Senior Knowledge and Learning Specialist chez World Bank Group

Senior Knowledge and Learning Specialist

Description

The Global Engagement Unit (SAGGL) of the Global Department for Agriculture and Food (AGF) supports a global vision of delivering a triple bottom line of a healthy economy, healthy people, and a healthy planet. SAGGL has active work programs on climate change and nature, on food security and nutrition, on policy, on One Health, on agribusiness and jobs and on digital innovations.  SAGGL has a broad mandate to manage and promote the 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.

In 2024, the World Bank Group (WBG) launched its new Knowledge Compact as part of its Better Bank Initiative within the Evolution Roadmap.  The Compact recognizes that knowledge is critical to the WBG’s competitive advantage in development. Making the Compact operational entails effort to improve the way the Bank approaches: products, learning, partnerships, and systems. It has become essential for the WBG to capture and share explicit and tacit knowledge through relevant and accessible knowledge products—including those tailored for Client dialogue, operational scaling and capacity sharing. The new learning approach encompasses programs to meet both staff and client learning needs with evidence based program design for adult learning.  Internally, the WBG is introducing accredited technical training and externally, the WBG has created the WBG Academy, which includes Impact Programs. SAGGL is currently managing two Impact Programs—Scaling Next Generation Rice and Repurposing Agriculture.  Partnerships will be as critical to the scaling of good approaches and new innovations as it is to the dissemination of knowledge. Finally, improved knowledge processes and systems include renewed and more strategic WBG information architecture.

The implementation of the Knowledge Compact for AGF is overseen by the Scaling Knowledge and Innovation (SKI) team of SAGGL. SAGGL seeks a dynamic Senior Knowledge and Learning Specialist to strengthen efforts to promote agriculture and food transformation among staff, clients, and partners.  The Senior Knowledge and Learning Specialist will join the team working under the leadership of the Global Lead on Scaling, Knowledge, and Innovation.  S/he will report to the SAGGL Practice Manager. 

Duties & Accountabilities

The Senior Knowledge and Learning Specialist will have the following responsibilities: 

• Lead or contribute to the translation of AGF analytical and advisory outputs into strong operational guidance for staff and clients. This includes leading engagements with staff, clients and/or development partners to identify key operational issues and potential solutions, with a demonstrated ability to bring together different perspectives

• Work with individual thematic teams to curate their knowledge and identify knowledge and learning activities required for effective delivery of their thematic area

• Lead on the design and update of learning programs with evidence-based adult learning modalities, in support of departmental curricula and its training delivery mechanisms. 

• Core team member and lead learning specialist for the AGF Impact Programs.

• Contribute to the Department’s efforts to engage with other GPs, IFC, MIGA and key external partners to advance core topics and practices through products, learning, partnerships, and systems.

Selection Criteria

• Master’s degree in international development, agriculture development, agricultural economics or another relevant field

• Formal qualification in (i) adult education or andragogy, and in (ii) knowledge management and/or organizational learning are both required and at least eight years of experience in these relevant fields, including demonstrated ability to design and deliver quality learning programs in multiple cultural contexts

• Experience working in the food, agriculture sector or natural resource sectors

• Operational experience a decided advantage.

• Demonstrated ability to effectively present complex issues to World Bank management, partners, and senior government Clients, as well as to non-specialists

• Proven sense of initiative, result orientation, teamwork, leadership qualities, and the ability to work effectively across sectors.

• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English. Additional languages including French, Spanish, and/or Portuguese would also be an advantage.

Technical Competencies:

• Knowledge and Experience in Development Arena - Translates technical and cross-country knowledge into practical applications at operational and strategic levels

• Client Orientation - Maintains client relationships in the face of conflicting demands or directions and provides evidence-based advice and solutions

• Integrative Skills - Understands relevant cross-sectoral areas how they are interrelated; ability to conceptualize scaling up micro level outcomes to macro and global outcomes

• Knowledge, Learning, and Communication - Leads in the sharing of best practice, trends, knowledge and lessons learned across units and with clients and partners, articulating ideas verbally and in writing clearly across different audiences

• Teamwork (Collaboration) and Inclusion - Actively seeks and considers diverse ideas and approaches.

• Drive for Results - Identifies the needed resources to accomplish results involving multiple stakeholders and finds solutions to obstacles affecting key deliverables.

World Bank Group Access to Information Policy

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.

Note: 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.

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.

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.