Senior Energy Specialist Job #: req32670 Organization: World Bank Sector: Energy Grade: GG Term Duration: 4 years 0 months Recruitment Type: International Recruitment Location: Washington, DC,United States Required Language(s): English, Spanish Preferred Language(s): Closing Date: 4/21/2025 (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
Latin America and the Caribbean (LCR) Region
The WBG serves 30 client countries in the Latin America and the Caribbean Region (LCR). Clients range from large rapidly growing sophisticated middle-income clients to IDA countries to small Caribbean states to one fragile state. Despite immense resources, dynamic societies, and an average annual per capita income of about $4,000, deep inequalities persist in most LCR countries, with nearly a quarter of the Region's people living in poverty. The last Bank's strategy for LCR focuses on three pillars: (a) supporting the foundations for inclusive growth; (b) investing in human capital and protecting the poor; and (c) building resilience. See Latin America and the Caribbean Region (LCR): https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/lac
Infrastructure Practice Group
The World Bank Group helps developing countries build smart infrastructure that supports inclusive and sustainable growth, expands markets, creates job opportunities, promotes competition, and contributes to a cleaner future. We help countries address their unique infrastructure needs by working with the public and private sectors. Infrastructure improves lives by connecting people to opportunity. For more information: https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/infrastructure
Energy & Extractives Global Practice
Energy is at the heart of development. Energy makes possible the investments, innovations and new industries that are the engines of jobs, inclusive growth and shared prosperity for entire economies. Universal access to affordable, reliable and sustainable and modern energy – Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 - is essential to reach other SDGs and is at the center of efforts to tackle climate change. For more information: https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/energy
The Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) Regional Energy Unit
The Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) Regional Energy Unit operates in the context of the overall Bank mission while focusing on the key energy challenges for the region, which include (i) improving the quality and efficiency of energy infrastructure services, and expanding sustainable energy infrastructure capacity, (ii) increasing deployment of clean energy technologies and practices, (iii) decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors, and (iv) increasing resilience to climate change.
Lending and analytical activities focus on sectoral reforms and strategic investments across a wide range of areas, with the common objective of contributing significantly to economic growth through transparent, viable and sustainable energy sector development solutions (examples include energy subsidy reform, effective tariff design, institutional and governance strengthening, financially sustainable utilities, emerging innovative solutions, creating enabling environments for private sector participation, among other).
The Bank support to the energy sector in the region is delivered as a coordinated effort with Government counterparts, other relevant financial institutions and development banks, and multiple technical partners.
The unit seeks a Senior Energy Specialist to develop and lead a complex sector dialogue and a portfolio of investment lending operations, as well as analytical work, primarily for upper and lower middle- income countries. The position’s location may be Washington DC, USA or Lima, Peru and will be determined after the interview process is conducted.
Duties and Accountabilities
You will report to the Practice Manager of ILCE1 and work alongside a group of professionals based in Washington DC and throughout the region, performing the following duties:
• Liaison with client within Government and key sectoral players. Play an active role in the Bank’s policy dialogue with the authorities, sectoral players at national and state level, development partners, and others on strategic energy issues and implementation of ongoing energy sector reforms, and on energy transition and decarbonization.
Lead the organization of large events and high-level sector roundtables. You will be encouraged to forge positive relationships with organizations and individuals which can better inform the energy strategies and result in higher quality implementation and impact of Bank-supported programs. This will require effective communication and outreach to key partners including client governments, academia, civil society organizations, media, other development partners and other Bank Group units. Represent the energy team and TTLs at project meetings and workshops, follow-up on key government actions (i.e., procurement, reporting), proactive identification and resolution of Bank/client relationships, monitor changes in government that may affect the energy programs, etc.
• Business development and leading lending operations. Take the lead and/or contribute to business development and to the preparation and supervision of investment operations in the energy sector of different LAC countries (to be determined), including Public Private Partnerships and innovative financing investments in infrastructure projects. The operations demand a solid understanding of energy sector’s legal, regulatory and institutional frameworks; energy markets, energy transition (renewable energy development and integration to the grid, energy efficiency), transition to the utilities of the future (including electro-mobility), Public Private Partnership investments in infrastructure projects, as well as regional integration projects. This position requires track record of experience in regional power sector integration and power pools (engineering, institutions, markets, and regulation).
• Lead analytical and advisory work in the energy sector and related areas, including interlinkages with political economy and macro-fiscal aspects, in collaboration with other GPs. This position requires track record of experience in regional power sector integration and power pools (engineering, institutions, markets, and regulation).
• Lead teams and provide guidance and mentoring to junior staff on operational, policy dialogue and analytical activities.
• Contribute to the Maximizing Finance for Development (MFD) approach. The LAC Energy team is a key contributor to the WBG strategy for MFD with the objective to help countries maximize their development resources by drawing on a range of financing sources and sustainable private sector solutions. You will actively seek opportunities to apply MFD principles in our work program and build a strong internal WBG partnership with IFC and MIGA as well as networks with private sector partners that can contribute to the achievement of our development objectives.
• Actively contribute to the dissemination of our activities, within the WBG and in external events. Provide inputs to operational products/outputs for sector and country briefings, analytical and advisory reports, portfolio performance and monitoring reviews, and liaison between the energy and extractives practice and the country unit on energy issues.
Selection Criteria
• Master's degree in engineering, energy economics, energy planning, or equivalent areas relevant for energy/extractives sector development.
• At least 10 years of combined experience in the World Bank, other international institutions and/or companies, government agencies, and/or power sector utilities with consistent record of successful engagement with complex projects.
• Track record of experience in regional power sector integration and power pools (engineering, institutions, markets, and regulation).
• Understanding of energy policies, regulations, technologies or strategies, private sector participation, and institutional development needed to support development and for the success of project and analytic work; experience leading and/or playing key roles in policy dialogue with clients and partners.
• Strong experience in planning, designing, and implementing power infrastructure projects including renewable energy generation, transmission and distribution.
• Hands-on experience with infrastructure projects with power sector utilities will be a distinct advantage.
• Strong knowledge of at least one of relevant thematic business lines such as Economics, Energy Markets & Institutions; Renewable Energy; Energy Finance; Hydropower; Power Systems & Technologies.
• A consistent track record in carrying out high quality and timely analytical reports and activities, especially experience with leading economic and financial analysis for regional power sector integration projects, would be advantageous
• Experience working on World Bank or other International Financial Institutions (IFIs) lending and non-lending operations is desirable, including knowledge and experience with fiduciary and safeguards policies and application.
• Active listening skills, excellent interpersonal skills, able to influence the audience and build positive relationships with clients, different partners and colleagues across units and departmental boundaries in a multi-cultural environment with disperse teams located in different countries.
• Experience working with large global teams, producing high-quality results and outputs with minimal supervision; Proven record of teamwork and ability to lead and mentor junior staff, to advise and guide senior staff in your core skills, to produce high-quality policy and project related written outputs with autonomy and in a highly visible country profile.
• High level of excitement, ability to work independently, taking initiative, and flexibility in quickly adjusting to changing work program requirements.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including an ability to communicate complex issues in simple terms and to engage in evidence-based dialogue with clients.
• Full proficiency in spoken and written Spanish and English.
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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