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 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 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, please visit www.worldbank.org
Junior Professional Associates – Program Description
The Junior Professionals Associate Program (JPA) offers an exceptional opportunity for recent graduates to embark on a professional journey, providing a three-year contract with valuable work experience within a diverse and dynamic environment and the potential of field work experience. The program is an excellent platform to sharpen your existing skills and to develop new ones, all while gaining a profound understanding of the challenges associated with reducing poverty and fostering shared prosperity on a livable planet.
We will provide you with the opportunity to gain entry-level professional experience in a premier development institution, on an Extended Term Consultant (ETC) contract with benefits. For more information, please visit www.worldbank.org/careers/jpa
The following are minimum requirements to be eligible for the JPA program:
The JPA program at the World Bank is a highly competitive initiative. Candidates who are being actively considered for positions may be required to present academic transcripts and professional references. The World Bank's Human Resources team and hiring team will reach out exclusively to individuals selected for assessment and interviews.
Positions may be in any of the World Bank's offices worldwide.
The East Asia and Pacific Region (EAP) and the EAP Regional Infrastructure Department (IEADR)
The EAP region serves 22 client countries with a total population of about 2 billion. Clients range from large IBRD countries such as China, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines to smaller IDA countries (or IDA/IBRD blend countries) such as Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia, several Pacific Island states, Papua New Guinea, and Timor-Leste. The EAP region presents a dramatic illustration of the global dynamics, opportunities, and risks of the 21st century. EAP has made spectacular progress towards achieving the WBG’s twin goals, eliminating extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity – extreme poverty declined faster than any other region, and the income of the bottom 40% increased substantially. Such a rapid transformation has made EAP one of the most dynamic regions in the world. However, it also faces important challenges such as managing the largest shift in rural-to-urban population in human history, coping with rising inequality, addressing large infrastructure gaps, dealing with climate change, and building human capital.
The EAP Infrastructure Department (IEADR) is responsible for project lending and policy advisory work in the energy, transport, and related climate action and private capital mobilization space for the EAP Region. The department has a transport and energy lending portfolio of approximately $10 billion – and a diverse program of analytic and advisory work. The principal themes underlying the infrastructure department’s lending and advisory engagements include access to modern energy services and all-weather road and transport services; transitioning to a clean energy mix away from coal, and green transportation systems; building climate resilient energy and transportation infrastructure; integrated urban mobility planning and solutions; financial restructuring and debt-management at the infrastructure sector and economy-level; regional infrastructure network connectivity, integration, and trade; and energy connectivity; and reform of state-owned enterprises and delivering efficient private finance solutions.
Duties and Responsibilities
The Junior Professional Associate is expected to support the design, preparation, and supervision of lending operations, technical assistance activities, and analytical tasks managed by the EAP transport unit. The EAP transport portfolio has increased substantially over the past four years, with 32 ongoing projects and about 13 under preparation. The position, therefore, requires candidates to have a strong foundational knowledge of transportation and/or trade, particularly in regional transport connectivity and economic corridors, trade facilitation, cross-border freight transit, and logistics.
The primary objectives of the assignment will be to:
• Participate in and/or co-lead the implementation of analytical tasks in the transport sector focusing on specific countries and subregional/regional analytics, particularly in regional transport connectivity, green shipping, maritime transport, seaports, railways, regional economic corridors, trade facilitation, cross-border freight transit, supply chain resilience, and logistics.
• Participate in and support the preparation of new transport projects and investments, including scoping and project design, data processing and analysis, preparation of concept notes, project appraisal documents, project-related briefings, and presentations.
• Participate in and support the implementation of selected ongoing investment projects, including attendance at project missions and meetings with clients, preparation of project reports, monitoring the financial status of projects, drafting official letters, reviewing technical reports and bidding documents, and providing other technical inputs related to the project/program implementation.
• Participate in and contribute to the policy dialogue on regional transport connectivity and transport decarbonization with regional institutions, external stakeholders, and development partners under the guidance of the practice manager and senior specialists.
• Participate in cross-sectoral teams responsible for preparing policy notes, Systematic Country Diagnostics and Country Partnership Frameworks, Climate Change Development Reports, Public Expenditure Reviews, sectoral studies, and research on transport, trade, and competitiveness.
• Provide support to improve the technical quality of deliverables through reviews, technical advice, and quality assurance; prepare meeting notes, briefings, and presentations on assigned tasks.
• Support the World Bank-wide professional community of staff engaged in the transport practice by participating in a selected number of thematic technical groups (Global Solutions Groups or Communities of Practice), drafting technical notes, and supporting cutting-edge work in collaboration with other global practices to enhance knowledge creation and dissemination and expand the existing knowledge base.
• Stay abreast of recent developments in the transport sector worldwide and on cross-cutting issues in relation to the topics of specialization for this position, identifying knowledge gaps and disseminating relevant knowledge to clients.
Selection Criteria
• Applicants must be age 32 or younger and be fluent in English.
• Bachelor’s degree in Transportation, Economics, Trade, Business Administration, or other related areas
• Strong analytical skills and ability to write reports without editorial support.
• Demonstrated orientation to detail and quality.
• Work experience in development-related areas or organizations is desirable.
• Demonstrated proficiency in the use of various computer software applications (e.g., inter-related word, processing, spreadsheets, electronic mail, database and presentation applications).
• Effective time management and excellent organizational and teamwork skills.
Diversity and Inclusion
The World Bank continually searches for qualified individuals with a diverse set of backgrounds from around the globe. 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, color, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability. Individuals with different abilities may be provided reasonable accommodations to perform essential functions and support in receiving other workplace accommodations.
Poverty has no borders, neither does excellence. We succeed because of our differences and we continuously search for qualified individuals with diverse backgrounds from around the globe.
This vacancy is archived.