Senior Operations Officer

 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. Visit www.worldbank.org.

About the Global Environment Facility (GEF)

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is a multilateral financial mechanism created in 1991 to provide grant and concessional funds to recipient countries for projects and programs that address biodiversity loss, climate change mitigation and adaptation, degradation of international waters, land and forests, ozone depletion, elimination or reduction of persistent organic pollutants and mercury, all within the framework of sustainable development. 

The GEF unites 186 countries in partnership with international institutions, civil society organizations (CSOs), and the private sector to address global environmental issues while supporting national sustainable development initiatives. An independently operating financial organization, GEF is the designated financial mechanism for five international environmental conventions: the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Minamata Convention on Mercury. GEF is also a designated financial mechanism of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification. 

In the years since its establishment, the GEF has funded over 4,500 projects in 170 countries, and many thousands more through the GEF Small Grants Program, providing $20.5 billion in grants that leveraged $112 billion in co-financing. The GEF Secretariat, construed for administrative purposes as a Vice Presidential Unit (VPU) within the World Bank, has approximately 70 professional and administrative and client support staff. 

The GEF Policy and Operations Unit is responsible for a number of critical corporate functions within the GEF Secretariat (GEFSEC), including: i) preparation and follow up of the Policy Agenda of the GEF Family of Funds and associated council documents; ii) results monitoring and reporting and preparation of key GEF reports; iii) portfolio quality assurance; and iv) the project and program review function to ensure GEF funding proposals adhere to GEF policy and guidance.

Duties and Accountabilities

GEF is seeking to recruit a seasoned and self-motivated Senior Operations Officer with strong operational implementation experience to support proactive management of the GEF portfolio.
The GEF-8 Replenishment is placing a renewed emphasis on strong implementation oversight through the establishment of the GEF-8 Results Measurement Framework which tracks the effectiveness and efficiency of a portfolio of over 900 projects and programs, renewed portfolio performance and country engagement grounded on data analytics and country engagement. The Senior Operations Officer is expected to build on the foundation established in recent years and to further enhance GEF’s approach, strategy and guidelines on project monitoring and portfolio oversight. 

The ideal candidate would have had experience with conducting analytics and managing complex portfolio management systems in complex operating environment, operational experience in a field relevant to the GEF mandate, as well as exposure to members of the GEF Partnership, in positions with an implementing agency, a government agency or an international organization. Operational experience in implementation and financial management is an advantage. 

This position will involve stewardship of the portfolio oversight and close collaboration on a number of key tasks, including delivery monitoring, operations management deliverables, data quality and data governance. It will involve frequent interaction with staff and management across the GEF Secretariat, Agencies and countries and will provide an opportunity to develop leadership and gain broad exposure to strategic and operational issues across all Regions of the GEF, and the opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of the business and functioning of the GEF Partnership. The selected candidate will report to the Policy and Operations Manager and will have the opportunity to work closely with experts in different policy and operational fields in the GEFSEC team.
 
