Senior Education Specialist Job #: req32442 Organization: World Bank Sector: Education Grade: GG Term Duration: 3 years 0 months Recruitment Type: Local Recruitment Location: Manila,Philippines Required Language(s): English Preferred Language(s): Closing Date: 4/8/2025 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC
Description
Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? Working at the World Bank provides a unique opportunity for you to help our clients solve their greatest development challenges. The World Bank 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, visitwww.worldbank.org
East Asia and Pacific (EAP) Region:
The EAP is a highly diverse region, with countries of all income levels and wide differences in resource endowments, human capital, and institutional capacity. The Education Global Practice in EAP has a large lending and advisory services and analytics (ASA) portfolio. The EDU Global Practice is actively engaged in most countries in the region. The EAP EDU strategy aims at building a strong foundation for learning for all children in EAP that equips them with the relevant skills to thrive in the labor market and life in financially affordable and sustainable ways. The World Bank in East Asia: https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/eap
Education in the Philippines:
The EAP Region’s education strategy focuses on strengthening education systems, tailoring approaches to country needs, and using multi-sectoral solutions like conditional cash transfers. In the Philippines, the World Bank supports two major projects: Teacher Effectiveness and Competencies Enhancement Project (TEACEP) and No Bangsamoro Child Left Behind, implemented by DepEd and the Consortium for Bangsamoro Civil Society. Two additional projects are under preparation—the Project for Learning Upgrade Support and Decentralization, which improves public elementary and lower secondary education, and the Skills Project, which enhances access to quality skills training. The System Capacity Grant (SCG) also provides technical assistance for education reform.
The World Bank addresses the Philippines’ learning crisis, where 91% of 10-year-olds struggle with reading comprehension. Only 10% of Grade 5 students meet reading proficiency, and 85–99% of Grade 10 students fail to reach proficiency in core subjects. The 2022 PISA results show that over 75% of 15-year-olds score below minimum proficiency in math, reading, and science. The Bank supports DepEd, PIDS, and the Early Childhood Care and Development Council through technical assistance, policy advice, and early education improvements to enhance learning outcomes.
We are seeking a Senior Education Specialist for a three-year local term appointment based in Manila, the Philippines. Reporting to the Practice Manager for East Asia and Pacific, the Specialist will play a key role in policy dialogue and education project management. The primary responsibility will be to lead specific projects and knowledge initiatives in the Philippines, working closely with World Bank teams, government counterparts, and development partners to improve the country’s education sector performance. This role requires strong leadership, technical expertise, and collaboration to drive meaningful education reforms and program implementation.
Duties and accountabilities:
• Lead and support teams in designing and developing new education projects, providing implementation support to clients, and monitoring project performance to ensure effective and timely delivery.
• Serve as a core contributor and leader in the analytical work conducted by the education team, providing insights and evidence-based recommendations to strengthen education policies and reforms.
• Lead and support the execution of the work program, ensuring effective project management and taking ownership of individual tasks as assigned, aligning with national education priorities.
• Support policy dialogue and interactions with government authorities, development partners, and civil society organizations, fostering collaboration and alignment on education sector priorities.
• Work with a diverse range of stakeholders in the Philippines to develop tools for assessing education outcomes and introduce innovative delivery approaches to enhance learning results.
• Proactively engage with human development sectors, the HD Management team, and the Country Management Unit to build synergies and identify opportunities to leverage education and skills development for equitable and resilient growth in the Philippines.
• Bring international and domestic best practices to strengthen education system accountability, inclusive access to high-quality learning, and skills development. Contribute to corporate tasks such as peer reviewing, policy input, and knowledge-sharing initiatives within the education sector.
Selection Criteria
• A Master’s degree in Education, Economics, Finance, Public Policy, or a related social science field, with at least 8 years of relevant experience in human development, education policy, or program implementation.
• In-depth understanding of the education sector in the Philippines, with the ability to analyze key challenges and engage effectively with government and non-government partners to drive sectoral improvements.
• Strong ability to build and maintain relationships with government officials and development partners, demonstrating political judgment, diplomatic acumen, and negotiation skills to navigate complex policy discussions.
• Proven ability to guide clients and development partners in identifying operational challenges, assessing policy options, and integrating multiple perspectives into actionable education strategies.
• Experience leading task teams, participating in formal negotiations, and assisting government counterparts in setting education priorities and implementing key reforms.
• Strong technical, analytical, and problem-solving skills, with expertise in monitoring and evaluation (M&E), sector-related project documentation, and multi-tasking under tight deadlines while ensuring high-quality deliverables.
• Fluency in Filipino and English, with excellent organizational and communication skills, the ability to prepare well-structured reports, and effectively present ideas to diverse audiences.
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.
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