Social Development Specialist

Social Development Specialist Job #: req35304 Organization: World Bank Sector: Social Development Grade: GF Term Duration: 3 years 0 months Recruitment Type: Local Recruitment Location: Kigali,Rwanda Required Language(s): English Preferred Language(s): Closing Date: 1/26/2026 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC

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 and promoting shared prosperity on a livable planet. 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.
Eastern and Southern Africa (AFE) Region

Home to about 700 million of Africa’s people, Eastern and Southern Africa is a geographically, culturally and economically diverse region of 26 countries stretching from the Red Sea in the North to the Cape of Good Hope in the South. Children under 18 make up almost half of the total population. The subregion boasts of some of the world’s richest human and natural resources and, apart from South Africa, the countries are predominantly raw material exporters.The subregion harbors some of Africa’s protracted conflicts, rendering many of its countries fragile, while significant gaps in education, health, and skills development continue to keep people from reaching their full potential. This creates a huge development challenge, impacts heavily on the lives and livelihoods of people, and hinders regional integration and trade. But it also creates an opportunity to work closely with country leaders, civil society, development partners, and young people to chart a brighter course for the future.  The World Bank’s Eastern and Southern Africa Region, comprised of approximately 1,200 staff, mostly based in 26 country offices, has been helping countries realize their considerable development potential by focusing on the following priorities:
·Creating Jobs and Transforming Economies: We are working with countries across Africa to stimulate job creation and economic transformation by leveraging all sources of finance, expertise, and solutions to promote investment.

·Building up the Digital Economy: We are supporting Africa’s vision to ensure that every African individual, business, and government is connected by 2030 – a vision that, if realized, can boost growth by up to 2 percentage points per year, and reduce poverty by 1 percentage point per year in Sub-Saharan Africa alone.·Making Institutions more Efficient and Accountable: Our support helps governments strengthen public policy processes, manage resources effectively, and reinforce fair and reliable delivery of public services.

·Investing in People: We are at the forefront of helping African countries accelerate human capital gains and empower women by improving their access to education and skills acquisition, sexual and reproductive health services, and employment opportunities.·Supporting Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation:  In the face of increasing climate-related risks, we are working with African countries to advance efforts to adopt renewable energy, climate-smart agriculture, and green infrastructure.

·Addressing the Drivers of Fragility, Conflict, and Violence: Given the cross-border nature of conflicts in Africa, we are employing an approach that simultaneously focuses on the drivers of fragility while also supporting well-targeted regional initiatives to create opportunities for peace and shared prosperity.·Building Partnerships and Working across the African Continent: We are scaling up our work on regional integration, taking a holistic view of the continent that covers both North and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Eastern and Southern Africa (AFE) Region: 
On October 1, 2018, the World Bank launched a new Environment and Social Framework (ESF) to help protect people and the environment in the investment projects that it finances. The effort, now about seven years under implementation, is one of several initiatives, including procurement reform, the gender strategy, and the climate change action plan, undertaken by the Bank to improve development outcomes.
The ESF brings the World Bank’s environmental and social (E&S) protections into closer harmony with those of other development institutions, and makes important advances in areas such as transparency, non-discrimination, social inclusion, public participation, and accountability – including expanded roles for grievance redress mechanisms. ESF helps to ensure social inclusion, non-discrimination, and explicitly references human rights in the overarching vision statement.
As the World Bank Group (WBG) advances with modernizing its ESF approach, a new organizational arrangement has been agreed involving “Makers” (responsible for preparation, implementation support, and monitoring and problem solving) and “Checkers” (responsible for monitoring and risk-based oversight, and identifying and flagging challenges and problems that need to be addressed) to ensure a strengthened approach to risk management on E&S matters. The new arrangements also demonstrate a commitment to promoting “One WBG” and the key role that the Environmental and Social leadership in IDA/IBRD, IFC and MIGA, will play in this effort.  
The Eastern Safeguards Unit is one of the three units in AFE that manages E&S risks and covers two Country Management Units (CMUs): The Kenya CMU comprising of Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Somalia; and the Tanzania CMU comprising of Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. SAEM2 (i) provides upfront advisory and analytics towards enhancing country environmental and social systems; (ii) supports other global practices in meeting the objectives and requirements of Bank’s environmental and social Framework (ESF) on their operations, and (iii) is responsible for quality assurance on all environmental and social risk management instruments for the region.  
We are looking for dedicated professionals to join our innovative and diverse team to improve people’s lives and help countries build back better after COVID19. For more information on Eastern and Southern Africa (ESAFR) Region: https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/afr/eastern-and-southern-africa
The position: Social Development Specialist

