Director – Regional Programs (covering AFE and AFW)

Director – Regional Programs (covering AFE and AFW) Job #: req34946 Organization: World Bank Sector: Operations Grade: GI Term Duration: 4 years 0 months Recruitment Type: International Recruitment Location: To Be Determined Required Language(s): English Preferred Language(s): French Closing Date: 12/5/2025 (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 boosting growth and creating jobs – as a forward-looking strategy for stability and opportunity. 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.

Note: The location for this position will be confirmed at a later stage; however, the selected candidate will be based within the Africa region or Washington D.C..

Regional Context:

The Regional Programs Unit covers AFE and AFW regions (Sub-Saharan African countries), while closely exploring linkages and synergies with North Africa. The Unit has a small team of staff who work with the countries across the regions and the World Bank Group Knowledge Bank. The Director and the team in the unit set the strategic direction for regional programming across the continent and is responsible for supporting flagship platforms like M300, AgriConnect and Universal Health Care which are corporate priorities for the World Bank Group. The work program comprises bringing best in class development knowledge to issues facing countries across Africa, working with the regional Chief Economist and Regional Practice Directors on analytics to inform policy dialogue and operations, design and deliver the regional projects funded by IDA / IBRD resources and oversee the implementation of the regional project portfolio, and manage the convening of countries through formal structures (of Regional Economic Communities) or other platforms for cooperation. The Director is a member of the SLTs and RMTs of both regions, and reports to the AFW Vice President.

The World Bank’s Western & Central Africa (AFW), Eastern and Southern Africa (AFE) Regions are committed to helping the African continent realize its considerable development potential. The core values guiding our work are passion for our mission of sustainable poverty reduction with keen attention to quality and transformative impact, putting the needs of the client at the center of all our activities, trust and respect as a common currency, intellectual rigor and curiosity, honesty and integrity, teamwork, openness to learning, and the courage to admit we do not always have the answer.

The continent is on the move, with a young population and a growing market of nearly 1.3 billion people. Yet, these vast opportunities are tempered by the lack of jobs and opportunities, keeping the population in poverty and frustration. Gaps in education, health, and skills have Africa only reaching forty percent of its estimated potential. Serious gaps in infrastructure and uneven and insufficient reform progress are also major impediments for job creation and income growth. The region needs to achieve sustained higher growth and create an enabling environment for private sector capital mobilization at large. This needs to be done concurrently as conflict, food insecurity, population growth, and the disruptive forces of climate change pose continued threats to progress.

Regional cooperation across the countries on the continent is critical for infrastructure, trade, competitiveness and for transformational development as envisaged under platforms such as M300, Agri Connect and Economic Corridors (e.g., Lobito). The current regional program is a significant part of the World Bank’s engagement in the region with FY25 closing with financial commitments of around $23 billion for regional programs in Africa. These programs include M300 operations, physical and digital connectivity including corridors, water, minerals, and trade to boost economic growth. Skills and health are also critical for the regional strategy on jobs. The new regional strategy under development will promote selective transformative engagements with a sharp focus on jobs and pursuit of the most transformative development opportunities for the region where the World Bank Group has comparative advantage. Strong partnerships with other development partners and African regional entities is critical to success.

Duties and Accountabilities:

The Director, Regional Programs has overall responsibility for managing the overall strategic direction and regional priorities for AFW and AFE, working collaboratively with the IBRD/IDA Regional leadership teams (RLTs) and Division Directors (DDs), IFC and MIGA to ensure the regional program is aligned with World Bank Group strategic direction and priorities, respond to the most pressing and promising development opportunities across African countries and drive, mobilize and complement country programs. The Director will ensure working throughout as One World Bank Group to ensure efforts are coherent and impactful – and leverage private capital. The Director, Regional Programs will assume the following duties and accountabilities:

• Collaborating with IBRD, IDA and IFC Regional Vice Presidents (RVPs), DDs and Regional Practice Directors (RPDs) and MIGA teams, the Regional Leadership Teams (RLT), regional organizations, and client countries to identify strategic priorities for a regional approach to development challenges.

• In close collaboration with AFW and AFE management, oversee WBG’s engagements and relationships with global and regional organizations and economic communities in Africa.

• Collaborate with RPDs and DDs to ensure strong alignment and mainstreaming of regional programs in country dialogue and operations and ensure they are engaged in decision reviews and performance monitoring of implementation.

• Ensure that the IDA resources allocated by RVPs/Country Management Units (CMUs) are used to develop transformative and impactful regional programs in line with World Bank Group strategic direction and flagship platforms and notably in the areas of trade and cross-border connectivity.

• Accountable strong portfolio and pipeline quality and working closely with CMUs so that they are actively involved in portfolio quality and risk management systems for the program. Ensure DDs are fully engaged in program supervision and in dialogue with the counterparts to ensure satisfactory implementation performance.

• Improve systems, processes, and reporting methods for impacts and outcomes.

• Identify and lead regional tasks related to regional operations in accordance with regional priorities, working closely with RPDs.

• Facilitate close coordination with MENAAP on strategic issues that cover the African continent.

