Division Chief – Innovation in Citizen Services

Division Chief – Innovation in Citizen Services

The IDB Group is a community of diverse, versatile, and passionate people who come together on a journey to improve lives in Latin America and the Caribbean. Our people find purpose and do what they love in an inclusive, collaborative, agile, and rewarding environment.

About this position:

The Institutions for Development Sector (IFD) of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is tasked with strengthening institutions and policies to foster public sector management and private sector development to improve the lives of people across the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region. IFD conceptualizes, prepares, implemets, supervises and evaluates operations in the areas of governance and public sector strengthening and reform, including fiscal management and service delivery to citizens; financial markets; technology, competitiveness and innovation; and digital transformation.

The mandate of the Innovation in Citizen Services Division is to strengthen core government institutions, their capabilities and systems to deliver better services to citizens both at the policy and implementation levels. The Division assists client countries in reinforcing the institutional capacity of the state and improving its delivery capacity. It is responsible for defining the strategic directions of the Bank’s programs, developing innovative solutions, deploying sector expertise regionally, and using policy-relevant knowledge effectively.

The ICS Division is structured into four clusters:

• Public Sector Management: supports the strengthening of the management capacity of public administration to improve the lives of citizens and enhance trust in the State.
• Data and Digital Government: supports LAC governments in the design and implementation of digital transformation plans and initiatives to improve the efficiency and quality of the public services provided to citizens and businesses.
• Citizen Security and Justice: helps LAC countries tackle challenges of security and justice that affect the Rule of Law and, in turn, economic and social development.
• Transparency and Integrity: supports transparency and integrity reforms aligned with international standards and enabled by digital technologies.

  What you will do

  This is a strategic managerial position to lead, steer and shape Bank support to regional member countries position to address critical challenges for shared development and rebuilding trust in institutions. You will:

  • Provide strategic leadership to guide the Bank’s agenda and advise senior management in relevant policies, strategies, guidelines and initiatives for the Bank and regional member countries in the areas of responsibility of the Division in public governance, data and digital government, citizen security and justice, as well as transparency and integrity.
  • Remain abreast of innovative knowledge in the field, including the latest innovations and insights, evolving international standards (OECD, G20), and long-term foresight about structural trends in the region, as well as generate and oversee policy-relevant research and knowledge products in the areas of competence of the Division.
  • Conduct high-level policy dialogue with government authorities and handle the timely provision of high-quality analytical and advisory services to client countries.
  • Supervise the identification, preparation and delivery of high-quality, tailor-made loan operations and technical assistance grants.
  • Ensure the alignment with country strategies and lead the dialogue with country representatives on the scope of Bank support in the areas of responsibility of the Division.
  • Supervise the strategic directions of the Division, manage the Division's core management team, ensure quality control of its operations, and provide direct and indirect line management to its staff.
  • Manage a highly skilled interdisciplinary and multi-cultural team of professionals, located in both headquarters and country offices within the region; lead, coach, establish goals and expectations, handle performance, provide feedback and plan recruitments to optimize staff performance; and promote information sharing within the Division, contributing to coherence, consistency and collaboration between employees.
  • Foster internal and external coordination, maintaining a continuous dialogue with other sector divisions of the Bank, and strengthening strategic partnerships with other international and regional organizations.
  • Represent the Bank in relevant regional and international initiatives, public forums, conferences and seminars as speaker, panelist, and participant.

    What you will need

    • Education: You hold a Master’s degree or PhD (preferred) in Economics, Public Policy, Public Administration, Political Economy, Political Science, Development Economics, or other relevant fields.
    • Experience: You have a minimum of 10 years of relevant experience in government, bilateral aid agency or multilateral institution. Track record of handling high-performance teams supporting the design and implementation of loan and grants programs to strengthen government institutions and improve public services. Experience working with a wide range of aid instruments (policy-based lending, investment loans and technical assistance grants). Demonstrated in-depth technical knowledge in one or more areas under the purview of the Division and exposure to Latin America and the Caribbean’s governance challenges. Demonstrated ability for lateral thinking and foresight planning and thrust for remaining abreast of cutting-edge knowledge and promising innovations, particularly data and digital solutions.
    • Languages: You are proficient in English and one of the other IDB Group official languages (Spanish, French or Portuguese).

      Key Skills:

      • Mentor and develop
      • Promote Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging
      • Build Lean and Versatile teams
      • Lead change and Transformation
      • Create Partnerships

        Requirements

        • Citizenship: You are a citizen of one of our 48-member countries. We may offer assistance with relocation and visa applications for you and your eligible dependents.
        • Consanguinity: You have no family members (up to fourth degree of consanguinity and second degree of affinity, including spouse) working at the IDB, IDB Invest, or IDB Lab.

          Type of contract and duration: