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
External and Corporate Relations Vice-Presidency (ECR)The mission of External and Corporate Relations (ECR) is to help deliver financial and political support for the World Bank Group, strengthen the Bank Group’s role as a global thought leader in development by enhancing and safeguarding its reputation, and supporting operational teams to achieve country outcomes. ECR manages corporate communications and global engagement with key stakeholders, including media, civil society, foundations, private sector, donor countries, and international organizations, as well as employee engagement. ECR also manages strategic communications for the World Bank’s Regions and Global Practices and leads the management of reputation risk.
The East Asia Pacific External and Corporate Relations Unit (ECREA)
The East Asia and Pacific region remains one of the fastest growing and most dynamic regions in the world. Over the past two decades, most countries in the region have achieved strong and stable growth that has lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty and transformed economies across the region. Many East Asia and Pacific countries have risen to upper-middle income status and have set the goal of reaching high-income status in the near to medium term. The East Asia and Pacific region includes 23 countries and six Country Management Units.
The ECREA team:
•Provides strategic support to operations by embedding communications into the operations project cycle and reform processes and tells the story of the impact and results of World Bank support to its clients.
•Proactively works to strengthens strategic relationships and alliances with key influencers in civil society, media, academia, think tanks, Parliament, faith-based groups, labor groups, etc., to build political support for the WBG’s work in the region and in-country.•Provides guidance, analysis, and advice as trusted advisors to regional and country management teams to help position the Bank as partner of choice, capitalize on opportunities to tell the development story and collaborates with operational teams to manage risks.
Roles and Responsibilities
The Senior External Affairs Officer works under the overall supervision of the ECREA Manager, is a member of a small HQ-based team and a larger, decentralized regional team. The specific duties and accountabilities of this position include, but not be limited to, the following:
•Supports the planning, development, and implementation of effective regional and country communications and stakeholder engagement strategies to raise awareness and understanding of the World Bank's work and strategic priorities in the East Asia Pacific region.
•Supports ECREA team in maintaining alignment between the global, regional, and country narratives and messaging.•Supports the planning and implementation of high-profile Senior Management visits to the Region. This includes message development, strategic framing/positioning, stakeholder identification, horizon risk scanning, and preparation of communications tools such as op-eds, speeches, blogs, tweets, etc.
•Coordinates/supports region-wide media launches of both regional and corporate flagship publications (e.g., bi-annual East Asia Pacific Economic Update, Doing Business, Global Economic Prospects, and World Development Report, etc.). This includes drafting communications collateral (i.e., press releases, key messages, feature stories, talking points, tough Q&As, etc.), coordinating with field-based colleagues on launch preparation and logistics, collaborating with ECREA's digital team, analyzing media coverage, and preparing post-launch dissemination analysis and metrics reports.•Helps manage media-related risks and liaising with communication staff in Corporate ECR, Global Practices, IFC, and MIGA, as well as country-based staff to support communication around high-risk/high priority projects and programs, and handling/fielding media requests.
•Monitors and analyzes current events and public and press opinion (newspapers, blogs, etc.) to help manage risk. This involves advising regional management and other relevant staff and clients on trends and news developments that may impact the Bank and its work in the region, flagging risks, helping to determine appropriate responses, and preparing crisis communications strategies as needed.•Works closely with other External and Corporate Relations Units (including Corporate Communications, Issues Management, and Global Practices teams) on both opportunities to promote the region’s data/research/knowledge and potential risks in country programs.
•Works closely with ECREA team members on the development and implementation of the regional digital/online strategy and helps ensure the successful use of social media channels for regional leadership and across country offices.•Proactively manages relationships and communications with a wide array of stakeholders, opinion leaders, influencers, and partners on issues and priorities relevant to the East Asia Pacific region and identify opportunities to build and sustain understanding and support of the World Bank’s priorities in the region.
•Provides operational communication support and advice various World Bank project teams and client government counterparts to develop tailored communications strategies that promote the project and help meet its goals; contributes to communication strategies in support of highly sensitive projects in the EAP region.•Oversees the editorial quality of ECREA products, including press releases, op-eds, talking points, blogs, and speeches - and ensures that products are prepared and issued on time and to high quality standards. This involves assisting ECREA team members in country offices (and helping to build their capacity as needed).
•Mentors and trains more junior staff in various communication techniques and approaches to broaden the range of skills and capacities in the team.
Selection Criteria
•Master's degree and at least eight years of professional experience, or Bachelor’s degree and at least 13 years of professional experience, in a relevant discipline such as communication, journalism, international relations, public affairs, development studies. Thorough knowledge of and practical experience in full range of communications approaches essential to planning, executing, and monitoring communications strategies – e.g., campaign management, multimedia, media operations, social media marketing, opinion research, audience outreach, message targeting.
•Strong conceptual and research/analytical skills, with the ability to think strategically and rapidly analyze and integrate diverse information from varied sources into conclusions and recommendations.•Excellent oral and written communication and presentational skills. Spoken and written fluency required in English.
•Good knowledge of social, political, and economic development issues in the East Asia Pacific region.•Strong organizational, research, and analytical skills.
•Ability to work on tight deadlines and undertake multiple tasks. •Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively as a team player in a multicultural environment, and with external counterparts.
In addition to these above criteria, the successful candidate will demonstrate the following competencies:
•Communication in International Development - High-level ability to communicate with internal and external partners, based on understanding their communication needs and possessing significant experience with international development topics and issues.•Social Media, Information Channels, and Communication Tools Awareness – Ability to assist, consult, or lead others in assuring existing or new, upcoming communication tools and media channels are fully leveraged.
•Content Development - Has significant experience in and/or demonstrates broad, in-depth proficiency in this competency and is, therefore, able to clear for internal or external use of various materials that is developed.•Content and Style Editing - Has significant experience in, leads others and demonstrates in-depth proficiency in rewriting or editing complex communication products for purposeful structure, clarity of ideas, and the logical persuasive presentation of content.
•Communication Strategy, Planning, and Execution - Has significant experience in and/or demonstrates in-depth proficiency at a level sufficient to assist, consult, or lead others in the planning, development, and execution of communication strategies for complex projects.•Relationship Management and Political Awareness - Has significant experience and/or demonstrates ability to lead and manage relationships with critical internal and/or external high-risk constituencies to foster strategic partnerships and to strengthen the Bank's image or mitigate reputational risk.
•Client Orientation - Maintains client relationships in the face of conflicting demands or directions and provides evidence-based advice and solutions based on sound diagnosis and knowledge.•Drive for Results - Identifies the needed resources to accomplish results involving multiple stakeholders and finds solutions to obstacles affecting key deliverables.•Teamwork (Collaboration) and Inclusion – Has a growth mindset, is flexible and open to new initiatives and ideas.
•Shows leadership in ensuring the team stays organized and focused, and actively seeks and considers diverse ideas and approaches.•Knowledge, Learning, and Communication - Leads in the sharing of best practice, trends, knowledge, and lessons learned across units and with clients and partners, articulating ideas verbally and in writing in a clear and compelling way across audiences of varied levels.
•Business Judgment and Analytical Decision Making - Gathers inputs, assesses risk, considers impact, and articulates benefits of decisions for internal and external stakeholders over the long term.
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.