Senior Social Development Specialist at World Bank Group

Job Description

• Work under the coordination of the regional focal point for ESF and social safeguards providing oversight and quality assurance on the project portfolio. This will include direct operational support to high risk and complex operations.
• Participate in the regional roll-out of the ESF and its implementation within the region and with clients in borrower countries.
• Undertake policy dialogue with clients on social sustainability and safeguards issues and advise counterparts on technical options for social development, particularly involuntary resettlement, Indigenous Peoples, labor issues, mitigation plans and institutional development strategies.
• Engage actively and regularly with country unit management leadership and task teams and identify business opportunities for social development in consultation with clients and country units.
• Participate in cross-practice 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 social development topics.
• Advise and participate in project teams to help develop operational designs and mechanisms to assess social opportunities, impacts, constraints and risks related to Bank supported operations; develop and evaluate proposed technical solutions and assist in the preparation of project documentation.
• Handle complex technical, institutional and program implementation issues regarding social risk management and social development, and lead the related dialogue with counterparts.
• Participate in portfolio reviews on selected social development topics.
• Participate in analytical studies, support other analytical work on different social development topics, and stay abreast of developments in social development globally and on cross-cutting issues.
• Contribute as task team member to projects mapped to the regional Social Development team.
• Engage in the Bank-wide professional community of staff in social development and social standards/safeguards by participating in thematic groups, exchanging best practices, and drafting technical notes.

Requirement/Skills

• This is a challenging position suited to constructive, highly motivated team players with an eye for detail, understanding the bigger picture context of operations, and creative problem-solving abilities.
• The successful candidate should have strong analytical skills, have practical experience with participatory processes of stakeholder engagement, and be able to integrate social development considerations in an operational context. This requires strong technical competency on social issues and safeguards, with demonstrated ability to contribute to project management.
• Experience working in complex and challenging settings is highly desirable.
• Master’s degree or PhD in social sciences (anthropology, sociology, political economy, social development, etc.),
• Minimum of eight (8) years of professional experience in social sustainability, social standards/safeguards and/or social development (voice and participation, gender, community-driven development, citizen engagement).
• Knowledge and experience in addressing issues covered by the World Bank’s ESF and social safeguards policies or similar policies in other international finance institutions in complex and challenging settings, and across practices. This includes experience with: social assessments and analyzing social risks and impacts on different population groups; involuntary resettlement in different socio-economic contexts and tenure systems; Indigenous Peoples’ issues; coordination of transparent consultative and stakeholder engagement processes; grievance redress mechanisms, integration of relevant planning instruments such as Resettlement Action Plans and Indigenous Peoples Plans in overall project planning and implementation; labor and working conditions community health and safety; and cultural heritage.
• Experience in social sustainability and risk management policy development, including dialogue with governments, collaboration in these areas with other international development agencies, corporate reviews and policy development and improvement efforts;
• Experience in areas of social inclusion such as gender; conflict, fragility, and violence; and disability.
• Strong operational (task management) and analytical skills and demonstrated 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, the private sector, project beneficiaries and civil society.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, problem-solving, and team skills, and ability to think innovatively and strategically to find balanced solutions to complex development problems, with a strong client focus.
• Acting with integrity at all times to build trust and to create an enabling work environment, whether as team leader or team member.
• Very high level of energy, initiative and self-motivation; willingness to travel and work under challenging circumstances.
• Ability to work across practices, work in cross-thematic teams, foster team work, and mentor junior staff.
• Excellent oral and writing skills. Fluency and ability to write well in English is essential.
• Social Safeguards/ESF - Experience in successfully applying social safeguard and/or ESF policies to both high and low risk projects, with minimal supervision, covering issues of involuntary resettlement, indigenous peoples, labor, community health and safety, stakeholder engagement, etc.
• Social Development implications on policies, institutions, and operations –Solid understanding of the implications of social development on policy, institutions, and operations.
• Participation and Consultation - Extensive experience conducting social development consultative and participatory approaches, deriving results that resonate with the client; ability to coach others in the application of the interventions.
• Analytical Tools for Social Sustainability - Extensive experience conducting social development analyses, deriving results that resonate with the client; ability to coach others in the application of the tools.
• Integrative Skills - Understand relevant cross-practice areas and how they are interrelated; able to undertake cross-practice work in lending and non-lending operations.
• Knowledge and Experience in Development Arena - Translate technical and cross-country knowledge into practical applications and contributions to country and sector strategies; interact with clients at the policy level.
• Policy Dialogue Skills - Anticipate needs and requests in the field and conduct independent policy discussions with representatives of government and non-government partners.
• Lead and Innovate - Develop innovative solutions with others.
• Deliver Results for Clients - Achieve results and identify mission-driven solutions for the client.
• Collaborate Within Teams and Across Boundaries - Initiate collaboration across boundaries and broadly across the World Bank Group and bring differing ideas into the forefront.
• Create, Apply and Share Knowledge - Create, apply and share knowledge from across and outside WBG to strengthen internal and or external client solutions.
• Make Smart Decisions - Recommend and take decisive action.