Manager, Corporate Experience Solutions (ITSCX) chez World Bank Group

Description

Working at the World Bank Group (WBG) provides a unique opportunity to help client countries 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 poverty on a livable planet. 

With 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide, the World Bank Group works with public and private partners, invests in groundbreaking projects and uses data, research, and technology to develop solutions to pressing global, regional and local challenges. For more information, please visit http: http://www.worldbank.org.

The organization has undertaken an ambitious exercise to revise its mandate, products and structure to adjust to the multiple, intertwined crises affecting the world today (see Evolution Roadmap), in the move to becoming a better Bank.

Business Unit Overview

The mission of the Information and Technology Solutions (ITS) Vice Presidential Unit (VPU) is to leverage information and technology as a force multiplier to accelerate, deepen, and sustain development impact. Their vision is to harness information and technology for a world free of poverty on a livable planet. For more information on ITS, check this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=VTFGffa1Y7w. 

Department Context

The WBG Corporate Solutions Department (ITSCO) is focused on the digital transformation of essential corporate services to ensure WBG operations are seamless, resilient, and future‑ready. Uniting digitalization roadmaps, experience design, process optimization, application delivery, systems management, and technology modernization across some 170 products and services, the department links business ambition with operational excellence—from intuitive employee experiences and precision payroll to data-driven decision making, intelligent automation, and AI enablement. Operating from Washington, Chennai, Sofia, and Singapore in a global delivery model, the team seeks to combine disciplined strategic planning with focused roadmaps, agile product delivery, design‑forward innovation, digital engineering, automation, and AI to produce solutions that are engaging, impactful, and efficient. The goal is a unified, OneWBG corporate backbone—streamlined, connected, and adaptive—that empowers leaders, staff, partners, and shareholders with the processes, capabilities, and insights to advance the WBG's mission at scale.

The department comprises of four distinct but complementary units which work closely together to deliver on the department's mandate:

- Corporate Digital Acceleration unit: Accelerates digital transformation for corporate business functions through design thinking, digital innovation, rapid prototyping, reimagining processes, and AI enablement, e.g. AI-first work digitalization strategies.

- Corporate Experience Solutions unit: Delivers optimal digital experiences for WBG employees, clients, partners, shareholders, and beneficiaries through engaging, effective, and user-centric solutions, e.g. intranets, self service, work productivity and decision-support systems.

- Corporate Business Solutions unit: Enables critical corporate business processes and functions of the WBG through accurate, efficient, and resilient back-office systems, e.g. ERP systems supporting human resources and budget functions.
Corporate Digital Backbone unit: Creates an autonomous digital backbone for the orchestration of data, transactions, processes, and insights across the diverse corporate portfolio, e.g. application modernization, technology debt reduction, efficient data exchange, enterprise integration, automated business processes, and agentic-AI.

Unit Context

The Corporate Experience Solutions unit, within the department, will serve as the World Bank Group’s hub for designing, delivering, and evolving the digital interactions that connect our people and partners to the organization. Loosely aligned with the “systems of engagement” concept, this unit will focus on the full spectrum of stakeholder experiences — encompassing employees, shareholders, partners, the public, and beyond. Our purview includes high-impact corporate platforms such as the intranet, external websites, and tools supporting employee engagement, Board relations, recruitment, onboarding, talent development, learning, travel, leave, time recording, desk booking, and other solutions that touch the day-to-day work of the WBG’s global workforce and millions of external users. These are mission-critical, high‑visibility products, where speed, intuitiveness, and agility are paramount. The six teams that fall under this unit include:

* Employee Engagement: Delivers digital platforms and initiatives, such as the WBG intranet and dozens of internal websites and apps, that foster communications, collaboration, and community, leveraging data-driven insights and best practices to strengthen organizational culture and performance.

* Staff Development: Delivers the technology solutions that support career development for WBG employees including performance management, learning management, skill analytics, and talent development solutions.

