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, visit www.worldbank.org

Western and Central Africa (AFW) Region

We need the best and brightest talent focused on Sub-Saharan African countries in order to harness the potential and innovation happening across the continent. Africa is a continent on the move, with a young population and a growing market of nearly 1.2billion people. We are committed to making the Africa regional teams into leading innovation hubs. Yet, these vast opportunities are tempered by persistent gaps in education, health, and skills, which have Africa only reaching 40 percent of its estimated potential. Moreover, deep-rooted fragility, conflict, food insecurity, population growth, and the disruptive forces of climate change threaten to curtail or even reverse the progress that has been made over the past decades.

In West and Central Africa, the World Bank is a leading partner with a growing portfolio of 387 projects totaling more than $44.1 billion in areas such as agriculture, trade and transport, energy, education, health, water, and sanitation- all to support job creation, gender equality, poverty reduction, and better lives. Across the continent, the World Bank’s program has nearly doubled over the last 10 years. By 2030, about 87% of the world’s extreme poor are projected to live in Sub-Saharan Africa, so this is where our mission to end extreme poverty and to promote shared prosperity will be achieved.

Are you ready to make an impact? We are looking for dedicated professionals to join our innovative and diverse team to improve people’s lives and help countries build back better after COVID. 

Western and Central Africa (AFW) Region: https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/afr/western-and-central-africa

Country Context 

The Republic of Congo (Congo-Brazzaville), is a lower-middle-income country in Central Africa with gross national income (GNI) per capita of US$1,770 in 2020 (Atlas method, current US$). The country covers 342,000 km2 with a population of 5.7 million people, and has one of the lowest population densities in the world (16.6 people per km2). Two-thirds of its people are concentrated in urban areas, mainly in the two main cities of Brazzaville and Pointe Noire. The country has also a young population, with people below the age of 18 accounting for more than 47 percent of the population.

The World Bank Congo-Brazzaville program has a strong and well performing portfolio of close to US$800 million made up of National and Regional IDA Credits, IBRD Loans, and Trust Funds. The Country Partnership Framework (CPF) which was prepared in FY19 was updated through a Performance and Learning Review (PLR) and extended for a year until FY25. The CPF designed through a fragility lens to take into account the fragility, conflict, and violence (FCV) status of the country has two Focus Areas: (i) Strengthening Economic Management to Create an Improved Investment Climate for Private Sector-Led Growth; and (ii) Building Human Capital and Enhancing Resilience for Social Inclusion and Sustainable Growth. The PLR provided an opportunity to support the Government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Green, Resilient, and Inclusive (GRID) agenda, the AFW regional strategy, and the Government’s National Development Plan 2022-2026.

The World Bank country program provides selective, flexible financial support and technical advisory services across a variety of sectors. The Country Office in Brazzaville is seeking to recruit a dynamic individual to join the team as an Operations Officer to provide operational support to management and implementing agencies in execution of Bank-financed operations and contribute to the Country office’s quality assurance functions, and analytical work across the Republic of Congo portfolio. The Operations Officer will report to the Resident Representative in Brazzaville, Congo.

Roles & Responsibility

The key accountabilities of the Operations Officer are as follows:

Monitoring of Operational quality

  • Provide general operational support to the Country Office in the oversight of preparation and implementation of lending operations.
  • Undertake routine monitoring of project implementation including review of Aide Memoires and Management letters, ISRs, monitoring disbursement and designated account balances, project readiness, and compliance with effectiveness and disbursement conditions.
  • Participate in routine check-in meeting with project teams, prepare brief on project progress in advance, prepare summary of meetings, follow up with teams in implementation of agreed actions.

    Portfolio Management

    • Produce monthly portfolio dashboards, monitor portfolio performance including disbursements, results, and deliverables
    • Undertake periodic routine monitoring, including proactivity on problem projects, closing projects, PPAs, ISRs due and other aspects of portfolio performance.
    • Prepare reports which summarize program portfolio performance extracting information from analysis and presenting key messages for requisite audiences.
      • Support effective monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of the Country Partnership Framework (CPF) including providing analytical and written inputs into PLR and Country Portfolio Program Reviews.
      • Contribute to the writing and review of operational documents including Board packages, Implementation Completion Reports, and Advisory Services and Analytics (ASA) products.  

        Team and Client Engagement

        • Provide advice to operational teams on policies and procedures, and liaise with teams and clients on project performance and remedies.
        • Prepare and lead regular monthly and other meetings with Project Implementation Units (PIUs) and Task Team Leaders (TTLs) 
        • Liaise with GEMS focal point on portfolio mapping
        • Play a key role in country portfolio performance review processes and Knowledge week with the Government and other Development Partners
        • Lead the drafting of briefs for meetings with authorities.
        • Lead the preparation and implementation of the Action Plan for Country Portfolio Performance Reviews.
        • Lead country background briefing documents for Spring and Annual Meetings and high-level country visits.
        • Facilitate dialogue with a diversity of stakeholders and support the development of partnerships with them where relevant.
        • Respond to Government clients’ queries regarding the World Bank portfolio and operational procedures by providing timely and helpful answers and/or directing them to relevant people/resources
        • Contribute to the country office’s Capacity Building Initiative including delivery of training to clients and staff

          Other tasks

          • Represent when needed the World Bank at meetings and events with development partners and the client
          • Provide any inputs needed to support Country office management.

            Selection Criteria

            • A Master’s degree in a relevant discipline (e.g. economics, finance, business administration, social sciences, or another field related to development) and at least five years of relevant experience.
            • Excellent working knowledge and understanding of the WBG organization and its range of available financial instruments (e.g., IBRD loans, IDA credits and grants, trust funds).
            • Good familiarity and ease of working with the Bank’s data and reporting systems, such as Operations Portal, Standard Reports, SAP, Business Intelligence, MyTF, Client Connection, etc.
            • Good familiarity and understanding of Bank’s lending portfolio performance measurement and analytics.
            • Full proficiency in data handling and ability to work quickly in MS Excel, particularly with creating data driven visuals and using advanced formulas.
            • Ability to carry out research and analytical tasks on a wide range of operational and regional/country issues, review and interpret information/data, identify trends and issues, and recommend actions/solutions.  
            • Excellent writing skills and capacity to prepare briefs/presentations using Word/PowerPoint. 
            • Capacity to work with tact and diplomacy with staff at all levels, often under tight time pressure.  
            • Proven ability to work both independently and in diverse teams, including with colleagues in country offices, GPs/PGs, with minimal supervision and with high levels of accuracy and attention to detail. 
            • Proficiency in English and French (both verbal and written).

              COS Competencies: https://tinyurl.com/y34lnxvu
              World Bank Group Core Competencies

              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.

This vacancy is archived.

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