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.
The WBG consists of five specialized institutions: the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), the International Development Association (IDA), the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), and the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). The World Bank is organized into six client-facing Regional Vice-Presidencies, several corporate functions, and thirteen Global Practices (GPs) to bring best-in-class knowledge and solutions to regional and country clients.
The World Bank Group (WBG)’s twin goals of ending extreme poverty and promoting shared prosperity reflect a new global landscape: one in which developing countries have an unprecedented opportunity to end extreme poverty within a generation.
The Water Global Practice: Context
As the world’s largest multilateral source of financing for water in developing countries, the World Bank is working closely with partners to achieve “A Water-Secure World for All,” by sustaining water resources, delivering services, and building resilience.
Water is at the center of economic and social development: it is vital to maintain health, grow food, generate energy, manage the environment, and create jobs. Water availability and management impacts whether poor girls are educated, whether cities are healthy places to live, and whether growing industries or poor villages can withstand the impacts of floods or droughts.
Water security is among the top global risks in terms of development impact. It is also an integral part to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The world will not be able to meet the sustainable development challenges of the 21st century — human development, livable cities, climate change, food security, and energy security — without improving management of water resources and ensuring access to reliable water and sanitation services.
The World Bank is the largest external source of financing for water supply and sanitation projects and has a large and growing portfolio in irrigation and water resource management. With a portfolio of water investments of US$41.4 billion (US$29.4 billion of water-sector projects and US$12 billion of multi-sector projects related to water), the World Bank is uniquely positioned to achieve the vision of a water secure world for all, developing and sharing global knowledge while amplifying the impact of lending through technical assistance on the ground.
The World Bank’s Water Global Practice (GP) is mandated to ensure that water issues are effectively addressed in all related sub-sectors, such as agriculture (ensuring sustainable water availability for irrigation), disaster risk management, energy (hydropower), and water supply & sanitation (rural and urban, assisting utilities on efficiency and financial sustainability, targeting the poor). In each sub sector an integrated approach is adopted which considers investment alongside issues such as governance, institutions, and policies.
Water resources planning and management is a critical element for sustainable growth and poverty reduction for most of the World Bank’s borrowers. Dams and other water storage are important contributors to the development of many countries. If well designed and implemented, they improve and expand irrigation, domestic and industrial water supplies, power generation, and provide security against droughts and protection from floods. The Bank portfolio of lending and non-lending for projects that include dams is large and growing; there are over 200 projects with a significant dam component or dependent on performance of upstream existing dams. Because there are serious consequences if a dam does not function properly or fails, the Bank is concerned about the safety of new dams it finances and existing dams on which a Bank-financed project is directly dependent.
Developing and managing dams and other water storage in a sustainable manner are critical to support the water strategic pillar of Sustaining Water Resources and the strategic pillar of Build Resilience through flood management for river basins – as well as to achieve the Bank’s corporate targets on climate change – both mitigation and adaptation. The dam safety management is also critical by providing policy advice and technical support on safety of dams to ensure the Bank Safeguards Policy on Safety of Dams (OP4.37) and the new Environmental and Social Framework (ESF) are properly addressed and implemented; and serve for the Water GP strategy of sustain water resources and building resilience by providing technical support to improve water resources planning and management for the Bank projects.
The Senior Dam Specialist will be based at the Headquarters of the World Bank in Washington DC, USA. She/he will serve as a Senior Dam Specialist under the Dam Safety Global team, in coordination with water resources and dam specialists, under the technical supervision of the lead dam specialist, and report to the Practice Manager for the Water Global Solutions Unit in Water Global Practice.
Duties and Accountabilities
The Water GP is seeking a highly qualified and motivated individual to serve as a Senior Dam Specialist. The principal duties and responsibilities of the Senior Dam Specialist would include:
1) Support to operational teams in selected regions:
a) Provide advice and technical inputs to teams involved in in early planning and options identification for water storage projects, including:
i) The potential pros and cons of dams/built storage solutions and the types of potential alternatives the team could consider (including natural and hybrid options).
ii) Identification of potential opportunities and risks for dam development, rehabilitation, reoperation, and repurposing to meet the intended development objectives of the projects – as well as identification of what types of programs may be needed to realize the benefits from the dams themselves.
iii)Advising the team on the World Bank’s approach to dam-related risk management, and how they can build this into their project preparation process should the project proceed.
b) Provide technical support to teams preparing and supervising dam-related projects, including:
i)Quality assurance and compliance with World Bank policies (OP 4.37/ESS4-Annex 1) across the project, including maintaining up-to-date entries in the internal dam data platform.
ii) Review and comment on technical terms of reference, dam safety plans, and other technical documents related to dam design, construction, operation, and maintenance.
iii) Perform visual inspection and safety assessment of dams to inform advice to task team during project preparation and implementation.
iv) Provide advice to teams on what may be needed for the client to realize the intended development benefits of dam projects.
v)Participate in project preparation and implementation support missions and contribute to the Aide Memoire and/or other team documents on dam related aspects.
c) Act as the global dam safety team focal point for the designated region/s, including ensuring open lines of communication between global and regional teams, and help to identify any projects where new or additional dam-related support is required.