* Employee Self-Service: Provides WBG employees with intuitive, self-service portals and mobile applications to interact with corporate services, such as HR, IT, time recording, leave, approvals, and more, following digital workplace best practices.

* Corporate Services: Supports facilities, travel, real estate, health, and administrative services with streamlined digital tools that improve operational efficiency and sustainability across the WBG's global footprint.

* Shareholder Experience: Delivers applications to support the WBG's Board, Executive Directors, Governors, and other key stakeholders, applying best practices in governance, Board engagement, process and document management, and reporting and analytics.

* External Experience: Designs and maintains digital engagement platforms to enhance how millions of clients, partners, development practitioners, academics, journalists, beneficiaries, and citizens interact with the WBG.

To meet this ambitious mandate, the unit will operate with a product management mindset — blending agile delivery, modern application development practices (including low/no‑code and AI), design thinking, and forward engineering to deliver solutions that delight and empower. Product roadmaps, epics, features, user stories, sprints, MVPs, and continuous improvement are par for the course. We will embody strong relationship management with our business partners, ensuring delivery that is both timely and deeply responsive to user needs.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Manager, Corporate Experience Solutions combines strategic vision, product leadership, and agile delivery to lead the World Bank Group’s global portfolio of high‑impact digital engagement platforms, delivering intuitive, accessible, and mission‑critical experiences for the WBG’s workforce and millions of users worldwide.

The Manager will work closely with the Director and other Managers in the WBG Corporate Solutions department to ensure business transformation priorities, product and systems development, and technology capabilities are aligned and connected to maximize impact, efficiency, and value. The primary roles and responsibilities for this position include:

Leadership & Strategic Planning

- Drive and deliver the strategic direction for the unit’s product and technology investments aligned with the WBG's business goals through the creation of well-defined product roadmaps and solution architectures, that comply with product management and agile software delivery best practices (e.g. design thinking, SAFe).

- Partner with business leaders and key stakeholders to generate thought leadership, strengthen engagement, and co-create investment priorities and roadmaps consistent with leading technology governance and investment frameworks (e.g. SAFe LPM).

Delivery, Efficiency, & Continuous Improvement

- Accountable for delivery, optimization, and continuous improvement of mission‑critical platforms (intranet, external web, HR self‑service, travel, onboarding, learning, desk booking, etc.), ensuring cost effective and timely delivery and measuring adoption, satisfaction, and value.

- Build a culture of product quality and technical excellence by implementing modern software delivery practices, updating technology solutions, driving down costs, and improving measurable value and quality metrics across the portfolio (e.g. lead and cycle times, failure rates, velocity, and customer satisfaction).

- Oversee solution architecture, system design, and integration to ensure seamless interoperability across corporate platforms, eliminating duplication and enabling streamlined processes. Embed process efficiency and automation into system improvement plans, reducing manual work, reducing operational costs, and enhancing service delivery. Key platforms include Microsoft Power Platform, Microsoft Azure, Adobe Experience Platform, Microsoft SharePoint Online, multiple SaaS and enterprise cloud solutions, and a host of custom applications.

- Achieve delivery excellence and ensure all portfolio initiatives, including the capital budget program, are managed to budget, timelines, and expected quality standards by understanding, quantifying and communicating impact, milestones, interdependence and value measures and playing a leadership role in managing risk, removing impediments, and ensuring interventions and escalations are meeting the overarching goals of the organization.

- Accelerate innovation across the portfolio through the proactive and aggressive implementation of new digital capabilities, including automation and AI, throughout both the product portfolio and ways of working, to scale impact, drive efficiency, and accelerate impact. Drive adoption of modern, user‑centric approaches such as Human‑Centered Design, Design Thinking, Agile, Sprints, Systems Thinking, and Strategic Foresight to accelerate time‑to‑value.

People Management & Culture Leadership

- Lead and develop a high‑performing, globally distributed team (Washington, Chennai, Sofia, Singapore, and other locations), setting clear objectives, coaching for growth, and enabling career development and succession planning.

- Increase organizational resilience by equipping staff with the mindsets, tools, and support systems needed to adapt to continuous changes, maintain productivity under uncertainty, and recover quickly from disruption. Emphasize innovation as a skill, a growth mindset, urgency, transparency and accountability in all that is done.

- Own the unit's adoption of the SAFe methodology to drive delivery, including the creation of ARTs, agile teams, and other agile conventions.

- Foster a psychologically safe, trust-based environment where feedback and diverse perspectives are encouraged and valued.

- Serve as a core member of the ITS management team, actively contributing to strategic planning and cross-organizational transformation initiatives. Fulfill fiduciary responsibilities, including cost optimization, budget management, and staff development.

Within the first year, this leader will deliver the following:

- Assess the Corporate Experience Solutions team and identify opportunities for improvement.

- Deliver product roadmaps and solution architectures for the ten largest products in the unit's portfolio.

- Successfully deliver the capital program assigned to the unit.

- Define a target state and roadmap for an intuitive, engaging, and productive experience for internal and external users of

WBG Corporate applications.

- Deliver on the global recruitment and mobility solutions for the WBG.

- Initiate the modernization of the WBG HR Self Service portfolio.

- Deliver on the modernized extranet and intranet for the WBG.

- Establish well functioning agile teams within the unit and effective collaboration across the department.

Selection Criteria

In addition to having a strong work ethic and unquestionable integrity, the selected leader will have the presence to establish immediate credibility with managers, peers, and a complex group of stakeholders. They will possess outstanding intellect, leadership and analytical abilities as well as excellent interpersonal, communication and presentation skills. A successful candidate will possess qualifications such as:

* Master’s degree in computer science, business, or related disciplines, and post-graduate coursework or certification in large-scale digital product management, solution architecture, and application delivery with at least ten years of experience in a global IT organization, or equivalent combination of education and experience.

* Ten-plus years in product management, solution architecture, and application delivery for enterprise-scale digital engagement platforms (intranet, external web, onboarding, talent, travel, self-service), delivering intuitive, accessible, and secure experiences for global audiences.

* Proven ability to define and execute roadmaps aligned to business priorities, leveraging agile delivery, user-centered design, and modern development practices to achieve measurable outcomes.

* Proven expertise in designing solution architectures and thorough knowledge of technical processes and life cycle methodologies (Agile, DevOps) from project management to software development and execution using modern application frameworks, including AI and automation.

* Experience with Microsoft Power Platform, Microsoft Azure, Adobe Experience Platform, Microsoft Sharepoint Online, and other leading SaaS and enterprise cloud technologies.

* Deep experience in applying design thinking and the voice of the customer—skilled in structuring and running user research and focus groups, synthesizing insights into actionable product decisions, and building communities of practice to scale UX standards and adoption.

* Proven experience leading multidisciplinary, technical, distributed teams and vendors, building high-performance cultures focused on impact, iteration, and continuous improvement with global scaled agile IT delivery model.

* Proven ability to effectively partner with business stakeholders and vendors to build strong partnerships, foster good governance, ensure strategic business/IT alignment, and transform relationships.

* Strong collaborator with outstanding interpersonal and diplomatic skills, including the ability to facilitate, negotiate, and influence successful outcomes. Ability to influence decision makers through collaboration, education, and working partnerships. 

* Strong business acumen and judgment—able to simplify complex concepts, prioritize investments for value, and deliver results under pressure.

* A deep passion for the mission of the WBG.

Certifications

Required:

- Leading SAFe (SA/SAFe Agilist)

- SAFe Product Owner/Product Manager (POPM)

Preferred:

- Digital Transformation certification

- Change Management certification

- Azure Fundamentals certification

- Certified Agile Practitioner (e.g. SAFe, Scrum Master)

- Lean Portfolio Management (SAFe LPM)

The World Bank Group values diversity and encourages all qualified candidates who are nationals of World Bank Group member countries to apply, regardless of gender, gender identity, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability.  Sub-Saharan African nationals, Caribbean nationals, and female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.