Hybrid Practice Manager, Transport presso World Bank Group

Practice Manager, Transport

Description

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

Eastern and Southern Africa (AFE) Region

Home to about 700 million people of Africa’s people, the World Bank’s Eastern and Southern Africa Region 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 region has an estimated gross domestic product of $945,567 million in 2019. South Africa, an upper middle-income country, is the region’s largest economy, followed by Angola, Kenya and Ethiopia. Seychelles, an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, is the region’s only high-income economy. 

To learn more, visit: https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/afr/eastern-and-southern-africa

The Infrastructure Practice Group

Globally, 840 million people live more than 2 kilometers from all-weather roads, 1 billion people lack electricity, and 4 billion people lack Internet access. Access to basic infrastructure services is critical for creating economic opportunities for the poor. The Infrastructure Practice Group is charged with developing sustainable solutions to help close infrastructure gaps in developing and emerging economies.

Transport Global Practice

Better transport has the potential to improve the lives and livelihoods of billions of people by facilitating access to jobs, markets, and essential services such as healthcare or education. The World Bank provides financial and technical assistance to help countries implement sustainable mobility solutions that create real, lasting development benefits. For more information: https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/transport 

The Transport Practice Manager (PM) for Eastern and Southern Africa will be one of the two Transport PMs managing the transport sector program in the AFE Region. S/he will have direct responsibility for managing the delivery of the GP’s programs in AFE, focusing primarily on three CMUs covering 14 client countries, ranging from middle-income countries such as South Africa, and Botswana to low-income IDA countries such as Lesotho, Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan, Mozambique, Madagascar and Comoros. Areas of particular interest for the transport sector in this subregion include: (i) interurban and rural connectivity to enhance access to economic empowerment opportunities, agricultural productivity and food security; (ii) urban mobility to enhance functioning of urban areas and improve access to jobs and social services by the poorer segments of the population; (iii) regional integration and economic corridors to improve connectivity across countries,  facilitate trade and reduce logistics costs (roads, ports, railway, inland waterways and air transport).  The program has a strong emphasis on SOE reform, private sector participation and capital mobilization, climate resilience and transport decarbonization, road safety and initiatives that enhance women’s access to economic and social opportunities.   The operational portfolio managed by the IAET2 Africa Transport PM has been steadily growing and diversifying over the past four years and comprises 15 projects for about $4 billion, with a planned delivery of about $900 million in FY26 and $1.2 billion in FY27.  IAET2 provides support to other GPs like MTI, FCI, Digital, Urban and Governance on transport and connectivity issues.

The Practice Manager will report to the AFE Regional Practice Director for Infrastructure.  S/he will be a member of the AFE Regional and Transport GP Management Teams, and jointly with the other Transport PM for AFE represent Transport in regional discussions.

Duties and Accountabilities

The Practice Manager (PM) will be expected to take a strong lead role in understanding and responding to the transport challenges facing the region. The PM will collaborate across technical, geographic and institutional boundaries to help design and deliver development solutions to a diverse range of clients, aimed at: (i) improving regional connectivity, with a focus on Africa’s key Transport corridors, to enhance trade and growth opportunities through regional integration and efficient freight logistics paired with integrated multi sectoral corridor development; (ii) rural access to enhance agriculture productivity, and urban mobility to support more inclusive urban development and job creation; (iii) strengthening the capacity of clients to plan and implement transport interventions across transport modes through policy and institutional reforms, improving the knowledge-base and feedback loops, strengthening planning processes, managing environmental and social safeguards and mainstreaming social accountability; (iv) leveraging resources through strong partnerships (donor coordination and PPPs), including increasing commercial and domestic financing for connectivity, mobility and logistics projects in the countries, and (iv) ensuring sustainability by improving governance and efficiency in the sector, bringing transformative technologies on transport planning and service delivery, and increasing resilience of transport infrastructure and supporting a low carbon path. 

The PM will work closely with colleagues within the Infrastructure Practice group including Energy and Extractives and Urban development as well as with other Global Practices in areas of governance, public expenditure management, trade facilitation and regional integration, climate change, public private partnership, digital development, agriculture, social and environmental safeguards, procurement and financial management, decentralization and local governance, and monitoring and evaluation of impact and results.

The PM will need to demonstrate strong teamwork and collegiality, as well as strong strategic leadership.  In consultation with AFE’s DDs and Country Managers, s/he will lead the preparation of AFE’s annual work programs, and in coordination with the other regional PMs, support the deployment of staff resources to implement transport program in general and AFE’s program, while ensuring coherence with the Infrastructure Practice Group and Transport Global Practice strategic directions.  He/she will partner with the PMs covering AFE and AFW and ensure adequate representation of the GP and coordination of positions at regional level.  He/she will manage the day-to-day activities of the team, and oversee the effective performance evaluation, and career development of the staff mapped to him/her.  More specifically, the PM is responsible for the following areas:

Solutions and Results to Clients (main responsibility):

