Senior Social Development Specialist

Senior Social Development Specialist

Job #:
req29793

Organization:
World Bank

Sector:
Social Development

Grade:
GG

Term Duration:
3 years 0 months

Recruitment Type:
International Recruitment

Location:
Washington, DC,United States

Required Language(s):
English

Preferred Language(s):

Closing Date:
10/21/2024 (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, 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

Eastern and Southern Africa (AFE) Region:

We need the best and brightest talent focused on our region to harness the potential and innovation happening across the continent. 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.

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. It also creates an opportunity to work closely with country leaders, civil society, partners, and young people to chart a brighter course for the future. For more information on the Eastern and Southern Africa (ESAFR) Region, visit:

The Planet Vice Presidency

The Planet Vice Presidency helps countries tackle their most complex challenges in the areas of Agriculture and Food, Climate Change, Environment, Natural Resources & Blue Economy, Environmental and Social Framework, Social Sustainability and Inclusion, and Water.

Social Development Global Department

The Global Department for Social Development helps countries tackle deep rooted social problems stemming from fragility, climate change, exclusion, and the digital age with people centered solutions that build on local values and institutions. The Department engages with citizens, communities, and governments to deepen resilience, build inclusion, and empower vulnerable and marginalized groups to have influence and voice. It prioritizes participatory, multi-sectoral approaches that build on norms and informal institutions to address social challenges and to build more inclusive, empowered communities. The Practice also works across the Bank's portfolio to implement the Environment and Social Framework (ESF) standards. The ESF offers an overarching platform for fostering inclusive approaches to ensure vulnerable groups benefit from Bank investments and mitigate against related risks.

This is done through four pillars of work:

• Promoting inclusive societies. We help expand access to markets, services, and spaces for vulnerable and marginalized groups in ways that promote their dignity.

• Promoting resilient communities. We help communities cope with climate change, conflict, pandemics, and migration by expanding access to resources and responsive governments.

• Empowering people. We help expand access to the policy arena to strengthen voice and social accountability and build consensus for positive change.

• Managing social risk. We help enhance the inclusiveness, efficiency, equity, and transparency of public and private investments.

Unit Context

The East Africa Unit of the Social Development Department (SAES2) provides social development support to borrower countries in East Africa - Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. SAES2 manages a portfolio of Social Development operations and analytics across East Africa and is responsible for the implementation of the Bank's Environmental and Social Framework in these countries.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Social Development unit for the East Africa region is seeking to hire a Senior Social Development Specialist to carry out the following duties:

• Provide social oversight and quality assurance to the SAES2 portfolio, in a manner consistent with the Bank's ESF, under the guidance of the Regional Standards Coordinator (RSC) and the Social Development Practice Manager (PM), including through the review of ESF instruments, meetings with specialists, ad-hoc advisory, and overall ESF quality support.

• Lead discussions about the determination of the social risk rating, social risks, and the E&S instruments and measures needed to manage the social risks of projects in the portfolio, the timeline of such instruments during preparation and implementation, and the needs for ad-hoc support to social specialists.

• Review the social aspects of ESF documents like Environmental and Social Review Summary, Environmental and Social Commitment Plan, Implementation Status and Results reports, Stakeholder Engagement Plan, etc.

• Provide technical guidance and mentoring to other social specialists in the unit, and contribute proactively to the unit's efforts to train its social specialists on social development issues.

• Support Bank-wide, regional, and unit-level initiatives and analytical efforts to strengthen the capacity among borrowers to implement the principles and requirements outlined in the ESF, including through ESF gap analyses and overview assessments, etc.

• Play a leading role in portfolio reviews in coordination with the unit's PM, RSC, the Regional Standards Advisor (RSA), and colleagues from the Environment unit.

• Undertake policy dialogue with clients on social inclusion and safeguards issues, and advise on technical options for social development, including involuntary resettlement, Indigenous Peoples, labor issues, mitigation plans and institutional development strategies.

• Participate in cross-department teams responsible for the preparation of policy notes, Systematic Country Diagnostics, Country Partnership Frameworks, sector studies, and research and policy development activities on the full range of SRM and social development topics.

• Act as a social specialist on high risk and complex operations, advising and participating in project teams to help develop operational designs and mechanisms that are socially inclusive and assess social opportunities, impacts and risks related to Bank operations, supporting the identification of technical solutions, and assist in the preparation of project documentation.

• Participate in the monitoring and proper management of GRS cases.

• Lead the process of identifying solutions to complex technical, institutional and program implementation issues regarding social development, and lead the related dialogue with counterparts.

• Supervise the work of consultants and technical specialists to ensure consistency and conformity to Bank standards, especially the ESF.

Selection Criteria

This is a challenging position suited to constructive, highly motivated team players with an eye for detail, understanding the bigger picture context of operations, with creative problem-solving abilities and a proactive attitude. The successful candidate is expected to have the following qualifications:

• Master's degree or PhD in social sciences (anthropology, sociology, political economy, social development, law, or related disciplines), and a minimum of eight years of directly related experience in SRM.

• Strong social risk management experience, including in the implementation of social safeguard policies and the ESF, and practical experience in participatory processes and stakeholder engagement.

• Knowledge and experience on issues covered by the World Bank's ESF and social safeguards policies, or similar policies of other international finance institutions and across sectors. This includes experience with social impact assessments, social risks and impacts on vulnerable groups, involuntary resettlement/land acquisition/access restrictions in different socio-economic contexts and tenure systems, Indigenous Peoples' issues, consultative and stakeholder engagement processes, grievance mechanisms, SEA/SH, labor and working conditions, and community health and safety, among others.

• Strong operational, task management, and analytical skills, with a good understanding of Bank's operations to be able to integrate SRM aspects in an operational context, and ability to translate analytical work into policy advice and actionable, practical recommendations.

• Ability to present complex social development and ESF/safeguards issues to task teams and Bank audiences, and to engage effectively with government counterparts, development partners, project beneficiaries, and civil society organizations.

• Excellent interpersonal skills, a problem-solving and proactive approach, teamwork skills, and ability to think innovatively and strategically to find SRM solutions, with a strong client focus.

• Acting with integrity at all times to build trust and to create an enabling work environment, high level of energy, initiative and self-motivation, and willingness to travel as needed.

• Experience working in complex and challenging settings, preferably in fragility, conflict, and violence (FCV) countries, is highly desirable.

• Ability to work across departments and sectors, work in cross-thematic teams, foster teamwork, and mentor junior/new staff.

• Excellent oral and writing skills. Ability to write well in English and communicate clearly and concisely is essential.

• Fluent in English.

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 the World Bank and IFC, including our values and inspiring stories.

Employers have access to artificial intelligence language tools (“AI”) that help generate and enhance job descriptions and AI may have been used to create this description. The position description has been reviewed for accuracy and Dice believes it to correctly reflect the job opportunity.