Job Vacancies The World Bank, May 2012

Job Vacancies The World Bank
Position:
Location: United States of America ( The ).Washington
Closing Date: Wednesday, 30 May 2012

Background / General description
As one of the most diverse regions in the world, the East Asia and the Pacific Region encompasses some of the world’s least developed countries (e.g., Papua New Guinea) and some of the most rapidly emerging economies (e.g., China, Vietnam). Countries in the Region also differ along other dimensions– size, vulnerability to natural disasters, and political stability. Yet some regional trends and patterns are discernable. Overall, the Region has seen rapid growth, both a cause and consequence of increasing migration and urbanization, but inequalities have also widened– across individuals, urban and rural areas, and regions within countries. While many of the countries in the East Asia and Pacific Region have achieved much in terms of getting their children to attend school at basic levels, they face ongoing challenges regarding the need to provide access at post-basic levels, improve the quality of schooling at all levels and enhance the relevance of education for the workplace. The region’s strategy to help these countries, consistent with the Bank’s own education sector strategy, is to
(a) strengthen education systems by helping develop institutions that enhance accountability, build information for effective decision-making through M&E and assessment systems and benchmarking;
(b) tailor our approach to country circumstances, specifically by responding to fast-growing countries’ requests to engage in upper secondary and higher education, skills development and vocational training, as well as to those from fragile and small states still trying to complete the EFA agenda; and (c) use multi-sector approaches, such as conditional cash transfer programs, to achieve educational outcomes. Moreover, since the region includes countries which are low-income or fragile states, as well as middle-income countries where loan financing is not the main priority, the Bank must combine its financial support with world-class demand-driven policy advice that uses its global knowledge base.

Duties and Accountabilities
Operations: Lead teams and missions to develop, appraise and supervise Bank-supported education sector operations.
Contribute to client efforts to reform education systems, expand access, and improve quality at all education levels. These tasks will require a wide variety of skills, including technical analysis; design of project components and technical assistance activities; monitoring and impact evaluation studies and sector-related project documentation; interaction with clients at policy level; supervision of consultants; and lead role in the development of proposals and loan negotiations.
Non-Lending Services: Strengthen the Unit’s analytical and technical assistance services to clients by helping develop and implement sector strategies and policies. Contribute to education policy by generating “think pieces” and “good practice” papers and policy notes. Lead missions to provide specialized technical inputs and guidance to counterparts. Produce major reports. Play a key role in improving public expenditure analysis and monitoring and evaluation of sectoral activities.
Regional Work: Take the lead in regional work, particularly in the area of higher education and school-to-work transition, and to promote knowledge sharing across countries.
Partnerships: Participate in partnership activities and contribute to forging new ones, with multilateral and bilateral development partners, non-profit organizations and civil society.

Selection Criteria
Masters degree and minimum 15 years relevant experience, or Ph.D. with 12 years or more in an area relevant to HD work, such as education, economics, public policy or related social science.
Sustained record of achieving high-quality substantive results over an extended period (typically at least 10 years)
Up-to-date knowledge and excellent understanding of education policy in developing countries, including fragile states
Proven track record of building, leading and mentoring large, diverse teams in a complex environment and of operating effectively in teams
Proven ability to work with considerable autonomy under pressure to deliver high quality results in a timely manner;
Ability to lead strategy development and to translate strategies into results on the ground while maintaining a strong sense of realism with regard to in-country conditions and implementation capacity;
Solid track record of delivering operations with recognized results;
Demonstrated capacity to develop work plans and budgets, and to work with teams to ensure timely delivery of quality products;
Strong communication skills, both written and oral;
Advanced proficiency in at least one major regional language an advantage;
Track record of dealing effectively with external and internal clients;
Cross-regional experience;
Field experience and EAP knowledge are desirable.

Competencies
General Economic Knowledge and Analytical Skills
- Track record of intellectual leadership and ability to integrate economic-specific knowledge and specific micro/sector fields of expertise; provides quality assurance and assesses technical soundness of work/reports.
Knowledge and Experience in Development Arena – Influences the design and execution of major policy and/or research initiatives; conceives and promotes innovations in development policies, project design, organization and management to improve operational and sector work.
Policy Dialogue Skills
- Track record of conducting effective policy dialogue with country counterparts; communicates and defends difficult issues and positions to senior bank management and government officials.
Integrative Skills
- In depth understanding of Bank services in all areas of work in the network, and proven fungibility.

Education Knowledge and Experience
- Has extensive experience in analytical and operational work strengthening education systems, policies and programs. Is recognized for expertise in the Education arena within and outside the Bank and can represent the Bank in international fora.
Operational Project Management
- Demonstrates in depth knowledge and understanding of project management tools & methodologies, as well as of Bank instruments and processes related to project preparation & implementation, resource management, and stakeholder communications.

Team Leadership
- Demonstrates talent in forming and making changes to team composition, making maximum use of skills available inside and outside the Bank.
Client Orientation
- Translates insight into practice across disciplines, hierarchies, geographies and organizational units in service of clients.

Drive for Results
- Ensures successful implementation and delivery of key programs and projects, ensuring that outputs positively impact results.
Teamwork (Collaboration) and Inclusion
- Creates a team climate of practical and innovative action, facilitating collaboration between competing interests and stakeholders.
Knowledge, Learning and Communication
- Demonstrates command of all forms of communication and presents in a clear, objective and engaging manner in high-level settings; ensures knowledge is captured and shared in a variety of ways.
Business Judgment and Analytical Decision Making
- Serves as a trusted advisor to others on their decisions, ensuring alignment across units and optimal impact on the organization as a whole.

Mentoring
– Provides guidance and support to junior staff on technical and operational issues. The World Bank Group is committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, nationality, culture and educational background. Individuals with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.




Incoming search terms for the article:

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 17th, 2012 at 10:49 pm and is filed under Lead Education Specialist, Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

Previous:

Next: