Description
Working at the World Bank Group provides a unique opportunity to help our clients 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 extreme poverty, increasing shared prosperity, and promoting sustainable development. With 189 member countries and more than 140 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
Regional Context
The World Bank Group serves 30 client countries in the Latin America and the Caribbean Region (LCR). Clients range from large rapidly growing sophisticated middle-income clients to lower income countries to small Caribbean states to one fragile state. Despite immense resources, deep inequalities persist in most LCR countries, with nearly a quarter of the Region's people living in poverty. The Bank's strategy in LCR is focused on five pillars: (a) stimulating growth and improving competitiveness; (b) reducing poverty and inequality; (c) making governments and institutions work for people; (d) providing a platform for tackling global issues (climate change, trade, disease, migration); and (e) reducing risk, whether from extreme weather events, climate change, crime and violence, or other.
CMU and Country Office Context
The Caribbean Country Management Unit (CMU) covers 19 countries, with a total population of about 18 million people, ranging from Sint Maarten (40,000) to Haiti (11 million). The CMU and key staff, including the Country Director and Operations Manager, are based in Kingston, Jamaica.
Caribbean countries benefit from common opportunities, including ocean resources and beautiful landscapes, a well-educated population, a vibrant diaspora, and proximity to larger markets (US, Canada, and Mexico). Some countries have hydrocarbons and mineral resources. The Caribbean is also one of the world’s greatest centers of biodiversity. Caribbean countries also face significant common challenges: their small size leads to diseconomies of scale, unemployment, and high energy costs. They are vulnerable to economic shocks and natural disasters, and some countries face economic and financial sector weaknesses and high debt. Haiti is a fragile country with high poverty and extreme vulnerabilities. Nearly all the Caribbean countries are facing negative impacts from climate change with rising frequency and severity of natural disasters. While the early implementation of social distancing measures helped contain the spread of COVID-19 in most Caribbean countries, the pandemic had a disproportionate impact on the region’s economy due its dependence on tourism and remittances.
In collaboration with Global Practice Groups, the Caribbean CMU supports the development priorities of Caribbean countries through financing and knowledge services, and also provides reimbursable advisory services in Overseas Countries and Territories. The active program includes a portfolio of about 70 projects with commitments of about $3 bn in World Bank and Trust Fund financing and 50 advisory services and analytics products. In Sint Maarten, the CMU administers the Sint Maarten Reconstruction, Recovery and Resilience Program Trust Fund, funded by the Netherlands (over US$500 million).
In addition to the Country Office in Kingston, Jamaica, where the Country Director and the Operations Manager are based, the CMU has Country Offices in Haiti, Sint Maarten and in Guyana. A Caribbean CMU anchor unit represents the CMU in Washington, D.C., and supports the overall work program.
The Caribbean CMU is recruiting an Extended Term Temporary (ETT) Team Assistant to be part of the CMU’s Administrative Client Support team, under the management of the Operations Manager for the Caribbean. The duty station for this position is Kington, Jamaica.
Principal Team Assistant responsibilities:
The team assistant carries out the full range of office support work, including managing processes and monitoring schedules related to their team's/unit's products and tasks. They coordinate extensively with service units and liaise frequently with team members both at headquarters and in the field, as well as external counterparts. Team Assistants may also be assigned responsibility for some aspect of the unit's administrative functions.
General Office/Team Assistant Support
- Maintain an effective network of contacts with government officials, donors, civil society, academia, businesses, and other World Bank offices.
- Provide logistical support in the preparation and planning for various events including meetings, conferences, workshops, and project negotiations.
- Provide administrative, logistical and substantive support to the Jamaica Country Office.
- Draft and format a variety of standard project-related correspondence, drafting minutes and ensuring timely submission for clearance and distribution.
- Incorporating agreed comments into documents, making full use of shared drives and software capabilities.
- Using word processing or desktop publishing skills to produce complex text, reports, figures, graphs, etc., according to standard Bank formats and distribution.
- Tracks assigned task/project steps/timetables, coordinates with relevant staff and provides assistance and/or information on project-related matters.
- Maintains up-to-date work unit project and other files (both paper and electronic).
- Coordinates schedules taking priorities into account, monitors changes, and communicates the information to appropriate staff, inside and outside the immediate work unit, including officials outside the Bank Group.
- Solves non-routine problems (e.g., responds to requests requiring file search, etc.).
- Serve as a back-up to other staff and Team/Program Assistants on project and administrative tasks
Visiting Missions Support
- Provide logistical support for visiting missions travelling to Jamaica including – transportation, meetings, and catering requests.
- Performs and other duties that may be assigned.
Selection Criteria
Selection Criteria
• A High School Diploma is required, University Degree will be an advantage.
• At least 5 years working experience in a similar position.
Required Competencies
Technology and systems knowledge – demonstrates knowledge and experience working with office applications (MS Outlook, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, MS Word, WebEx and MS Teams). Have the ability and willingness to maintain up-to-date knowledge and skills as technology.
Project and task management – Demonstrates attention to details. Exhibits good organizational, problem-solving skills and ability to independently with minimal supervision.
Institutional policies, processes and procedures- Displays basic awareness of the World Bank’s mission. Demonstrates basic understanding of organizational policies and procedures and has ability to apply them in routine situations.
Versatility and adaptability – Demonstrates ability and willingness to learn.
Client orientation – Demonstrates positive client service attitude; is able to develop good working relationships with internal/external clients.
Learning, knowledge sharing and communication – Demonstrates tact and judgment, good listening and communication skills. Exhibits interest in learning and enhancing own abilities and sharing knowledge.
Business judgment and analytical decision making – Demonstrates basic skills in information retrieval and organization, seeks guidance in complex situations.
Drive for Results – Able to take personal ownership and accountability to meet deadlines and achieve agreed-upon results and has the personal organization to do so.
Teamwork (Collaboration) and Inclusion – Collaborate with other team members and contributes productively to the team’s work and output.
WBG Core Competencies: https://bit.ly/2kbIA7O
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.
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.