Senior Social Development Specialist Job #: req32559 Organization: World Bank Sector: Social Development Grade: GG Term Duration:ย 4 years 0 months Recruitment Type: International Recruitment Location: Washington, DC,United States Required Language(s): English, French Preferred Language(s): Closing Date: 4/18/2025 (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 Group provides a unique opportunity for you to help our clients solve their greatest development challenges. 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, increasing shared prosperity and promoting sustainable development. 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
REGIONAL CONTEXT:
The World Bank and West and Central AfricaAfrica is a diverse continent brimming with opportunities. From clean energy and climate-smart agriculture to home grown digital innovations, African countries are accelerating their efforts to develop sustainably. Home to a 1.2-billion-person market and the worldโs largest free trade zone, Africa offers human and natural resources that have the potential to yield inclusive growth and wipe out poverty in the region, enabling Africans across the continent to live healthier and more prosperous lives.
Yet these vast opportunities are tempered by persistent gaps in education, health, and skills, which have Africa only reaching forty percent of its estimated human development potential. Moreover, conflict, food insecurity, population growth, pandemics, and the disruptive forces of climate change threaten to curtail or even reverse the progress that has been made over the past decades. Africaโs economies have been severely affected by the fall-out from the COVID19 pandemic.ย ย The WB West and Central Africa Region is committed to helping the countries in West and Central Africa realize their considerable development potential and become more competitive in the global economy by focusing on the following priorities:
Unit Context:
AFWDE plays an important role in advising the Regional Vice President for Western and Central Africa (AFW) and supporting AFWโs management ensuring the highest quality for AFW operational deliveries. AFWDEโs work program ranges from strategic and operational guidance for regional management, to in-depth operational advice to task teams, work on project preparation quality, pipeline delivery management, portfolio management and monitoring, regional risk management, support on regional and corporate priorities, and operational learning and knowledge sharing for regional staff.AFWDE serves as the secretariat for the Regional Operations Committee (ROC) and includes the team members of the Regional Environmental and Social Standards Advisor (RSA) office which ensures that lending operations supported by the World Bank comply with applicable environmental and social policies (ESF and Safeguards).ย ย
The RSA team work program includes: collaborating with Regional management and Practice Groups to address environmental and social issues in operations; executing the mandate and accountability of the RSA as defined in the Accountability and Decision Making (ADM) Framework; conducting training workshops on social and environmental policies and standards for Bank staff and clients; carrying out periodic thematic studies of environmental and social policies management during project implementation; contributing to corporate initiatives such as the safeguards reform process and the development of dissemination of technical good practice guidance materials for Bank staff as well as contributing to the capacity building of Bank staff and borrowers.ย ย Job duties & responsibilities:
AFWDE is looking for a seasoned Senior Social Development Specialist to join the multi-disciplinary team of environmental and social specialists. The Senior Social Development Specialist will support the RSA in overseeing the application of the ESF policy and standards and compliance with the social safeguard policies to the Bankโs investment lending and PforR operations in particular. The Specialist will support E&S risk management across the lending portfolio, assist in interpreting the social policies, promote building social sustainability into project design and implementation, support the use of sound social assessments methodologies across sectors and countries, and participate in knowledge and learning initiatives.ย The Sr. Social Development Specialist will report to the Manager for AFWDE and for day-to-day coordination will work under the direction of the RSA. The Sr. Social Development Specialist will have the following responsibilities:
Reviewing new Bank investment project proposals to ensure that social development issues are properly addressed as required by the World Bankโs Environmental and Social Framework policy and standards, as well as the Bankโs safeguard policies and international good practices;ย Reviewing new Bank PforR proposals to ensure that social issues are properly addressed as required by the World Bankโs PforR policy;ย Supervising (implementation support) Bank operations related to E&S policies and project-specific social requirements in particular for high risk projects;ย Provide expert advice to task teams on social impact assessments, and on stakeholder engagement, consultation plans; labor, gender, indigenous peoplesโ frameworks and plans, vulnerable groups, gender-based violence, land tenure and access, resettlement plans, human security, crime and violence, economic and social impacts, and occupational health and safety.ย Providing expert guidance to Task Teams on social risk management, impact assessments and mitigation measures as well as current good international practice on social issues,ย ย Providing comments and guidance on project social assessment instruments and documentation in particular for high risk projects; provide support for the development of required Bank documentation, if needed;ย Providing comments and guidance on PforR documents, including the E&S Systems Assessment (ESSA).ย Coordinating and sharing information with Bank staff and consultants providing social risk management project support and training; andย Contributing as required to the broader work of the region and OPCS on improving social sustainability.Selection Criteria
The Senior Social Development Specialist must be a team-oriented professional with proven ability to carry out complex tasks as part of a multi-disciplinary team; capacity to work under pressure, manage multiple priorities and to meet strict deadlines; and ability to work with and advise task teams and key stakeholders on social risks and impacts.
Advanced degree (masterโs or PhD) in social sciences or sociology or another relevant field.ย At least eight (8) years of relevant professional experience in Bankโs ESF and safeguard policies with a sustained record of achieving high quality results.ย Operational experience in social risk management i.e., preparation and/or review of project social impact assessments (or equivalent), environmental and social management plans, environmental and social risk management capacity assessments, and institutional strengthening measures.ย Demonstrated area of expertise within the social risk management space i.e., resettlement, ethnic minorities/indigenous peoples, stakeholder engagement, FCV contexts, gender, FIs and social risk management, etc.ย Demonstrated familiarity with environmental issues like biodiversity, climate change, dam safety, OHS, etc. is highly desirableย Demonstrated familiarity with ESF simplification and streamlining process.ย Excellent knowledge of the World Bankโs environmental and social policies and standards and working knowledge of the World Bankโs operational policies i.e., IPF, PForR and DPF.ย Demonstrated maturity and sound judgment, attention to detail, and ability to convey complex messages succinctly and diplomatically.ย Proven capacity to work with a wide range of stakeholders, and ability to represent the Department with internal and external stakeholders and interact effectively with Senior Management.ย Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; Knowledge of French is a requirement.ย Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work in multi-disciplinary teams.ย Excellent workflow management and task organization skills; able to coordinate all aspects of the workflow of assigned responsibilities.ย Ability to coach/mentor more junior staff.