The Social Development Specialist will support the World Bank’s engagement in Rwanda, Kenya, Somalia, Uganda, and other countries in the region. As part of a multidisciplinary team, the Specialist will advise on social risk management, promote social inclusion, and ensure that Bank-financed projects are inclusive and sustainable in line with the Bank’s Environmental and Social Framework. The position is based in Kigali, Rwanda. Duties and Accountabilities:

As a core member of World Bank Task Teams, the Social Development Specialist will advise Task Teams and clients in various sectors, and support project designs and implementation, making sure that Bank-assisted projects are inclusive and present clear and implementable measures for addressing social risks whilst finding opportunities to enhance the social development outcomes of Bank financed operations in East Africa. The specialist will lead and promote social inclusion agenda in the design and implementation of projects in East Africa.The Specialist will have the following key responsibilities:

·Advise task teams and clients on the Bank’s ESF and Operational Policies (especially OP 4.03), social risk management, and social benefits optimization throughout the project cycle.

 ·Provide technical and operational support for implementing the Bank’s ESF, focusing on:

    · Land acquisition and involuntary resettlement    · Livelihood restoration

    · Stakeholder engagement and consultation    · Grievance redress mechanisms

    · Indigenous Peoples (IPs) and cultural heritage·Conduct social due diligence and prepare Environmental and Social Risks Review Summaries (ESRS); Environmental and Social Commitment Plans (ESCP); and contribute to Project Appraisal Documents and operational manuals (e.g., Environmental, Social, Health and Safety Risk Management Manual). This also includes completing necessary administrative activities used by the Bank to track and monitor social and environmental performance of projects.

·Provide technical and operational support to government agencies in preparing and implementing social and environmental risk management plans, including: Environmental and Social Commitment Plans (ESCP); Social assessments; Stakeholder Engagement Plans (SEP); Labor Management Procedures (LMP); Resettlement Action Plans (RAP); Livelihood Restoration Plans (LRP); Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIA); Gender-Based Violence (GBV) risk assessments and action plans (with focus on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and Sexual Harassment); Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMPs); Grievance Redress Mechanisms (GRM).·Review social assessment products and E&S instruments prepared by clients for other Bank Global Practices, such as energy and infrastructure, Water, Health, Urban Development, and private sector development. In this regard, provide timely feedback and suggestions to clients on measures for ensuring such instruments are in line with the Bank’s Environmental and Social Standards.

·Participate in project preparation, appraisal, and supervision, including operational missions and reporting on ESF compliance. ·Advise World Bank task teams and government agencies on integrating gender and social considerations into project design and implementation. 

·Contribute to policy dialogue, portfolio reviews, and analytical work on social sustainability and risk management. ·Maintain active engagement with stakeholders, identify partnerships, and support social development initiatives.

·Ensure timely reporting on ESF compliance, proactive monitoring, management, and preparation of relevant social risks management briefs.
Reporting:

Reports to: Practice Manager, SAEM2 

Works under the direction of the CMU ESF Coordinator (Nairobi).

Selection Criteria

·Master’s degree in Social Sciences (e.g., Development Studies, Social Anthropology, Sociology, International Development, Business Sustainability Management, Environmental Sciences, or related fields). 

·Minimum 5 years of direct professional experience managing social and environmental risks in infrastructure projects (energy, water, transport, urban development, agriculture) in Eastern and Southern Africa or Sub-Saharan Africa. ·Demonstrated competence in operationalizing global sustainability frameworks (World Bank ESF, IFC Performance Standards, ADB Safeguards, etc.). 

·Grounded experience with social impact assessment, land acquisition, resettlement, stakeholder engagement, grievance mechanisms, community health and safety, and social investment interventions. ·Experience in Fragile, Conflict, and Violence (FCV) settings is an advantage. 

·Ability to translate analytical work into practical policy advice and recommendations. 

 ·Strong communication skills, including the ability to present complex issues simply. 

 ·Proven ability to engage with government, private sector, beneficiaries, and civil society. ·Excellent interpersonal and problem-solving skills; ability to innovate and multi-task. 

·Willingness to travel frequently within the region. ·Experience working in multicultural settings. 

·Knowledge of local languages in Rwanda is required. ·Excellent oral and written communication skills in English.

WBG Culture Attributes:

1. Sense of urgency: Anticipate and quickly respond to the needs of internal and external stakeholders.
2. Thoughtful risk-taking: Challenge the status quo and push boundaries to achieve greater impact.
3. Empowerment and accountability: Empower yourself and others to act and hold each other accountable for 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.