Hybrid Program Manager en World Bank Group

Program Manager

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 solve the world’s greatest development and sustainability challenges. Established in 1944, the World Bank Group (WBG) 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, promoting transformative policies, and using data, research, and technology to develop solutions to the most urgent global challenges. For more information, visit www.worldbank.org.

The Global Department for Agriculture and Food (AGF) Global Engagement Unit supports a global vision of delivering a triple bottom line of a healthy economy, healthy people, and a healthy planet. It has a broad mandate to manage and promote the AGF Global Department’s global and corporate responsibilities. To serve this mandate, the unit is responsible for managing global programs, coordinating with global partners and across regions to ensure the global nature of solutions the Bank brings to the agriculture and food agenda in specific countries, facilitating knowledge and technical support to operational teams, and providing corporate and high-quality client services across the full range of IBRD and IDA countries. It also engages in high-priority, strategic analytical work, policy dialogue, and engagements at the global and regional levels with an increasing focus on One World Bank Group solutions.

The AGF Global Engagement Unit provides thought leadership and knowledge exchange via strategic analytical work, partnerships strengthening across key international institutions, and policy engagement in major global climate and food systems fora; supports moving from a global vision to action at the country level, through building countries’ capacity to plan, mitigate, and adapt to the impacts of climate change on agriculture and food systems; and builds the Bank teams’ capacity to design and implement projects and ASAs.

The AGF Global Engagement Unit seeks to engage the services of a dynamic Program Manager to support the Global Department’s management team and coordinate the Department’s work on resource mobilization, partnerships, and quality and portfolio management.

Duties & Accountabilities

The Program Manager will be a member of the Global Department’s leadership team and Practice Management Team (PMT). S/he will lead the Partnerships and Quality team of the Global Department, which plays three principal roles. First, fostering overall donor partnerships and engagement on behalf of the Department. Second, trust fund management and coordination for the Department.  And finally, quality assurance and portfolio management functions for the Department. S/he will:

• Foster relationships between the Global Department and key donors, maintaining regular contact with key donors and advising the Department’s management on strategic engagement opportunities. This will require a detailed understanding of World Bank partnerships strategy, donor priorities, and knowledge of the global aid landscape in agriculture and food.
• Foster engagement with and represent the Department in key global fora and technical groups such as those of the Global Network Against Food Crises, IPC, CGIAR, GEF, and Global Donor Platform for Rural Development.
• Lead the team managing the global trust funds under the Global Department, including strategic directions, fiduciary and M&E aspects, for the Food Systems 2030 Trust Fund, the GAFSP-WB Supervising entity, the GEF-AGF Program, and the CGIAR trust fund; Coordinate/support calls and proposal preparation for bilateral Trust Funds and Umbrella Programs.
• Guide the team managing the quality assurance and portfolio functions under the Global Department, in accordance with the corporate mandates of the Department (Gender, Citizen Engagement, MFD/PCM, etc).
• Lead the Partnerships and Quality team for tasks related to other core corporate functions of the Department, such as the Corporate Scorecard, IDA requirements, and support the Department’s management in responding to regular and ad hoc corporate requests.
• Support the preparation of the Department’s annual MOU and related reporting.
• Support the preparation of key learning events, such as thematic and sector forums, trainings, and key corporate events; support the preparation of key corporate events; coordinate closely with the Department’s Communications team.
• Provide cross-support to the regions on strategic engagements and operations.

Selection Criteria

• Master’s degree or PhD in agricultural economics, agricultural science, natural resources economics, economics, or a related field;
• At least 8 years work experience post-Master’s degree, working on core aspects of agriculture and food systems transformation across a minimum of two regions;
• Proven track record in high-level policy dialogue and partnerships development, with demonstrated results in terms of donor engagement;
• Deep knowledge of the global, multilateral and bilateral development architecture in the agriculture and food sector;
• Demonstrated experience with cross sector collaboration in both operations and knowledge management;
• Ability to maintain client relationships in the face of conflicting demands or directions and to provide evidence-based advice and solutions based on sound diagnosis and knowledge;
• Deep understanding of World Bank processes, policies and procedures, including knowledge of trust fund management and corporate requirements;
• Excellent team leadership skills with a demonstrated ability to manage complex, multisectoral teams for impact;
• Excellent interpersonal skills, the ability to work well with clients, donors, staff and colleagues from other units. Ability to express issues clearly and diplomatically, with a view to achieving a shared solution in cases of dispute;
• Strong operational knowledge of the Bank’s project cycle, from preparation to completion, in investment operations, financial intermediary loans, policy based lending or analytical and advisory services; 
• Excellent presentation skills and public speaking;
• Excellent spoken and written English; spoken and reading language skills in Arabic, French or Spanish would be a plus;
Analytical and Technical Skills, Operational Strategy Development & Advice - Recognized by peers and/or managers for ability to identify and pro-actively solve operational issues and problems;
• Lead Knowledge, Learning and Communication in the sharing of best practice, trends, knowledge and lessons learned across units and with clients and partners, articulating ideas verbally and in writing in a clear and compelling way across audiences of varied levels.
• Business Judgment and Analytical Decision-Making skills to assess risk, consider impact and articulate benefits of decisions for internal and external stakeholders over the long-term.

