Junior Professional Associate

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, please visit www.worldbank.org

Junior Professional Associates – Program Description

The Junior Professionals Associate Program (JPA) offers an exceptional opportunity for recent graduates to embark on a professional journey, providing a three-year contract with valuable work experience within a diverse and dynamic environment and the potential of field work experience. The program is an excellent platform to sharpen your existing skills and to develop new ones, all while gaining a profound understanding of the challenges associated with reducing poverty and fostering shared prosperity on a livable planet.

We will provide you with the opportunity to gain entry-level professional experience in a premier development institution, on an Extended Term Consultant (ETC) contract with benefits. For more information, please visit www.worldbank.org/careers/jpa

The following are minimum requirements to be eligible for the JPA program:

– Be 32 years of age or younger

– Hold a bachelor’s degree

– Be fluent in English

The JPA program at the World Bank is a highly competitive initiative. Candidates who are being actively considered for positions may be required to present academic transcripts and professional references. The World Bank’s Human Resources team and hiring team will reach out exclusively to individuals selected for assessment and interviews.

Position will be based in Washington DC.

Legal Vice Presidency

In the context of the World Bank’s broad development agenda, the Legal Vice Presidency (LEG), under the Senior Vice President and Group General Counsel (SVP-GC), is responsible for providing legal advice, risk assessment and advice and support to internal and external clients on operational, advisory, financial, administration, and institutional matters. LEG provides policy and legal advice and services on the operational, knowledge, and institutional aspects of a variety of functional and thematic areas in Bank-financed operations, including those related to operational policies and procedures, operating in fragile conflict and violent (FCV) contexts, environmental and social issues, access to justice and other subject-matter areas. With the creation of the new Digital Vice Presidency, digital development has become an increasingly critical and cross-cutting area for all thematic sectors. Within digital development, LEGVP advises on issues related to technology, innovation, artificial intelligence (AI), digital development, cybersecurity/cybercrime and the treatment of data in operations and human rights dimensions of these issues. LEGVP also contributes to thought leadership, knowledge products, and analytical and advisory products (ASAs) on these topics.

Digital development is a central component of the Bank’s operational and institutional strategy, with the Bank’s Evolution Roadmap identifying digitalization as one of eight global challenges for the Bank to focus on in the coming years. The creation of the new Digital Vice Presidency has increased demand, both within and outside the Bank, for technical advice on policy, governance, and legal reform to manage legal risks and support project objectives, including on emerging institutional and operational issues relating to artificial intelligence (AI). LEGVP through the Operations Policy Unit (LEGOP) plays a key role in providing legal guidance to clients as they navigate these novel issues, with LEGOP lawyers holding leadership roles in cross-unit working groups on AI and digital safeguards and guardrails. LEGOP is now looking to scale up its existing legal advice and services for internal and external clients, creating a coordinated approach within LEG for creating trust frameworks for digital governance that manage digital risks in both internal institutional affairs and external operations.

LEGOP, under the Chief Counsel, provides advice and expertise on operational policies in support of the development, implementation, and application of operational policies, as well as the provision of advisory and specialized legal services (including on digital development), as described below. LEGOP works closely with the Operations Policy and Country Services (OPCS) Vice Presidency, the Digital Vice Presidency and other corporate and operational units, as well as with LEG Management, providing additional, topic-specific advice and assistance to country lawyers regarding operational policies and specialized legal advice as they relate to specific financing operations, and with the Regions and Global Practices. In addition, LEGOP helps to ensure that all World Bank activities comply with the institution’s Articles of Agreement, as well as its operational policies and procedures.

LEGOP also serves as a knowledge center within the Legal VPU, leveraging partnerships inside and outside the World Bank to promote cross-learning among practitioners to respond to client needs. It contributes to the World Bank’s knowledge agenda through the following contributions:

– Generation of the Legal VPU’s own knowledge products.
– Overseeing LEG VPU databases and knowledge sources.
– Organization of a wide range of international events.
– Contribution to the development of Bank products.

The selected candidate will work under the general supervision of the Chief Counsel, with day-to-day guidance provided by one or more Lead or Senior Counsels. The JPA will be a lawyer who can operate independently to handle legal, operational, and policy issues related to the Bank’s operations while working collaboratively with other lawyers within the Practice Group and LEG as a whole.

Duties and Responsibilities of the Junior Professional Associate

The JPA will play a key role in providing legal, policy, and institutional advice across the Bank’s institutional affairs as well as its portfolio of operational and knowledge projects, with a specific focus on supporting the growing portfolio of legal and operational issues related to digital development and AI issues across the institution.
The JPA will, as part of their duties:

1. Serve as a legal advisor on digital development issues.

The JPA will provide legal, policy, operational and law reform advice to internal and external clients on a range of digital development issues, including on novel issues relating to AI. The JPA will support ongoing projects and programs with digital activities, by providing detailed advice on project design, legal conditionality, operational risk-mitigation, and other relevant issues. This will include the design and delivery of technical assistance and capacity-building programs for Recipients on the creation of new digital economy legal and regulatory frameworks, including advice on relevant legislative, governance and institutional reforms. The JPA will also review projects across the Bank’s digital portfolio for consistency with the Bank’s Articles and policies. The JPA will actively build relationships with tasks teams across the Digital VPU and the other General Practices engaged in these matters.

2. Contribute to the development of policies, guidance, and good practice notes to manage legal risk in operations

The JPA will identify, assess, and provide advice to management and staff on digital risks, including rating and reporting of legal risks across both external operations and internal processes (including on novel issues regarding AI governance and data protection), and prepare related legal briefs as needed. The JPA will draft and update relevant policies, procedures, guidance, and good practice notes for Bank staff, and serve as a champion as those frameworks are developed and fully implemented. The JPA will participate in or support senior lawyers in relevant working groups and dialogues on corporate priorities as needed.
The JPA will also advise internal clients within the LEGVP and across the institution on the responsible use of data-intensive, algorithmic, and digital products and systems in the context of the Bank’s institutional affairs. The JPA will collaborate with senior management to identify internal clients that may benefit from LEG expertise on these issues and develop relevant advisory business needs.

3. Contribute to knowledge, analytical products, and external partnerships on AI and the digital economy.

The JPA will contribute to the creation of ASAs, diagnostic tools, flagship reports, country assessments, knowledge and learning products, and general thought leadership work on relevant legal and policy topics related to AI, data protection, the digital economy and related issues.
The JPA will act as a focal point or support senior lawyers in connection with building partnerships with external partners across academia, civil society, and industry, to increase the impact of LEG’s work on digital economy governance and regulation. The JPA will also support LEG staff in representing the World Bank’s position on digital economy policy issues in various international and multilateral fora, including UN working groups (e.g., Inter-Agency Working Group on AI, UN OHCHR), as well as technical standard-setting bodies.

Selection Criteria

* Law degree: JD or LLB, LLM (required with a specialization in international technology regulation or other related fields is preferred), and admission to the Bar (or equivalent) in at least one jurisdiction.

* At least 2 years prior work experience in legal advisory services, including in a multilateral development bank, international organization or private legal practice or similar.

* Experience in legal research, knowledge management, and drafting of legal agreements, memoranda, guidance and technical briefing notes, and analytical reports.

* Strong communication skills.

* Excellent teamwork and interpersonal skills in working closely and collaboratively across organizational boundaries.

* Demonstrated ability to independently work in project components under limited supervision and guidance.

* Prior experience in legal, regulatory, policy and governance issues relevant to digital development, including designing risk mitigation frameworks for data and AI is preferred.

* Prior experience or demonstrated interest in development finance is preferred.

* Fluency in English, both written and oral, is required, with additional fluency in French, Spanish and/or Portuguese desirable.

Values, Leadership and Managerial Competencies

– Demonstrated commitment to the World Bank Core Values and a proven track record of fostering a strong and healthy culture of diversity, inclusion, teamwork, honesty, trust, openness, integrity, and accountability.

– Demonstrated ability to be sensitive to issues around race, gender, ethnicity, inclusion, and intersectionality.

– Demonstrated ability to work in a team and inspire colleagues to perform and deliver for better results; to help others achieve their fullest potential through coaching and mentorship and ensure that they are appropriately acknowledged for their accomplishments.

– Demonstrated commitment to the Bank’s mission, and ability to work towards WBG’s corporate targets for successful outcomes.

– A strong results-oriented mindset.

– Ability to take informed risks and make tough decisions in a timely and transparent manner resulting in transformative impact for clients.

– WBG Core Competencies for all staff: Client orientation; drive for results; teamwork & collaboration; knowledge, learning and communication; and business judgment and analytical decision-making.

Diversity and Inclusion

The World Bank continually searches for qualified individuals with a diverse set of backgrounds from around the globe. 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, color, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability. Individuals with different abilities may be provided reasonable accommodations to perform essential functions and support in receiving other workplace accommodations.

Poverty has no borders, neither does excellence. We succeed because of our differences and we continuously search for qualified individuals with diverse backgrounds from around the globe.