Responsibilities:

The Director, Regional Programs, is responsible for performing activities in the following areas:

Strategy, Solutions and Results to Clients:

• Leads his/her team to deliver on World Bank Group strategic priorities and the most transformative opportunities for Africa’s development, in collaboration with other stakeholders, ensuring coherence and maximizing speed, scale and impact.

• Draws on the World Bank Group Knowledge Bank’s thought leadership and solutions and impact (scale and replicability) know-how to ensure high impact solutions.

• Accountable for delivering high-quality and timely results.

• Assist the management team in building and maintaining a balanced portfolio of innovative, cost-effective, and demand-driven products and services that reflect corporate priorities.

• Implements quality control processes/inputs to support the delivery of products and services in close collaboration with DDs and RPDs.

• Ensures availability and maintenance of portfolio, pipeline, staff and budget information as well as portfolio quality and performance metrics to inform the WBG management.

• Leads on high-priority initiatives and projects.

People/ Talent Management:

• Models exemplary World Bank Group leadership values and managerial behaviors and reinforces these qualities in own team and staff.

• Drives and inspires technical excellence within the team and the unit by creating an environment of learning and innovation that attracts and develops the best talent reflective of the diversity of our clients.

• Supports management in developing and implementing appropriate strategies for global staffing, deployment, talent and performance management.

• Along with and on behalf of the VPs, contributes to and implements and monitors compliance with talent management, diversity and inclusion plans.

• Encourages and incentivizes staff mobility across units and contributes to career development.

• Supports the Agile Bank initiative.

Resource Management:

• Manages the department’s budget (internal and external funds) to support the implementation of the VPUs’ strategy. Helps managers optimize the various sources of funding for better client delivery.

• In consultation with relevant stakeholders within the WBG, decides on the best use of internal and external resources for maximum client and developmental impact.

• Is accountable for delivering the agreed upon work program through cost-effective use of resources (human and budget) within the agreed parameters and in compliance with internal controls and policies and ensures timely delivery and overall quality of the VPUs’ outputs.

Knowledge Management:

• With support of the World Bank Group Knowledge Bank, engages with managers and other directors in the VPUs to develop a knowledge and learning strategy and approach that integrates cross-cutting and multi-sectoral links.

• Provides personal leadership in one or more of the areas critical to the implementation of the VPUs’ strategy and priorities and helps integrate policy direction and strategic priorities with business development and operational priorities.

• Ensures timely flow and capture of knowledge and expertise so that clients receive the highest quality support and knowledge they need, when and where they need it.

• Promotes innovative and cross-cutting research, as well as the dissemination of technical and experiential knowledge and learning.

• Instills a culture of evidence-based, yet client tailored engagement for highest development impact.

Selection Criteria

• Passion for the WBG mission.

• PhD or Master’s degree in relevant field, and typically the successful candidate will have 15 or more years of relevant experience in positions of increasing complexity and responsibility.

• Prior work experience in achieving results on the ground in more than one region. 

• Strong ability to engage with large number of sectors/Global Practices.

• Experience working with or across the World Bank Group is considered an asset.

• Solid knowledge of Bank operations and policies.

• Experience in working in the Africa Region is desired.

• Demonstrated leadership values and exemplification of WBG managerial and core competencies, as referenced below.

• Personal leadership in shaping and leading new agendas, bringing thought leadership and analysis together with delivery capacity for maximum client impact.

• Recognized expert within WBG or among one or more of the following: academia, partners, private sector actors, and policymakers, and with track record of applying practice know-how and effective policy dialogue to achieve development results.

• Track record of managing complex and large work programs, budgets, portfolio monitoring and supervision, with proven results.

• Proven ability to effectively implement complex change management initiatives.

• Strong written and oral communication skills with proven experience in dealing with the media, external constituencies and/or expert groups.

Skills/Knowledge/Competencies:

In addition to generic elements for operational staff at GI level, following are the specific elements:

• Strong leadership and team building skills demonstrated through leading multi-disciplinary/ multi-cultural teams in complex tasks across the matrix.

• Proactivity, energy, and ability to innovate.

• Ability to work across a broad range of tasks in parallel, to set priorities, and to achieve results under stress.

• Sensitivity to political economy, social, and cultural factors and ability to analyze complex situations.

• Ability to integrate various sector perspectives into a country-relevant overall approach.

• Solid knowledge of Bank operational processes and procedures (including roles and responsibilities of various units).

• Excellent inter-personal and diplomatic skills.

• Ability to communicate clearly and articulately both verbally and in writing with a broad range of counterparts.

• Experience in working on both middle income and fragile states would be a plus.

WBG Leadership Values and Managerial Behaviors

• Leadership of Self: Role model the change and values for WBG; Demonstrate courage of convictions, ownership and self-mastery within the organization in accordance to our values.

• People Leadership: Lead and inspire staff to perform and deliver for better results. Help others achieve their fullest potential through coaching and mentorship.

• Collaborative Leadership: Be mutually accountable for entire WBG’s corporate targets and success. Work across WBG and with clients and partners to achieve better results.

• Client Solutions Leadership: Be the leading provider of development solutions for country clients. Provide leadership in both knowledge generation and knowledge sharing.

• Decisive Leadership: Take informed risks and make decisions in a transparent manner resulting in transformative impact for clients. Commit to decision once they have been made.

WBG Managerial Competencies