Senior Education Specialist Job #: req32553 Organization: World Bank Sector: Education Grade: GG Term Duration: 2 years 0 months Recruitment Type: Local Recruitment Location: Baghdad,Iraq Required Language(s): English Preferred Language(s): Arabic Closing Date: 4/15/2025 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC
Description
Established in 1944, the WBG is one of the world's largest sources of funding and knowledge for development solutions. In fiscal year 2017, the WBG committed $59 billion in loans, grants, equity investments and guarantees to its members and private businesses, of which $19 billion was concessional finance to its poorest members. It is governed by 188 member countries and delivers services out of 120 offices with nearly 15,000 staff located globally. For more information, please 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). IBRD and IDA are commonly known as the World Bank, which is organized into six client-facing Regional Vice-Presidencies, several corporate functions, and fourteen Global Practices (GPs) to bring best-in-class knowledge and solutions to regional and country clients.
THE MENA REGION – HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region covers Algeria, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Morocco, the Gulf States, Syria, Tunisia, West Bank and Gaza (Palestinian territories) and Yemen. These countries include low-income and middle-income countries that look for technical advice and financial support, and high-income countries that request Reimbursable Advisory Services. The MENA region has been undergoing major changes over the past several years and the World Bank is poised to support the countries in the region to achieve peace and stability for economic and social development.
The Bank's MENA Regional Vice Presidency has placed Human Development including education at the heart of its engagement as a critical part of its strategy in supporting countries rebuild trust between citizens and the state, promoting regional cooperation, building resilience in countries amidst the refugee challenges in the region, and supporting recovery and reconstruction. The MENA Human Development team is led by a Director and encompasses three units (Health, Nutrition and Population; Social and Protection and Jobs, and Education). The team is guided by the MENA Human Capital Plan that aims to help MENA become a region that realizes its vast potential by harnessing its greatest untapped assets: the human capital of its population, including youth, women, and the elderly.
Countries in the MENA region have taken great strides in education in the past few decades, but challenges remain, particularly in the areas of education quality, inequality, governance and accountability, and the relevance of skills for the labor market. The World Bank MENA Education Unit focuses on helping countries build the human capital required for economic growth and social development by providing analytical products, technical and financial support, as well as advisory services. As such, the MENA Education Unit supports countries in developing and implementing strategies for learning at all levels of education from childhood to tertiary. Teams work closely with countries to improve their systems of delivery, promote equity in education, and foster better management. We also work closely with education colleagues from other regions of the World Bank as well as colleagues in other Global Practices in MENA.
THE EDUCATION GLOBAL PRACTICE
Education is central to achieving the World Bank Group’s twin goals: it is a reliable route out of poverty because it has large returns to income for individuals and because it can drive economic growth and shared prosperity. The main challenge in the education sector is to achieve “learning for all, learning for life”—that is, to ensure that all children and young people acquire the knowledge and skills they need for their lives. The developing world has achieved great advances in education in the past two decades, yet major challenges remain: how to remove the educational barriers faced by the poorest people and those living in fragile states, and how to improve the quality of education so that schooling leads to real learning. The MENA Education Unit is part of the Education Global Practice. We draw upon global knowledge and tools and experts. In turn, we contribute to the global agenda and make available our expertise to other regional education units.
The World Bank Group’s program in Mashreq, takes a multi-pronged approach in education. Comprehensive reforms are needed to improve learning at all levels. The education programs align with the goals of the Human Capital Project and responds to Government priorities to strengthen human capital. The Bank programs also focus on refugees and other vulnerable populations, foster resilience, and in turn promote an environment conducive to tackling poverty and supporting economic growth for all.
The Bank’s Education program Iraq focuses on key challenges in the sector through policy dialogue, lending and technical assistance.
The MENA Education Unit is seeking a Senior Education Specialist /Economist to support the Bank’s Education engagement in Iraq. The position will be based in the Bank’s Iraq country office in Baghdad with some travel nationally. In collaboration with the Iraq Education Task Team Leaders (TTLs), the Education Specialist/Economist will engage in a wide-range of analytical, research, and operational tasks. Specifically, the Senior Education Specialist will:
Duties and Accountabilities
Selection Criteria
Advanced degree (Master’s or Ph.D.) in Education, Economics or relevant field.Minimum of 8 years of relevant professional experience or equivalent combination of education and experience, Education, Higher Education and Skills Development policy, projects and programs.Experience in supporting the Iraq education system is preferred.Experience working with clients to build capacity and engage in policy dialogue on education and skills.On-the-ground experience working in Iraq is preferred.Capacity for organization and coordination, as well as ability to work with high degree of independence, in a team environment.
Required Competencies
If the selected candidate is a current World Bank Group staff member with a Regular or Open-Ended appointment, s/he will retain his/her Regular or Open-Ended appointment. All others will be offered a 2 years 0 months term appointment.
Poverty has no borders, neither does excellence. We succeed because of our differences and we continuously search for qualified individuals with diverse backgrounds from around the globe.
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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