Description

 

Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? Working at the World Bank provides a unique opportunity for you to help our clients solve their greatest development challenges. The World Bank consists of two entities – the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA). It is a global development cooperative owned by 189 member countries. As the largest development bank in the world, the World Bank provides loans, guarantees, risk management products, and advisory services to middle-income and creditworthy low-income countries, and coordinates responses to regional and global challenges. Visit www.worldbank.org.

Regional context:

The World Bank Group serves 23 client countries in the East Asia and Pacific (EAP) region, with a total population of about 2 billion people and a GNI per capita of about $3,862 (in constant 2010 US$). Our clients span the lower- to upper-middle-income range and include fragile states along with a number of small island economies in the Pacific.

We have made the fastest progress in growth and poverty reduction of any region around the world over the last quarter century. Over the period, a succession of countries in the region has progressed from low-income to middle-income and even to high-income status. More than 90 percent of the region’s population now live in 10 countries, many of which can realistically aspire to high-income status in the next generation or two! This dramatic transformation has helped move hundreds of millions of people out of poverty and into economic security. This rapid transformation, coupled with slowing growth in global trade, rapid technological change, rapid urbanization and accompanying congestion, climate change, and demographic aging, are creating new sets of challenges for development policy, however. Countries in the region need to continue longstanding reforms as well as address emerging priorities if they are to continue to grow, reduce poverty, and promote economic security, and do so in a sustainable way!

The EAP Chief Economist is the principal economic advisor to the Regional Vice President and the Regional Leadership Team. The EAP Chief Economist’s Office (EAPCE) is responsible for bringing the best possible knowledge to bear on key development issues facing the Region, providing intellectual leadership and ensuring quality and relevance of the region’s analytical and advisory agenda. EAPCE undertakes regional analyses on issues of high or emerging importance to the WBG’s policy dialogue in the region. The Office also provides regional analytical inputs to high-profile and strategic corporate and global analytical products. This includes, as needed, to the EAP regional strategy and regional strategy updates that the Region presents each year to the Bank’s Executive Board.

The World Bank in East Asia Pacific:https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/eap

Job duties and responsibilities:

The Extended Term Consultant (ETC) will be a member of the EAPCE team and will work under the overall supervision of the EAPCE Chief Economist. On specific tasks, the ETC may work directly under the supervision of other staff identified by the Chief Economist.

The ETC will provide support to the EAPCE team in Malaysia and Washington DC and help translate EAPCE knowledge products into material accessible to general audiences, lead organization of EAPCE events, coordinate with ECREA for the creation of communications materials, digital communications and outreach, and build linkages with other research institutions and think tanks in the region. EAPCE knowledge products include regional reports (e.g. Economic Updates on a twice-yearly basis, regional flagship reports) and individual research output (e.g. World Bank policy research papers, Research & Policy Briefs). The EAPCE events include report launches, a seminar series (encompassing academic paper presentations; broader policy-orientated talks), and conferences (on artificial intelligence, and other themes).  The ETC is expected to work with ECREA to provide innovative ideas to improve the accessibility of our knowledge products.

The ETC’s specific duties and accountabilities include but may not be limited to the following:

• Event Outreach Coordination: Take the lead in coordinating and delivering EAPCE events, such as report launches, conferences, economics courses and seminar series, working in conjunction with EAPCE economists, ECREA and IT support.  Coordinate scheduling, invitations, logistics, and briefings for EAPCE’s events.  Manage the running of the event on the day, such as liaising with IT regarding technical issues, manage live Q&A sessions. Use a range of tools, track and analyze results of EAPCE events, such as attendance of target audiences, feedback forms, internal debriefings.  Coordinate EAPCE’s participation in events organized by other World Bank units or development partners as needed.

• Draft Accessible Economic Content:  Take the lead in ensuring the timely development of accessible economic content, appropriate for general audiences, from EAPCE knowledge products. These may include contributions to World Bank and external blogs, Research & Policy Briefs, executive summaries, data visualizations, conference material, slide decks and inputs for the EAPCE website.  Provide editorial inputs and work with other EAPCE economists to develop content as needed. Propose new initiatives to improve our digital economic content.

• Build Linkages with Other Research Institutions:  Develop and maintain linkages with other research institutions in the region, including universities, think tanks and other international organizations, in consultation with ECREA. Work with EAPCE economists to develop a strategy for possible collaboration with other research institutions, in consultation with ECREA.  

 

Selection Criteria

 

• Master’s degree with two years of professional experience, or Bachelor’s degree with five years of professional experience, in a relevant field (economics, finance, public policy, business administration, development studies, communications, or international relations); or equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Excellent written and spoken command of English.

• Ability to think innovatively and propose new ways of doing things.

• Proven experience turning specialized economic content (such as research papers, reports) into accessible material for a non-specialist audience (such as slideshows, policy briefs, blogs)

• Good time-management skills and eye for detail.

• Good level of initiative, judgment, and decisiveness in accomplishing tasks.

• Strong ability to work capably with minimal supervision under stress and to juggle multiple tasks within tight deadlines.

• Strong diplomatic, interpersonal, and collaboration skills; sensitivity to working in a multicultural environment.

• Familiarity with generative AI tools (such as to produce texts, scripts, podcasts, videos, images) would be an advantage.

• Experience managing external vendors would be an advantage.

• Experience in the international development or international affairs sectors would be an advantage.

• Experience communicating economic content to differing audiences would be an advantage.

 

World Bank Group Core Competencies

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.

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