Program Assistant

The World Bank Group serves eight client countries in the South Asia Region, home to nearly 1.8 billion people. Clients range from large rapidly growing sophisticated middle-income countries to IDA countries to fragile and small island and landlocked states. Over the past few years, work has focused on the response to the COVID-19 crisis. In FY23, the region delivered $10.5 billion in financing for client countries and a wide range of ASAs and engagements with countries. The focus for the post-pandemic recovery lies on economic recovery and prudent fiscal and debt management; private sector expansion and job creation; climate resilience and improving human capital. The region will continue to support progress on structural reforms and invest in inclusion, gender equality, productive jobs, climate resilience and digital economy.

Duties and Accountabilities:

• We are seeking a Program Assistant with solid organizational skills, and ability to solve problems independently and proactively. The Program Assistant will be based in Singapore and report to SAROS’s manager, based in Washington, DC.

Your key responsibilities will be to: 

• Coordinate Practice Manager(s) and team schedules, meetings, and appointments, undertake standard logistical preparations for various events, e.g. meetings, conferences, workshops, negotiations, etc.
• Organize mission activities which include preparation/updating of mission itineraries and briefing materials, coordination of meeting schedule, travel, and security arrangements, etc.
• Assist team or work unit by drafting a variety of routine documents, applying effective proofreading and grammar skills in English.
• Identify and resolve diverse issues/problems as they arise, which often requires interpretation of existing procedures and processes and independently determining the appropriate application
• Use word processing or desktop publishing skills to produce complex text, reports, figures, graphs, etc., according to standard Bank formats and distribution
• Assist team or work unit by drafting a variety of routine documents, applying effective proofreading and grammar skills in English.
• Attend meetings, draft minutes, and ensure timely clearance and distribution.
• Prepare standard system generated and customized reports, memoranda, and other communications as required.
• Process documents for signature, ensuring documents adhere to the World Bank’s standards and guidelines.
• Undertake ad hoc inquiries in standard and non-standard databases, retrieves, manipulates, and presents data.
• Additional ad-hoc responsibilities as assigned by SAROS’ Manager and/or Practice Managers(s).

Selection Criteria

• At least a bachelor’s degree and 2 years of relevant work experience.
• Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills.
• High degree of proactivity and flexibility, and a demonstrated capacity to handle a variety of multiple concurrent activities, to prioritize and balance competing demands under pressure, while maintaining attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently, respond to, and deal effectively in diverse situations with good judgment, discretion, and diplomacy in handling confidential and sensitive matters.
• Excellent organizational and administrative skills, assuming primary responsibility for organizing and coordinating the workflow of a busy office.
• Excellent English communication skills, both written and spoken, including ability to draft a variety of correspondence and edit materials using proper grammar and punctuation.
• Proven ability to work effectively in a team-oriented, fast-paced environment, and contribute towards common goals.
• Demonstrated advanced knowledge and experience working with Microsoft office applications (Excel, PowerPoint, Word, etc.).