Senior IT Officer, Business Solutions I Job #: req34570 Organization: World Bank Sector: Information Technology Grade: GG Term Duration: 2 years 0 months Recruitment Type: Local Recruitment Location: Sofia,Bulgaria Required Language(s): English Preferred Language(s): Bulgarian Closing Date: 10/22/2025 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC
Description
Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? The World Bank Group is a unique global partnership of five institutions driven by a bold vision to create a world free of poverty on a livable planet. As one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries, we help solve the world’s greatest development challenges. When you join the World Bank Group, you become part of a dynamic, diverse organization with 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide. We work with public and private sector partners, invest in groundbreaking projects, and use data, research, and technology to bring tangible and transformative change around the globe. For more information, visit www.worldbank.org
VPU Context
The mission of the Information and Technology Solutions (ITS) Vice Presidential Unit (VPU) is to leverage information and technology as a force multiplier to accelerate, deepen, and sustain development impact. Their vision is to harness information and technology for a world free of poverty on a livable planet. For more information on ITS, check this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=VTFGffa1Y7w
Department Context
The Operations & Country Engagement Solutions (ITSOE) Department delivers innovative digital products and services to Operations staff and leadership, using global expertise and leading technology to enable a faster, bigger, and better Bank that leverages knowledge fully to drive development impact.
Unit Context
The ITS Country Engagement unit (ITSCE) delivers digital support for global and country-specific products, supports systems aligned with the new Country Engagement model, and provides geospatial solutions for geo-tagging of projects to improve spatial visibility and impact tracking. It also drives the delivery of AI-powered business solutions to support business priorities and accelerate data-driven decision-making across the institution.
The Senior Solutions Architect will serve as the principal technical authority and strategic leader for the design and delivery of intelligent, scalable, and secure systems that underpin all key work programs across the ITSCE unit—including Regional and Country Solutions, Geospatial Solutions, and RapidAI. In this capacity, the architect will drive technology vision, set architectural direction, and champion best practices to ensure that solutions are innovative, future-ready, and fully aligned with both business goals and enterprise standards.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide strategic technical leadership in designing and implementing systems architectures that align with evolving business objectives.
- Architect and lead the delivery of cloud-native, full-stack solutions using modern frameworks (React, Angular, Node.js) and platforms (Microsoft Azure, AWS).
- Design and oversee implementation of AI-powered systems, leveraging Azure AI, OpenAI APIs, and machine learning pipelines to enhance operational efficiency and analytical capabilities.
- Ensure compliance with security and governance standards, conducting solution design reviews to validate scalability, performance, and enterprise alignment.
- Coordinate across cross-functional teams—including infrastructure, application development, security, and business units—to ensure architectural coherence with operational requirements.
- Enforce enterprise architecture standards, ensuring consistency, scalability, and alignment across platforms and delivery teams.
- Drive innovation by evaluating emerging technologies, frameworks, and AI capabilities to inform strategic architecture decisions and future-proof enterprise systems.
- Oversee the development of architecture documentation and knowledge assets to support cross-team collaboration, onboarding, and institutional learning.
- Collaborate with Product Owners and Business Analysts to translate strategic business needs into actionable technical specifications and delivery roadmaps.
- Lead architectural alignment during Agile ceremonies and program increment planning, resolving design inconsistencies and guiding delivery teams toward scalable solutions.
- Oversee technical delivery across agile teams in ITSCE, ensuring adherence to enterprise standards and best practices.
- Evaluate vendor proposals and technical documentation, ensuring accuracy, feasibility, and alignment with architectural principles.
- Monitor technical delivery progress, proactively identifying risks and driving timely corrective actions to maintain delivery discipline.
- Provide expert advice, technical knowledge, and serve as a reliable point of reference for colleagues.
- Deliver guidance, coaching, and training to technical staff while acting as a subject matter expert resource for technical professionals.
- Coordinate with other Senior Solutions Architects across ITSOE to ensure consistent architectural approaches, seamless system integration, and alignment with enterprise-wide standards and strategies.
Selection Criteria
* Master’s degree with 8 years of experience or a bachelor's degree with a minimum of 10 years of relevant experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
* Proven track record in managing contractor- or vendor-delivered IT projects from design through production deployment, with strong expertise in vendor management and contract oversight.
* Comprehensive knowledge of both back-end systems (databases, APIs, microservices, server architecture) and front-end technologies (modern web frameworks, user interface design principles).
* Advanced proficiency in cloud platforms such as Microsoft Azure, AWS, or Google Cloud, supported by relevant certifications (e.g., AWS/Azure Solutions Architect).
* Hands-on experience with system integration, networking, DevOps practices, and enterprise security standards.
* Demonstrated ability to assess and validate technical solutions for alignment with enterprise architecture standards and business objectives.
* Strongly recommended technical certifications: Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert or AWS Certified Solutions, Microsoft Certified: DevOps Engineer Expert or AWS
* Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional, Architect - Professional or GCP Professional Cloud Architect.
* Recommended SAFe certifications: SAFe for Architects (ARCH) or SAFe DevOps (SDP).
* Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to effectively bridge technical and non-technical teams.
WBG Culture Attributes:
1. Sense of urgency: Anticipate and quickly respond to the needs of internal and external stakeholders.
2. Thoughtful risk-taking: Challenge the status quo and push boundaries to achieve greater impact.
3. Empowerment and accountability: Empower yourself and others to act and hold each other accountable for results.
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.