Duties
The successful applicant will work across different areas of the Policy and Operations Division, including in particular Results and Project Review teams. S/he should be able to quickly grasp key corporate and operational issues in various areas, multi-task in a fast-paced work environment, often under tight deadlines, and work effectively across GEF Secretariat and Partnership boundaries. S/he will also perform quality checks on the unit’s various outputs. Tasks include but are not limited to the following:
• Lead the preparation of reporting deliverables to help monitor the financing program and portfolio, including through the development of delivery dashboards for Management and staff tracking key aspects of programming and operational effectiveness, and others as requested;
• Lead corporate GEF Partnership programming and disbursement projections exercise by facilitating the analysis of information collected from projects and programs, provide inputs and advise the Manager on resources management and the impact of project challenges in countries;
• Oversee preparation of Country Performance and Learning Reviews to help countries assess their objectives and performance in delivering on GEF investments, informed by portfolio management track record;
• Lead GEF’s portfolio management and monitoring, producing relevant analytics and liaising with GEF Secretariat units, countries and Agencies as necessary around structured dialogue that identify next steps to improve delivery;
• Conduct project review on aspects related to implementation arrangements, risk and financial management to assure alignment with quality standards and compliance with GEF policies;
• Carry out financial management (FM) review of projects financed by the GEF, including assessing the adequacy of FM arrangements and monitoring compliance with fiduciary requirements. 
• Analyze and monitor portfolio, pipeline and operational performance, quality and trends, and contribute to problem resolution with task teams, including related to risk in operations.
• Provide guidance to teams to ensure data quality;
• Contribute to the development of new metrics aligned to objectives and to updating existing indicators with clear accountability on an ongoing basis and as new instruments and procedures are introduced;
• Craft talking points and briefing notes for Management in preparation of high-level discussions on operations management;
• Lead ad-hoc research projects and deep dives on operations portfolio and summarize the findings and lessons into final products such as technical briefings and presentations;
• Partner with the IT and other teams on identifying improvements to GEF systems that are relevant to corporate reporting and operational data;
• Support the efforts to enhance corporate data governance;
• Contribute to systems development and data governance in operations; and
• Support Director and Manager with corporate demands and quality control of deliverables.
• Support staff in routine analytical work.

Selection Criteria

• Master’s in a relevant discipline (e.g., economics, finance, business administration, social sciences, technical studies or other field related to development) and at least eight years of relevant professional experience;
• Strong operational experience and established track record of excellence in significant analytical and/or operational work; project management experience would be an advantage;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills;
• Demonstrated maturity and sound judgment, attention to detail, and ability to convey complex messages succinctly and diplomatically;
• Ability to interact effectively with Management, countries and Agencies and represent GEFSEC in delivering high quality and technically sophisticated work, with internal and external partners;
• Proven ability to handle multiple tasks independently, work under pressure with short deadlines, and be a problem solver;
• High levels of energy and flexibility in adjusting to changing work program requirements in a dynamic and fast paced work environment;
• Proven track record in providing guidance and mentoring more junior staff, delegating and managing teams working simultaneously on multiple deliverables; and
• Good familiarity and ease of working with the management information systems and dashboards.

WBG Core Competencies

Achieves results and identifies mission-driven solutions for the client 
• Develops and implements solutions that show understanding of how clients and/or own work achieves results that are financially, environmentally and socially sustainable 
• Shares new insights based on in-depth understanding of the client and recommends solutions for current and future needs of clients 
• Holds self and team accountable for risk management and outcomes.

Initiates collaboration across boundaries and broadly across WBG, and brings differing ideas into the forefront 
• Collaborates across organizational boundaries, internally and externally with a sense of mutuality and respect 
• Consistently engages others in open dialogue, brings out any conflicting viewpoints and incorporates viewpoints into solutions, giving credit where credit is due. Leverages expertise of all team members to ensure successful outcomes 
• Makes choices and sets priorities with a WBG corporate perspective in mind

Develops innovative solutions with others 
• Encourages and works with others to identify, incubate and implement relevant solutions 
• Identifies opportunities in changing circumstances and energizes others to continuously improve, using intentional strategies to boost morale, team spirit, and productivity in context of WBG’s values and mission 
• Helps others to understand problems, client needs and the underlying context

Creates, applies and shares knowledge from across and outside WBG to strengthen internal and/or external client solutions 
• Ensures systematic sharing of good practice and learning from lessons from across WBG, clients, and partners 
• Is known across WBG in their subject area and is sought out by WBG colleagues to advise, peer review, or contribute to knowledge products of others 
• Seeks mentoring opportunities with more experienced staff to deepen or strengthen their professional knowledge and mentors junior staff 
• Builds networks across the WBG and as part of external professional groups/networks

Recommends and takes decisive action 
• Applies critical thinking and seeks inputs and experience from others to recommend a course of action consistent with the WBG’s strategy 
• Evaluates risk and anticipates the short- and long-term implications of decisions 
• Commits to a decision and acts once a decision has been reached.

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.