Operations Officer Job #: req32919 Organization: World Bank Sector: Administration/Office Support Grade: GF Term Duration: 3 years 0 months Recruitment Type: Local Recruitment Location: Kyiv,Ukraine Required Language(s): English, Ukraine Preferred Language(s): Closing Date: 5/8/2025 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC
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 REGIONAL/COUNTRY/GLOBAL UNIT CONTEXT: The Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region comprises 30 extremely diverse, predominantly middle-income countries, with a population of nearly 500 million people. ECA countries face structural and legacy issues, including an incomplete transition to a market economy and declining productivity, weak institutional capacity, dependence on fossil fuels, limited physical and digital connectivity and, in many instances, aging populations. Recent shocks (COVID-19, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, weather shocks and natural disaster) have further exacerbated these challenges, with significant impacts on the level, inclusiveness and sustainability of growth and overall living standards. The World Bank Group is working closely with client countries in the region to address these issues, with increasing focus on productivity growth and job creation, energy security and water management, human capital and economic inclusion, and physical and digital connectivity. The region has a strong lending pipeline and a large portfolio of projects spanning several sectors. In addition, knowledge is critical to the Bank’s value proposition to client countries in the ECA region.
The Country Team and Office:
The ECCEE Country Management Unit (CMU) oversees the World Bank’s program in Belarus, Moldova, and Ukraine (IBRD). Each country program emphasizes harmonization and collaboration with other donors, including the European Union and IFIs. Management is decentralized, with the Country Director, Operations Manager, and two of three Program Leaders in Kyiv, Ukraine. A Country Managers is in Moldova, and a 5-person team in Washington, DC.
The CMU is hiring two Operations Officers who will be based in the Kyiv Country Office and cover Ukraine. The office works closely with public institutions and development partners. As members of the CMU, the Operations Officers will support projects and policy dialogue with key counterparts in government, public and private institutions, and development partners. The role also includes contributing to country strategy implementation, portfolio quality, monitoring, business planning, and brief preparation.
Note: The roles and responsibilities outlined below reflect the scope of the position and may be allocated across the two selected candidates based on their expertise, background, and evolving program needs. While some accountabilities may overlap, each officer will be assigned specific areas of focus and is expected to demonstrate flexibility in adapting to shifting priorities.
Roles and Responsibilities:
Portfolio Management: Operations Officers will work with Government and Bank teams to resolve project-specific and systemic implementation issues, promote synergies, and foster collaboration across the portfolio. They will alert task-team leaders TTLs to emerging problems, support understanding of government processes, and keep management and the country team informed about developments that may impact the program.
Portfolio and Analytical Services Monitoring: Operations Officers will monitor the portfolio and pipeline, produce monthly reports, and coordinate project portfolio reviews (CPPRs). They will follow up on issues with government and TTLs, and review key project documents.
Business Planning: Operations Officers will support performance, learning and other types of reviews, especially as they relate to program results and portfolio performance. They will assist in managing deliverable schedules.
Reporting and Briefing: Under the Operations Manager’s supervision and in collaboration with the Country Program Coordinator, Officers will prepare reports and briefs, especially for senior management engagements with Ukrainian authorities.
Client Relations: Operations Officers will maintain regular communications with the Government, especially the Ministry of Economy, and facilitate interactions between officials and task teams. Together with the Operations Manager, they will support coordination with donors.
Strategic and Donor Coordination Support:
Operations Officers will also support the Country Director and Operations Manager across strategic, operational, and administrative matters, including:
• Advising on strategic and operational priorities.• Ensuring follow-up on decisions and commitments made.• Supporting coordination and implementation of country program priorities with Program Leaders, Practice Managers, and CMU colleagues.• Managing briefing materials and communication flow.• Undertaking special assignments on regional or corporate initiatives.
Operations Officers will also:
• Coordinate donor engagement activities and track follow-up actions.• Supporting planning and logistics for donor meetings.• Drafting talking points, briefs, and summaries for donor meetings.• Tracking donor commitments and maintain engagement records, in close coordination with the DC-based team. • Facilitate information sharing among the Bank, development partners, and government counterparts.• Prepare donor engagement reports and knowledge products.
Selection Criteria
• A Master’s degree in a relevant field/discipline (Economics, Public Policy, Business Administration, Finance, Engineering or other related discipline) and a minimum of 5 years of relevant and progressive development policy and operational experience, combined with a good knowledge of World Bank strategic directions.• Significant experience working in Ukraine on development issues. • Proven analytical and problem solving-skills with strong result orientation, and proven ability to apply these in carrying-out operational tasks, assessing inter-relationships of sector, macro-economic and country strategies, and presenting findings and recommendations.• Strong and inter-personal skills with proven ability to work cooperatively with multi-disciplinary country teams, all levels of staff and managers, and development partners.• Proven ability to juggle diversity of tasks within a demanding environment, and work under pressure when necessary.• Strong client orientation and excellence in client management coupled with strong planning and organizational skills.• Knowledge of key Bank Group operational policies and procedures, and relevant experience in portfolio management would be an added advantage.• Experience in capacity building, technical assistance and analytical services supporting government programs would also be an added advantage.• Substantial knowledge of government processes in Ukraine would be an added advantage.• Proven ability to function in a politically sensitive environment that requires sound judgment, superior understanding of communications issues, and excellent interpersonal/diplomatic skills. Ability to deal sensitively in multi-cultural environments and build effective working relations with clients and colleagues.• Strong oral and written communications skills including the ability to speak and write persuasively, edit texts and present ideas clearly and concisely in Ukrainian and English. Ability to communicate and defend orally and ibn writing difficult issues and positions to senior Bank management, government officials, and other internal and external partners.• Self-starter, conscientious and able to demonstrate initiative with a clear focus on results.
COS_PFM_Criteria.pdf
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.
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