture and food (AGF); Climate Change Global (CCG) solutions; Environment, natural resources, and blue economy (ENB), Water as well as Social sustainability and Inclusion (SSI) practices. In addition, the Planet Group leads the implementation of the World Bank’s Environmental and Social Framework (ESF), making sure that Bank-assisted projects are sustainably designed and implemented. The Planet leadership team includes a Vice Presidency (VP), Regional Directors (RDs) responsible for the delivery of regional and country programs, and Global Directors (GDs) who have a primary role in setting GP strategy, global engagements, promoting the flow of global knowledge, talent management, and strategic staffing. The Planet Group has four objectives (i) deliver basic needs; (ii) ensure sustainability; (iii) build social inclusion and cohesion; and (iv) lead on long-term development issues.

Social Sustainability and Inclusion Global Practice

Social Sustainability and Inclusion reflect the World Bank’s focus on addressing long-lasting barriers to development, strengthening the focus on people who have been excluded from economic and social opportunities, and increasing investment in inclusive growth. For more information, visit https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/socialsustainability.

Unit Context

The East Africa Unit of SSI (SAES2) provides social development support to Borrower countries in East Africa – Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. SAES2 manages a portfolio of SSI operations and analytics across East Africa, supports other global practices in meeting the Bank’s social risk management requirements on their operations, and is responsible for quality assurance on all social risk management instruments for the region. The unit is seeking an experienced Senior Social Development Specialist to play a key role in social risk management.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Country Management Unit (CMU) Social Coordinator/Senior Social Development Specialist will lead a team of seven specialists overseeing one of the Africa region's largest IDA portfolios. The CMU covers Fragile, Conflict, and Violence (FCV) affected countries, including Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Eritrea. The successful candidate is expected to have a strong track record of working on complex, high-risk projects and extensive experience with safeguards and ESF. Ethiopia is the country in the CMU with the largest and most complex portfolio. The successful candidate will work closely with the Practice Manager, the Regional Safeguards Advisor, the Sector Leader, and the CMU, and be part of the Bank-wide Global Solutions Group on Social Sustainability and Standards. The work will entail exercising leadership on social risk management, and engagement on operational, policy, and analytical aspects of the social development agenda. Candidates looking for opportunities to expand their team leadership experiences, applying innovation and strategic thinking, in a fast-paced and high-visibility setting are encouraged to apply.

The incumbent will:

• Lead the country dialogue on key social and social risk management issues across the CMU.

• Provide technical leadership to government, CMU and practices on due diligence required for the preparing and implementing of activities to improve the social sustainability of high and substantial risk projects.

• Lead Bank teams to undertake social analysis and oversee the preparation of key ESF related instruments such as the Environmental and Social Review Summaries on high-risk and complex projects as a key part of the Bank’s due diligence.

• Advise project teams and clients on the preparation and implementation of instruments and tools to handle the social risks and impacts of Bank financed projects in accordance with Bank ESF/policy requirements. These include legal documents such as the Environmental and Social Commitment Plan, social assessments, stakeholder engagement plans, labor management procedures, plans for inclusion of historically underserved traditional local communities, resettlement action plans, environmental and social impact assessments, gender based violence risk assessment and action plans, and environmental and social management plans as determined by the needs and impacts of a project.

• Participate in project preparation, appraisal, and supervision activities of project implementation, including operational missions and support the resolution of emerging issues for high-risk complex projects to ensure results on the ground and project implementation progress.

• Hold direct responsibility for and oversight of high-risk and very complex projects.

• The successful candidate will also play a role in the unit’s quality assurance team, working with a small team on the overall quality of the unit’s portfolio.

• The senior specialist is expected to work closely with other Global Practices, ensuring that social sustainability and inclusion are designed into World Bank financed operations, for example through project components or mainstreamed through Bank financed operations.

• There may be opportunities to design and implement SSI projects in East Africa.

Policy and Analytical work:

• Participate in CPF/SCD discussions to advance GP/SD Strategy and build work programs, with new projects or analytical work pipelines agencies and donors including providing leadership to practice teams responsible for the preparation of policy notes, Systematic Country Diagnostics, Country Partnership Frameworks, Country Policy and Institutional Assessments, Development Policy Lending, sector studies, and research and policy development activities.

• Lead dialogue on the implementation of the Environmental and Social Framework with senior government officials, development partners, civil society, and other stakeholders, and coordinate the Bank's relations with clients on social development.

• Working closely with CMU, lead portfolio reviews, overview assessments and other analytics on social sustainability and social risk management as required.

• Conduct and contribute to formal and informal analytical advisory activities and research work on key social development issues, including on community and local development, lagging regions, local livelihood enhancement, social inclusion, gender equality, forced displacement and FCV.

• Advise task teams on technical options for social development analytics on the full range of social development issues.

Capacity building:

• Lead coordination (with environmental colleagues) to enhance the capacity of the client countries to enhance their systems for enhancing the environmental and social sustainability of projects and managing the environmental and social risks and impacts of the development process.

• Supervise the work of consultants and technical specialists to ensure consistency and conformity to international good practice.

• The role also involves a significant focus on developing and mentoring. The CMU coordinator/SDS will promote teamwork, innovation and agility including and help mentor junior staff on operations and analytical work and career development.

Other:

• Maintain active engagement with a broad range of key stakeholders, identifying potential partnerships and new opportunities for engagement around social sustainability and inclusion with internal and external Bank clients.

• Work as an active member of the Country Office and Country Team/Unit.

Reporting:

Reports to Practice Manager, SAES2

Job Requirement

• This is a challenging position suited to constructive, highly motivated team players with an eye for detail, understanding the bigger picture context of operations, and creative problem-solving abilities. The successful candidate should have extensive experiences in social risk management, implementation of safeguards policies and ESF, including ESS5 Land Acquisition, Restrictions on Land Use and Involuntary Resettlement (ESS5).

• Advanced university Degree (Masters or PhD) in relevant social science (e.g., Sociology, Anthropology, Economics, and Political Science) or related relevant fields.

• A minimum of eight years of professional experience in social sustainability, social standards/safeguards and/or social development (gender, community-driven development, citizen engagement).

• Extensive experience working on complex, high-risk programs, addressing social risk management aspects of project design and implementation support.

• Demonstrated experience with complex involuntary resettlement, social risk management/safeguards is required.

• Experience in Africa region and broader areas of social development such as experience in fragile, conflict and violence affected settings, regional operations, citizen engagement, social inclusion, stakeholder engagement, gender and women’s empowerment, lagging and conflict-affected regions, and forced displacement are desirable.

• Demonstrated ability to translate analytical work into policy advice and substantial, practical recommendations.

• Proven ability to engage effectively with Government, private sector, project beneficiaries and civil society.

• Strong analytical skills.

• Excellent interpersonal, problem-solving skills, and ability to think innovatively and strategically to find solutions to complex development problems.

• Readiness for frequent travel within Country duty station and to other countries covered by the Unit.

• Proven ability to work in and actively contribute to teams and champion a positive team dynamic.

•  Excellent oral and written communication skills in English.

How to Apply

Register using THIS LINK