Chief Counsel Job #: req33724 Organization: World Bank Sector: Legal Grade: GH Term Duration:ย 4 years 0 months Recruitment Type: International Recruitment Location: Washington, DC,United States Required Language(s): English Preferred Language(s): Closing Date: 7/27/2025 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC
Description
Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? The World Bank Group is 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.ย For more information, visit www.worldbank.org.
To ensure that countries can access the best global expertise and help generate cutting-edge knowledge solutions, the World Bank Group is constantly seeking to improve the way it works. Key priorities include delivering measurable results, promoting openness and transparency in development, and improving access to development information and data.
Legal Vice Presidency. In the context of the WBGโs broad development agenda, the Legal Vice Presidency (LEG), under the Senior Vice President and Group General Counsel (SVP-GC), is responsible for providing legal advice and support to internal and external WBG clients on operational, advisory, financial, administration, and institutional matters.
LEG Institutional Affairs.ย Lawyers working in the Institutional Affairs function of the LEGVP provide legal advice and services throughout the World Bank Group.ย Among other things, lawyers in the group advise on the following:โข ย Governance of the World Bank Group entities, including the interpretation of their constituent documents, the interpretation and drafting of their governance documents, providing advice to the corporate secretary and boards of directors and governors and their various committees;โข ย Legal status and application of privileges and immunities by and in member countries;โข ย General legal advice to more than 140 country offices, including with respect to host country relations and the negotiation and application of host country agreements, corporate security in fragile environments, evacuations, staff safety, and other issues arising from the Bankโs global footprint;โข ย Fraud and corruption in World Bank programs, including advice to the department that investigates fraud and abuse and applies the World Bankโs sanctions and debarment system and appeals mechanism;โข ย Claims resolution against the Bank, both pre-litigation, litigation, and arbitration, and in particular claims challenging jurisdictional and other immunities enjoyed under the constituent documents of the Bank, other agreements, or domestic law;โข ย Corporate procurement, tax, real estate, insurance, human resources, cybersecurity, health and disability programs, intellectual property, copyright and trademark issues, and other traditional in-house matters that arise in an organization of 30,000+ staff;ย ย โข ย The deployment and use of technology, particularly AI, data management, data privacy, and other information control issues; andโข ย Internal justice and ethics, including support of formal and informal resolution of staff misconduct, investigations, and employment cases heard by the World Bank Groupโs internal court, the World Bank Administrative Tribunal.
Duties and Responsibilities:
The Chief Counselโs responsibilities will include the following:
โข ย Provide management and oversight of staff advising in the areas of the office, including the core areas set out above, ensuring the delivery of timely, high-quality legal adviceโข ย Organize and oversee practice groups of lawyers in each of the functional areas, ensuring coordination on substantive issuesโข ย Provide substantive review of complex legal analysis performed by the teamโข ย Provide strategic direction for the institutional affairs function, shaping the work of the office to address new and emerging challengesโข ย Mentor lawyers in their career development and growthโข ย Represent the team at all levels of management across the World Bank Group entities and in their governing bodiesโข ย Coordinate application of resources โ staff time and funding โ to ensure the efficient achievement of objectivesโข ย Develop relationships with counterparts across the IFI and other international organization community to coordinate efforts on common legal issuesโข ย Take on such other responsibilities and as may be designated from time-to-time by the Deputy General Counsel.
The Chief Counsel will be expected to maintain good client relations and to demonstrate a proven ability to resolve differences across boundaries, find common ground, and understand the needs and concerns not only of the World Bank Group but also of the various units within the World Bank Group entities, as well as of third parties.
Selection Criteria
โข ย An LLM degree, J.D. or equivalent, and admitted/qualified to practice law in at least one jurisdiction.โข ย At least 12 years of relevant post-qualification legal experience.ย โข ย Exceptional people management skills and a demonstrated ability, and experience in, working with or leading a large team with a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences; demonstrated track record of managing a legal office as head of office or in a deputy capacity or equivalent preferredโข ย Knowledge of the workings of and law governing international organizations, work with international financial institutions a plusย โข ย Proven leadership on a wide variety of complex legal matters with a record of intellectual leadership and accomplishments that demonstrate an ability to provide senior management, internal and external clients with technically excellent, innovative, timely and practical advice and solutions; substantive experience with some of the institutional affairs functions set out above preferredโข ย Demonstrated conceptual and planning skills, and capacity to guide development of relevant strategies and strategic plans.โข ย Exceptional leadership skills, including leading transformative change, and highly developed coaching, mentoring and advisory skillsโข ย Proven track record of building and supervising teams, achieving mutually supportive, a team-oriented mindset across a large unit, and creating an enabling work environment that delivers results.โข ย Proven ability to effectively work both independently and with colleagues and to cooperate and integrate the work of multiple business units covering diverse activities into a coherent execution of concrete goals and outcomes.โข ย Receptivity to feedback and constructive criticism; outstanding written and verbal communications skills.
WBG Culture Attributes:
1. Sense of Urgency โ Anticipating and quickly reacting to the needs of internal and external stakeholders.
2. Thoughtful Risk Taking โ Taking informed and thoughtful risks and making courageous decisions to push boundaries for greater impact.
3. Empowerment and Accountability โ Engaging with others in an empowered and accountable manner for impactful 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 theย World Bankย andย IFC, including our values and inspiring stories.