Description
About the World Bank Group (WBG)
Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? 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 and promoting shared prosperity. 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.
Western and Central Africa (AFW) Region
We need the best and brightest talent focused on Sub-Saharan African countries in order to harness the potential and innovation happening across the continent. Africa is a continent on the move, with a young population and a growing market of nearly 1.2bn people. We are committed to making the Africa regional teams into leading innovation hubs.
Yet, these vast opportunities are tempered by persistent gaps in education, health, and skills, which have Africa only reaching forty percent of its estimated potential. Moreover, conflict, food insecurity, population growth, and the disruptive forces of climate change threaten to curtail or even reverse the progress that has been made over the past decades.
In West and Central Africa, the World Bank is a leading partner with a growing portfolio of 387 projects totaling more than $44.1 billion in areas such as agriculture, trade and transport, energy, education, health, water and sanitation- all to support job creation, gender equality, poverty reduction, and better lives. Across the continent, the World Bank’s program has nearly doubled over the last 10 years. By 2030, about 87% of the world’s extreme poor are projected to live in Sub-Saharan Africa, so this is where our mission to end extreme poverty and to promote shared prosperity will be achieved.
Are you ready to make an impact? We are looking for dedicated professionals to join our innovative and diverse team to improve people’s lives and help countries build back better after COVID.
https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/afr/western-and-central-africa
The Infrastructure Practice Group
Globally, 840 million people live more than 2 kilometers from all-weather roads, 1 billion people lack electricity, and 4 billion people lack Internet access. Access to basic infrastructure services is critical for creating economic opportunities for the poor. The Infrastructure Practice Group is charged with developing sustainable solutions to help close infrastructure gaps in developing and emerging economies.
Transport Global Practice
Better transport has the potential to improve the lives and livelihoods of billions of people by facilitating access to jobs, markets, and essential services such as healthcare or education. The World Bank provides financial and technical assistance to help countries implement sustainable mobility solutions that create real, lasting development benefits. For more information: https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/transport
The IAWT3 unit has currently 22 staff and is growing. The transport portfolio includes about 15 projects under implementation, with an aggregate value of about US$ 3.69 billion and a pipeline of 4 projects and 8 analytical activities. This portfolio is diverse and includes projects and analytical work in transport and trade facilitation, urban mobility, port, road and railway sectors, PPPs, Climate resilience and adaptation of the transport sector and transport and human capital (i.e., roads to schools).
About the Africa Transport Policy Program (SSATP)
The Africa Transport Policy Program (SSATP) is an international partnership to facilitate policy development and related capacity building in the transport sector in Africa. It comprises 42 countries, eight Regional Economic Communities, public and private sector organizations, and international development agencies and organizations. Since its inception in 1987, SSATP plays a key role as a convener and leader in transport policy advocacy, serving as continental platform for sector policy dialogue, knowledge exchange and capacity building. SSATP’s mission is fully aligned with the continental strategy, specifically the Africa Union Commission’s (AUC) continental vision-Agenda 2063, the G20’s Quality Infrastructure Principles, and the European Commission’s Green Deal.
SSATP operates in five-year cycles and responding to the emerging transport policy issues pertaining to each period. SSATP is currently in the process of implementing its Fourth Development Plan (DP4, 2021-2026), The development objective of the DP4 is to prepare knowledge products and undertake capacity building activities to facilitate the decarbonization of the transport sector in Africa by focusing on three priority thematic areas: (i) Regional Connectivity and Economic Integration (RCEI), (ii) Sustainable Urban Mobility and Accessibility (SUMA), and (ii) Road Safety (RS). A fourth thematic area, Resilient Road Asset Management (RRAM), could also be included in DP4 subject to the availability of funding.
SSATP is financed by development partners’ contributions to a trust fund administered by the World Bank. The following partners are supporting the SSATP Fourth Development Plan (DP4) for the period 2021-2026: the European Commission, the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), the African Development Bank and Agence Française de Développement. Further information about SSATP is available on the SSATP website at: www.ssatp.org
IAWT3 is hiring a Senior Transport Specialist, with extensive prior operational experience – preferably in Africa, to serve as Regional Connectivity and Economic Integration Pillar Leader for SSATP. He/she will be based in Abidjan country office on a three-year appointment and mapped to the World Bank Western and Central Africa Region Transport Unit (IAWT3) and will be reporting to the Transport Practice Manager. The specific responsibilities and the role of the Regional Connectivity and Economic Integration Pillar Leader are outline below under duties and responsibilities.
Role & Responsibilities:
S/he will lead the implementation of the SSATP’s Regional Connectivity and Economic Integration (RCEI) Pillar activities. RCEI overall objective is to facilitate the development of a more efficient and connected continental transport network to enhance Africa’s economic activity and trade competitiveness. More specifically RCEI aims at improving regional transport corridors efficiency, strengthening their governance systems and management performance by mainstreaming good practices. RCEI activities’ focus will include (a) Support the development of Regional/Sub-regional transport corridors strategies; (b) Support to transport corridor management institutions; (c) Development of guidelines /Tools to assess and monitor regional transport corridors performance; (d) Support port and logistic platforms digitalization and (e) develop and deploy a program of capacity building to strengthen regional corridor institutions.
Specific duties and responsibilities shall include:
(i) Lead the implementation of the RCEI-DP4 priority activities as per the SSATP-DP4 strategy, which will include translating the overall RCEI strategy into yearly work plans, preparing Terms of Reference (ToR) and hiring consultants, coordinating the overall activities, monitoring time schedules, supervising their activities, carrying out technical work, interacting with the SSATP member countries, and carrying out the pillar day-to-day management,
(ii) Lead the policy dialogues and advocacy on Regional Connectivity and Economic Integration and transport corridor sector decarbonization and digitalization,
(iii) Provide timely and relevant RCEI transport policy advice to AUC, UNECA, RECs and to SSATP country members,
(iv) Prepare and generate relevant knowledge and capacity building products and tools,
(v) Share and disseminate experiences and knowledge in the transport corridor and trade facilitation sector,
(vi) Development and deployment of relevant training programs to strengthen the capacity of regional corridor institutions; and
(vii) Function as the primary contact for regional integration stakeholders, as well as reference and repository for RCEI’s and related transport policies on the continent.
Selection Criteria
The position requires experience related to RCEI’s reforms, transport corridor policy, and/or institutional, regulatory, managerial, and financing aspects of regional connectivity and economic integration. More generally, the selected candidate will contribute to efforts in knowledge generation and management to ensure global best practices and lessons learned in the transport sector including critical cross-cutting themes like decarbonization, digitalization, accessibility, affordability, climate impact, health and safety, inclusiveness, and socio-economic impact.
Candidates for the position will be selected based on the following requirements:
Minimum Requirements:
• Master’s degree or higher, in transport planning, engineering, economics, finance, or other disciplines relevant to regional integration and economics, transport corridors and logistics sector.
• At least 8 years of professional experience in the economic connectivity and regional integration sector with a focus on two or more of the following areas: (a) planning and implementing transport corridor reforms; (b) regional integration transport policy and financing; (c) planning and implementing transport corridor plans and policies, including development and management of regional corridor management institutions; (e) logistics platforms and port digitalization; (f) development and implementation of corridor management and monitoring guidelines and tools; and (g) cross border points policy regulations and management;
• Experience in managing projects/programs and/or other assignments.
• Proven ability to build relationships involving multiple stakeholders.
• Excellent analytical skills and proven written and oral communication skills, with the ability to present complex issues in a concise manner.
• Experience in working on similar programs in developing countries (including middle-income countries), in activities financed by the World Bank or other financing organizations, or in a consultant capacity.
• Experience in the design and implementation of initiatives that can harness the opportunities of new technologies (e.g., digitalization, “big data” analytics); and
• Excellent written and oral fluency in English and French (both are required).
Transport GP Technical Competencies:
• General Transport Engineering and Planning Knowledge - Possesses specialized technical knowledge in the transport fields and ability to translate this knowledge for the practical benefit of clients.
• Knowledge and Experience in the Development Arena - Translates technical and cross-country knowledge into practical applications and contributions to country and sector strategies; interacts with clients at the policy level.
• Policy Dialogue Skills - Anticipates needs and requests in the field and conducts independent policy discussions with representatives of the government and non-government partners.
• Integrative Skills - Understands relevant cross-sectoral areas how they are interrelated; able to undertake cross-sectoral work in lending and non-lending operations.
• Transport Policy, Strategy, and Institutions - Solid understanding of policies, strategies, institutions, and regulations that affect both passenger transport and freight logistics.
• Transport Systems and Technologies - Extensive experience with urban and interurban transport systems and technologies, with ability to apply knowledge to policy-related decisions and advice.
• Client Orientation - Maintains client relationships in the face of conflicting demands or directions and provides evidence-based advice and solutions based on sound diagnosis and knowledge.
• Drive for Results - Identifies the needed resources to accomplish results involving multiple stakeholders and finds solutions to obstacles affecting key deliverables.
WBG COMPETENCIES
• Deliver results for clients - Proactively addresses clients stated and unstated needs.
• Collaborate within Teams and Across Boundaries - Collaborates across boundaries, gives own perspective, and willingly receives diverse perspectives.
• Make Smart Decisions - Interprets a wide range of information and pushes to move forward.
• Integrative skills – Understands relevant cross-sectoral areas
• Policy dialogue skills – anticipate needs and requests in the field and conducts independent policy discussions with representatives of the government and non-government partners
• Transport policy, strategy, and institutions – Solid understanding of transport policies, strategies, institutions, and regulations.
• Operational Project Management – demonstrates in depth knowledge and understanding of transport project management tools and methodologies,
• Project design for impact and sustainability – contributes to the design of projects and programs, based on an understanding of the country and sector context
• Team leadership – leads teams to achieve challenging outcomes, providing a role model, and enhancing the team-leadership skills of team members.
The World Bank Group values diversity and encourages all qualified candidates who are nationals of World Bank Group member countries to apply, regardless of gender, gender identity, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability. Sub-Saharan African nationals, Caribbean nationals, and female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. The duration of this assignment will be a 3-year term appointment. It may be extended based on business needs, the satisfactory performance of the candidate, and the availability of trust fund resources. Candidates with open term appointments will retain their employment status if selected for this position.
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.
This vacancy is archived.