WBG COMPETENCIES

• Agriculture Policy, Strategy, and Institutions. Deep understanding of agriculture policies, strategies, institutions, and regulations and linkages of agriculture with other areas of development.
• Policy Dialogue Skills. Translates broad policy objectives into concrete development proposals. Anticipates needs and requests in the field and conducts independent policy discussions with representatives of the government and non-government partners; Provides highly practical advice to management and teams on complex strategic and operational deliverables and outputs and outcomes; Has a track record of conducting effective policy dialogue with country counterparts in complex and challenging situations; Demonstrates strong ability to defend policies’ rationale and impacts to senior WBG management and government officials; Actively promotes dialogue with relevant counterparts, the donor community, the private sector, government officials, as well as with civil society.
• Integrative Skills. Demonstrates ability to lead work on integrating divergent views in a coherent project/program/strategy, including across sectors and WBG; Advises project/country teams how to integrate corporate/regional priorities into specific project/strategy; Brings together multidisciplinary perspectives for effective solutions; Ensures that the project team integrates corporate commitments (e.g., MFD, climate change, gender) in its approach.
• Knowledge and Experience in Development Arena. Demonstrates complete understanding of policy making process and the role of own sector of expertise in that process and its interrelations with other sectors; Is able to explain and defend development initiatives and policies’ rationale and impacts to senior WBG management and government officials; Influences the design and execution of major policy and/or research initiatives; Conceives and promotes innovations in development policies, project design, offerings, organization and management to improve operational and sector work.
• Communications and Influencing Skills. Demonstrates a strong command of all forms of communication and delivers messages in a consistently effective, timely and engaging manner; Facilitates and organizes intra- and inter-sectoral teams, international experts to debate and exchange ideas on key issues; Has ability to communicate and defend ideas orally and in writing in a clear and compelling way.
• Technical knowledge and analytical skills. Recognized expert internally and externally in the economics of agriculture and food systems, capable of serving as a lead in representing the WBG internationally; Demonstrated ability to lead large and complex analytical tasks, has extensive cross-country knowledge in economic specialty linked to agriculture and food systems, strong ability to link the macro, institutional, and microlevel behaviors; Strong ability to support findings/policy recommendations with credible economic analysis and tools; Recognized expert in food and agriculture policies, strategies, markets, institutions and regulations.
• Team Leadership. Strong leadership skills to form, guide, and lead teams WBG-wide, yielding high-quality knowledge or lending products, with solid experience on one or more complex multi-sectoral or innovative operations; Flexibility to be both a leader for the task as well as for the members in the team; Strong commitment to collaboration, knowledge sharing, and participatory decision making, motivating teams to deliver on time and within budget; Strong leadership skills that provide a model for others, thus enhancing the team-leadership skills of team members; Recognized mentorship ability, giving more junior team members opportunities for leadership and mentoring them to ensure success; Inspires and influences others to drive innovation; Has demonstrated ability to mentor and enhance capacity of colleagues in the agriculture and other Global Practices within SD.

The World Bank Group is committed to achieving diversity in race, gender, nationality, culture, and educational background. Individuals with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. Women and SSA/CR candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Candidates with open-term appointments will retain their employment status if selected for this position. All others will be offered a 4-year term appointment. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.

WBG Culture Attributes:

1. Sense of Urgency – Anticipating and quickly reacting to the needs of internal and external stakeholders.
2. Thoughtful Risk Taking – Taking informed and thoughtful risks and making courageous decisions to push boundaries for greater impact.
3. Empowerment and Accountability – Engaging with others in an empowered and accountable manner for impactful results.

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.

This internal requisition is open to WBG and IMF staff only (including short-term and extended term consultants/ temporaries). External candidates are requested not to apply. In case an external candidate applies, their application will not be considered.

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.