• Leads her/his team to deliver the AFE key strategic priorities and, in collaboration with the other AFE Transport PM, Division Directors and Country Managers, ensures alignment of unit products and deliverables with the WBG Strategy and Country Partnership Frameworks.
• Draws on global thought leadership and implementation know-how to ensure high impact solutions; provides focused, evidence-based and just-in-time analytical insights to clients with a view to inform better decision making.
• Works in partnership with other PMs, Transport Global Unit, and Global Solutions Leads, and with other GPs, IFC, MIGA, as well as public and private stakeholders, to find tailored solutions to complex development challenges. 
• Engages actively with other GPs to ensure the transport team contributes its expertise to operations and activities managed by other GPs; ensures quality of cross-support provided.
• Builds and maintains a balanced portfolio of innovative, cost-effective, and demand-driven products and services.  
• Leads a broad base effort in partnership with the SD PG, CMUs, and others to strengthen the environmental and social dimensions of the transport program.
• Ensures quality of pipeline and portfolio of operations and ASA.
• Is accountable for delivering high-quality and timely results.

People/Talent Management:

• Models exemplary WBG leadership values and managerial behaviors and reinforces these qualities in own team and staff.
• Drives and inspires technical excellence within the team and the GP by creating an environment of learning and innovation that attracts and develops the best talent reflective of the diversity of our clients.
• Supports GP management in developing and implementing appropriate strategies for global staffing, deployment, talent, and performance management.
• Manages transport staff involved in delivering the AFE work program, and in coordination with the other PMs in the GP and Transport Global Unit oversees deployment of staff resources, supports staff engagement in cross support activities across and within regions, and resolves trade-offs in staff work assignment.
• Drives increased decentralization of staff within budget parameters.  Mentors field-based staff, being responsive to staff requests, and ensuring they remain well connected with the rest of the team.
• Supports GP management in developing and implementing appropriate strategies for global staffing, deployment, talent, and performance management. Actively participate in the Transport GP Talent Board to contribute to a successful outcome of the annual staff rotations, and to other talent management initiatives, and represent the Africa region’s perspective in these discussions.

Knowledge Management and Partnerships:

• Responds to global, regional, and national challenges and opportunities in the sustainable transport area.  Ensures that the GP is at the forefront of the development debate and contributes to the global dialogue on Transport.
• Represents the WBG in and contributes to international fora on transport matters, in coordination with other Transport PMs and Global Solutions Leads.
• Develops close partnerships with donor agencies, international organizations, and other development partners active in transport in Africa. 
• Strengthens the analytical base of the unit’s work and sets the stage for more policy-based transport lending in the region.
• Ensures timely flow and capture of knowledge and expertise so that clients receive the highest quality support and knowledge they need, when and where they need it.
• Promotes innovative and cross-cutting research, as well as the dissemination of technical and experiential knowledge and learning.
• Instills a culture of evidence-based, yet client-tailored engagement for highest development impact.

Resource Management:

• Manages within available budget constraints, restructures unit as needed and establishes funding priorities.
• In consultation with relevant stakeholders within the WBG, decides on the best use of internal and external resources for maximum client and developmental impact.
• Is accountable for delivering the agreed upon work program through cost-effective use of resources (human and budget) within the agreed parameters and in compliance with internal controls and policies and ensures timely delivery and overall quality of the GP’s outputs.
• Supports the Global Transport GP and AFE Region fundraising efforts, as applicable.

Selection Criteria

• Masters or PhD degree and 12-15 years of relevant experience in a transport-related field, in positions of increasing complexity and responsibility.
• Strong operational and development experience in more than one world region.  Work experience in the Africa region and/or IDA/FCV countries will be a plus. 
• Experience and track record of working with IFC and MIGA in origination and development of PPP programs and Private Capital Enabling (PCE) operations. 
• Ability to influence dialogue and policy on transport, including a track record conducting effective policy dialogue with country counterparts, communicating, and defending difficult issues and positions to senior bank management and high-level government officials.
• Track record of successful management of complex environmental and social safeguards dimensions of operations.
• Technical knowledge and experience in one or more of the Transport areas described above is desirable, though solid managerial and influencing skills are at a premium for this position.  
• Excellent leadership and supervisory skills with established track record managing multi-location and virtual teams.  
• Strong sense of strategy, including ability to prioritize and exit some activities, and track record in streamlining and rationalizing product offerings.
• Demonstrated in-depth experience working successfully across sector issues, practices, and institutional boundaries.
• Good partnership experience, including involving multiple stakeholders – both public and private – in building collaborative alliances for results.   
• Understanding of donor relations and the trust funds framework. 
• Strong written and oral communication skills with proven experience in dealing with the media, external constituencies, and expert groups.
• Track record of effectively managing people and budget processes in an open and collegial way.
• Knowledge of Portuguese and French would be an additional advantage. 

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 Managerial Competencies

Poverty has no borders. Neither does excellence. This is why we continually search for qualified individuals with diverse backgrounds from around the globe. We are proud to be an equal opportunity and inclusive employer with a dedicated and committed workforce.

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.