Operations Officer

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Description

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The Country Management Unit (CMU) for Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe (AECE1) provides a range of financial, knowledge, and convening services to help address the countries’ most complex development issues. The CMU covers staff in the four country offices (CO) supported by an Anchor team based at Headquarters in Washington DC consisting of a Sr. Operations Officer (SOO) and a Country Program Assistant. The Country Director (CD) is based in Dar es Salaam, together with an Operations Manager, an Operations/Senior Operations Officer, and three Program Leaders (PL)/Sector Leaders (SL), coordinating and overseeing the AFCE1 CMU. The Country Managers (CM) for Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Malawi, manage the day-to-day operations of the program for the respective countries, with the assistance of a Sr. Operation Officer, an Operations Officer and an Operations Analyst respectively.

As of December 2022, the World Bank Portfolio in Zambia had a net commitment of about $2.4B (credits and grants), of which 15 national IDA projects ($2.01B) and 4 regional IDA operations ($222M). The Zambia Country Office delivers analytics, studies and advisory (ASA) and lending services. 

The CMU is looking for a highly skilled individual to operate as a Lusaka-based Operations Officer (OO, level GF) and help in the implementation of our Zambia program. The Operations Officer will report to the Country Manager (based in Lusaka) and work closely with Operations Manager (based in Dar es Salaam) and the Senior Operations Officer (based in Washington DC), and with 3 Program Leaders (PL)/Sector Leaders (SLs), all of whom support the entire CMU program.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The Operations Officer (OO) position is based in the Zambia Country Office with primary responsibility for supporting the Country Manager (CM) with respect to the performance of the existing Zambia portfolio and ensuring its strategic alignment with the Country Partnership Framework (CPF). The OO supports the CM and the Program Leaders to conduct country-specific monitoring and reporting on the existing lending and ASA portfolio, and to identify and resolve country-specific implementation issues. The OO maintains up-to-date information on portfolio performance (IDA, ASA and trust funds) for Zambia.

Specific duties include:

• Coordinate and lead the preparation of a Monthly Portfolio Report. The report monitors lending, non-lending activities, TF, and other key portfolio performance indicators.
• Monitor and facilitate timely delivery on various milestones during the project cycle, including with respect to project closing and reporting. 
• Support implementation by organizing its regular meetings with Global Practices (GPs), project task team leaders (TTLs) and Program Leaders to discuss and find solutions to the ongoing concerns and to anticipate potential future problems/bottlenecks. Follow-up with government on recommendations in close consultation with the CM and Program Leaders. 
• Follow up on the Portfolio Action Plan as formulated in the Country Portfolio Performance Review (CPPR), with special focus on portfolio-wide actions in the areas of Financial Management, procurement, safeguards, and Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E).
• Review, and draft comments on Implementation Status Reports (ISRs) for the CM.
• Provide inputs to or prepare diverse operational products/outputs (e.g. country briefings, background reports, case studies, portfolio performance reviews, etc.).  Provide continuous case-by-case support to project task teams. Interact directly with the Program Leaders on daily work program issues and provide operational support for problem or risky operations. To the extent possible, participate in operational missions and meetings and assist teams in resolution of difficult issues.
• Carry out research and analytics on operations- and CMU work program-related issues.
• Liaise with the main government counterpart (Ministry of Finance and National Planning) on operational matters.
• The OO works closely and mentors junior/ACS staff on issues of portfolio management and monitoring.
• The OO will provide support to the CMU management team.
• Review, comment on, and clear all out-going correspondence; manage in-coming correspondence.
• Support the CM in the implementation of the Country Partnership Framework (CPF) and aid in preparing the Performance and Learning Review (PLR) and CPF Completion Report, particularly regarding portfolio implementation.

Selection Criteria:

• MA/MS with minimum 5 years relevant experience; a post graduate qualification with a supplementary Business Administration will be an added advantage.
• Ability to deal sensitively in multi-cultural environments and build effective working relations with clients and colleagues.
• Effective verbal and written communications skills, with ability to prepare presentations.
• Good ability to research, collect, analyze data.
• Ability to function effectively in multi-disciplinary teams within a matrix environment.
• Good understanding of Bank policies, procedures and system; or demonstrated ability to learn these quickly.
• Do you have minimum 5 years relevant experience
• Recognized by peers and/or managers for ability to identify and pro-actively solve operational issues and problems.
• Demonstrates knowledge and understanding of the CMU’s annual reporting, budgeting, and business planning.
• Ability to coordinate mechanisms to ensure efficient and effective procedures for routine workflow in the County office.
• Identifies the needed resources to accomplish results involving multiple stakeholders and finds solutions to obstacles affecting key deliverables.
• Shows leadership in ensuring the team stays organized and focused, and actively seeks and considers diverse ideas and approaches.
• Shares best practice, trends, knowledge and lessons learned across units and with clients and partners, articulating ideas verbally and in writing in a clear and compelling way across audiences of varied levels.

Source: https://worldbankgroup.csod.com/ats/careersite/JobDetails.aspx?id=20988&site=1

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