Operations Officer

A development professional is being sought to join the PMB Country Management Unit (CMU) Team as an Operations Officer (OO). The selected candidate will work closely with the Operations Manager of the CMU and as part of a Portfolio team, and will have three primary responsibilities: (i) support to the preparation and implementation of country strategy and program implementation;

 support the implementation and monitoring of the operational portfolio including lending and non-lending activities across all Global Practices and to ensure alignments across the GPs; and (iii) support to management of country and donor relations including Trust Funds. The majority of the work will focus on the work program in the Philippines, but the OO will also provide support to other countries of the CMU.

Duties and Accountabilities

More specifically, the OO will have the following principal responsibilities:

• Country Strategy and Program Implementation: Provide inputs to country engagement products and to periodic portfolio performance reviews.

Tasks will include:

• Providing input on overall portfolio performance and operational efficiency in the country partnership framework, program learning review, and completion learning review.
• Contributing to periodic reports on the portfolio for country and regional management.
• Participating in reviews held jointly with Government and other development partners.
• Conducting analyses and independent reviews of specialized topics relating to portfolio performance, as requested.
• Operations Support: support management and task teams in program delivery, quality assurance, and performance, including both   lending and non-lending activities.

This will include:

• Reviewing and providing CMU feedback on operational packages, including, but not limited to, Project Concept Notes, Project Appraisal Documents, legal agreements, Board packages, Implementation Status Reports and Implementation Completion and Results Reports.
• Supporting overall portfolio management and advice on operational policies an Advisory Services and Analytics, including RAS.
• Helping ensure the quality of country deliverables and outputs by providing advice, particularly on relevant operational policies and country context.
• Coordinating knowledge sharing activities on operational quality issues and standard methodologies for task team leaders and other members of the country team.
• Liaising with government counterparts – mainly include staff at economic management agencies (DoF, NEDA, DBM), but can also include staff at selected line departments, as required for operational support
• Advising Task Teams and members including ACS colleagues on country systems and operational policies and procedures.
• Development Partner Relations and Trust Funds: Working closely with the ECR team and relevant task teams, assist in building and sustaining effective relationships international development partners, and civil society; and serve as resource person on operational policies Trust Funds. Tasks will include:
• Contribute to dialogue with development partners, including by participating in the periodic meetings with development partner community.
• Working with the external relations and communications team and other task teams on building and sustaining strong relations with development partners.
• Handling the Australia WB Growth and Prosperity Trust Fund and portfolio of grants.
• Providing advice on trust fund instruments, policies and procedures and guide task teams and counterparts in Government and development partners, particularly in the conceptualization, design and establishment of new standalone trust funds.
• Providing substantive input and advisory support to annual trust funds portfolio reviews, and other management/external reporting related to the TF portfolio, as needed.
• Reviewing trust fund proposals, implementation and completion reports.
• Supporting task teams in discussions with trust fund donors, particularly when establishing new trust funds.
• Playing a key role in ASA and TF portfolio performance monitoring and follow up on required actions.

Reporting:

• The OO will report to the World Bank’s Operations Manager for PMB.

Selection Criteria

• Master’s degree in relevant field/subject area (typically the successful candidate will have at least 5 years of validated experience in positions of increasing complexity and responsibility).

Essential Specialized Skills/Knowledge

• Prior work experience in achieving results on the ground, preferably in more than one country.
• Sound operational experience of preparation and implementation of development projects and programs, knowledge of Bank Group policies, programs, and procedures, and exposure to economic and sector work, as well as strategy activities would be an advantage.
• Portfolio management experience and competence in implementation support.
• A consistent track record in development operations with tried results in financing and non- financing products.
• Understanding of the full range of the Bank’s financial and advisory products, services and procedures, gained through tried operational experience.
• Experience in leading development partner relationships and trust funds.
• Outstanding interpersonal, and respectful partnership skills required for building and maintaining collaborative relationships with senior government officials and other counterparts, including experience with donor coordination with the aim of strengthening country-led development processes.
• Strong communication skills, ability to communicate and defend orally and in writing difficult issues and position to senior Bank management, government o
• Outstanding interpersonal, and respectful partnership skills required for building and maintaining collaborative relationships with senior government officials and other counterparts, including experience with donor coordination with the aim of strengthening country-led development processes.
• Strong communication skills, ability to communicate and defend orally and in writing difficult issues and position to senior Bank management, government official and partners, including the ability to speak persuasively and present ideas clearly and concisely.
• Superior level of resourcefulness, ability to work with considerable autonomy as well as willingness to work under tight deadlines and Superior level of resourcefulness, ability to work with considerable autonomy as well as willingness to work under tight deadlines and through the whole spectrum of activities from the strategic level to the resolution of specific implementation issues.
• Ability to operate effectively in a matrix management environment.

Source: https://worldbankgroup.csod.com/ats/careersite/JobDetails.aspx?id=28249&site=1