2) Participate as a core member of the global dam team, including:
a) Provide inputs to (and, where requested, lead) selected global analytical and strategic tasks to fill critical knowledge gaps and advance the curation of good international practices related to dams and water storage.
b) Coordinate with other professionals involved in water storage beyond the dam’s community, including those involved in Nature based solutions, to work towards more integrated approaches to water storage planning, development, and management,
c) Participate in (or lead) specific training and dissemination activities and contribute as needed to such events aimed at ensuring best practice experiences are widely known and discussed within the Bank.
d) Act as peer reviewer for World Bank operations and analytical products involving dams.
e) Provide briefs, presentations, and management notes for management discussion on request, and be able to represent global dam-related activities to both internal and external audiences as necessary.
3) Other dam and water storage related tasks as prioritized by management.
Being willing to travel overseas in line with the Bank travel policy.
• Directly support the quality assurance and OP 4.37/ESS4-Annex 1 compliance process across the full project cycle for regions/sub-regions, including maintaining up-to-date entries in the internal dam’s data platform.
• Directly provide advice and technical inputs, utilizing the most relevant and up-to-date global knowledge on dams and reservoirs development and management, including risk-informed dam safety, in the design and implementation of country engagements.
• Review and comment on technical terms of reference, dam safety plans, and other technical documents related to dam design, construction, operation, and maintenance – with an eye towards magnification of benefits and minimization of risks.
• Perform visual inspection and safety assessment of dams to inform advice to task team during project preparation and implementation.
• Provide technical knowledge and expertise on dam related aspects to task teams in the preparation and supervision to ensure that interventions are properly designed and implemented to meet development objectives and are done to the highest standard and quality.
• Participate in project preparation and implementation support missions and contribute to Aide Memoire on dam related aspects.
• Serve as a focal point for regions to be designated as global expert dam safety team. Will be responsible to be the contact point on dams related projects in the designated regions. Advisory and technical support to other countries and regions would be on demand and need based.
• Provide inputs to and lead on selected global analytical and strategic tasks as agreed to fill critical knowledge gaps and advance the curation of good international practices related to dams and water storage.
• Lead specific trainings and dissemination activities and contribute as needed to such events aimed at ensuring best practice experiences are widely known and discussed within the Bank.
• Act as peer reviewer for World Bank operations and analytical products involving dams.
• Provide briefs, presentation, and management notes for management discussion and able to represent the dams’ related activities.
• Coordinate with other dam specialists and other colleagues under the global team for dams and storage.
Selection Criteria
Candidates must demonstrate professional excellence and outstanding oral and written communication skills. They must also demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills, the ability to find practical solutions to problems and to think strategically.
The following specific criteria will also apply:
• An advanced degree (Master’s or PhD) in science or engineering related to dam safety management and at least 8 years of hands-on experience in planning, designing, and assessing safety condition of dams for multi-single purposes (irrigation, water supply, hydropower, navigation, and environment etc.).
• Proven expertise in key disciplines associated with dams, such as hydrology, hydraulics, structural engineering, geotechnical engineering, instrumentation, and monitoring, etc.
• Experience in designing or implementing programs using dams as a catalyst for greater development benefits.
• Demonstrated ability to work as a team member for providing innovative solutions to solve complex technical and development issues.
• Excellent interpersonal, problem-solving, and team skills, and the ability to work across boundaries.
• Demonstrated ability to function effectively in a multi-cultural environment, sustaining partnerships with clients and colleagues.
• Willingness and demonstrated ability to regularly conduct site visits, including visits to remote areas.
• Knowledge of strong computer skills for operating and maintaining database.
• Excellent writing and presentational skills, and ability to synthesize large amounts of material into crisp briefing memos and Power Point presentations.
Strong written and spoken English language communications skills are required; Any additional language skills especially in French, Spanish and/or Portuguese will be an advantage.
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.