Senior Digital Specialist Job #: req32658 Organization: World Bank Sector: Digital Development Grade: GG Term Duration:ย 3 years 0 months Recruitment Type: International Recruitment Location: Washington, DC,United States Required Language(s): English Preferred Language(s): Spanish or French Closing Date: 4/23/2025 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC
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ย Description
Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? Working at the World Bank provides a unique opportunity for you to help our clients solve their greatest development challenges. The World Bank consists of two entities โ the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA). It is a global development cooperative owned by 189 member countries. As the largest development bank in the world, the World Bank provides loans, guarantees, risk management products, and advisory services to middle-income and low-income countries, and coordinates responses to regional and global challenges. For more information, please visit www.worldbank.org.ย
Digital Vice Presidencyย
The Digital Vice Presidency was established on July 1, 2024. It is responsible for guiding World Bank Group efforts to support establishment of the foundations for the digital economy, building and enhancing digital and data infrastructure, ensuring cybersecurity and data privacy for institutions, businesses, and citizens, and advancing digital government services. Digital technologies, including AI and data, present a unique opportunity to accelerate development. The Digital Transformation Vertical has the critical mission of delivering on this development promise. The Digital Vice Presidency and its global and regional teams support client countries in building the foundational and cross-cutting elements of digital transformation through two engagement pillars, six business lines, and multiple cross-cutting areas:ย ย
โข Digital Core: Building digital infrastructure and access through broadband networks, affordable devices; Enhancing data infrastructure including data centers, cloud solutions and data governance; Enabling AI and cutting-edge technology applications; and Protecting institutions, businesses, and citizens through cybersecurity, data protection & privacy, trust services as well as online safety.ย
โข ย Digital Use: Supporting the Regions and the Verticals of People, Prosperity, Planet, and Infrastructure in the digitalization efforts of clients through Digital Government (digital public infrastructure, digital government services, and digital literacy and training), Digital Economy (national ICT planning, ICT industry and jobs, and smart infra and industry) and Digital Society (EdTech, Health, Tech, etc.).ย ย
Both pillars are the channels through which the Vertical supports World Bank achieving its objectives in cross-cutting areas like jobs and skills, climate change and sustainability, fragility, conflict and violence, and gender and inclusion.ย
The role will be based in the Digital Vice Presidency, and report to the Global Practice Manager for Digital Infrastructure.ย The selected candidate will also work closely with the Energy Global Practice at global and regional levels. The position will be closely linked with several Business Lines in the Digital Vice Presidency as outlined below (non-exhaustive). The Business Lines carry out thought leadership and research, identification and sharing of best practices on policy and operational approaches, and provide technical assistance and support for client dialogue and design and execution of interventions working with the Digital task team leaders for the respective countries:ย ย ย
Broadband Access and Use Business Lineย
The Broadband Access and Use Business Line supports countries to connect governments, businesses and individuals to the internet. Our work is organized across three thematic pillars: promoting markets (policy, regulation, competition), expanding network coverage and improving quality, and finally increasing access, use, and inclusion. Collaboration will include support for cross-sector (broadband-energy) infrastructure sharing and joint deployment efforts as well as provisioning of green energy solutions to power digital infrastructure.ย
Cloud/Datacenters, Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technology Business Lineย
The Cloud, AI and Emerging Tech Business Line supports countries to increase investment and access to data infrastructure/compute and AI capabilities.ย This includes support to develop sound policy, regulatory and governance environments, supporting investments in infrastructure and skills development and deployment of applications/use cases leveraging these technologies.ย Collaboration will include green energy for cloud/datacenters, leveraging AI and IoT in the energy sector.ย
The Green Digital Business Lineย
The Green Digital Business Line supports countries to achieve their digital transformation and inclusion goals sustainably and empowers them to better use data and digital technologies for green use cases.ย Collaboration will include support for provision of sustainable energy for digital infrastructure investments, using digital technologies to reduce emissions in the energy sector and to build resilience of energy infrastructure.ย ย
Digital Safeguards Business Lineย
The Digital Safeguards business line supports countries to better manage the risks of digital transformation including cybersecurity and data protection.ย Collaboration will include the intersection of cybersecurity for critical (energy) infrastructure and data governance and protection in the energy sector.ย
The Energy Digital Nexusย
Access to energy is an important prerequisite for digital inclusion. Equally, the digital sector is important for energy access and transition to renewable energy. The person recruited will play a key role strengthening synergies between the sectors. Examples could include support for:ย
โข Cross sector planning between the energy and digital sector, including based on geospatial dataย ย
โข Infrastructure sharing across the energy and digital sectorย ย
โข Energy requirements for data centers or telecom networks and opportunities to leverage renewable energy to power digital infrastructure and/or anchor energy investmentsย
โข Joint service delivery models, for example at the last mile in off-grid areas where telecom operators for example can be anchor tenants for mini-grid projects.ย ย ย
โข Digital enablers for energy delivery, for example pay-as-you go solutions, digital technologies and data for utilities or renewable energy generation, including AIย ย
โข Promotion of energy efficiency of digital infrastructure or technologiesย ย
โข Coordination with cybersecurity and data protection colleagues to promote digital safeguards in the energy sectorย
Duties and Accountabilitiesย ย
โข Technical expertise: Play a focal point role in developing and disseminating technical knowledge related to energy-digital linkages, as well as potentially other topics in the digital space. Support the dissemination of good practices and knowledge through the development of practical tools and guidance materials for task teams, as well as peer-to-peer learning formats.ย ย
โข Technical support: Support clients and task teams in integrating energy/digital considerations in project design across the energy and digital sectors, as well as support with technical advice as part of implementation of activities.ย ย
โข Collaboration across Business Lines, Sectors and Institutions: Identifying synergies and fostering collaboration and connection between various digital domains (telecoms, cloud, AI, green digital, cybersecurity, digital public infrastructure, etc.), with the Energy sector teams and other sectors such as education and health which would benefit from joint digital + energy interventions, as well as other relevant World Bank Group stakeholders such as the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Multilateral Investment Guarantee Association (MIGA).ย ย
โข Communicating and sharing knowledge: Effectively communicate to various audiences, including key internal and external stakeholders, clients, beneficiaries, general public, internal and external partners; Effectively represent the Bank in national, regional, and global fora; Supporting development and execution of capacity building programs for both internal and external stakeholdersย
โข Supporting Corporate Priorities and Senior Management: Contributing to Digital-Energy Nexus related strategy development, monitoring, preparation of relevant briefing materials for senior management.ย
โข Project management: Support and manage the energy-digital workstream at global level, as well as support regional initiatives such as the Mission 300 (M300) initiative in the Africa Region. This includes project coordination, budget management and other administrative tasks.ย
Selection Criteria
โข Master's degree in a relevant or related discipline, e.g., engineering in telecoms/energy, social sciences.ย ย ย
โข Demonstrated technical expertise at the intersection of the energy and digital sector.ย
โข At least 8 years of relevant experience in an operational or advisory capacityย
โข Enthusiasm to stay abreast with emerging topics in this space.ย ย
โข Strong project management skills, ability to manage multiple deliverables simultaneously and proven track record of delivering in a dynamic environment.ย
โข Experience working in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) is not required but preferred.ย ย
โข Excellent written, verbal communication and presentation skills in English and an ability to convey technical information and data in a clear and effective manner. Fluency in other languages are an asset, including Spanish or French.ย ย
โข Ability to collaborate and influence effectively across institutional boundariesย
โข Willingness to travel as required. It is expected the position will include project related travel to client countries.ย ย
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.