Social Development Specialist

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.

Western and Central Africa (AFW) Region

• We need the best and brightest talent focused on Sub-Saharan African countries in order to harness the potential and innovation happening across the continent. Africa is a continent on the move, with a young population and a growing market of nearly 1.2bn people. We are committed to making the Africa regional teams into leading innovation hubs.
• Yet, these vast opportunities are tempered by persistent gaps in education, health, and skills, which have Africa only reaching forty percent of its estimated potential. Moreover, conflict, food insecurity, population growth, and the disruptive forces of climate change threaten to curtail or even reverse the progress that has been made over the past decades.
• In West and Central Africa, the World Bank is a leading partner with a growing portfolio of 387 projects totaling more than $44.1 billion in areas such as agriculture, trade and transport, energy, education, health, water and sanitation- all to support job creation, gender equality, poverty reduction, and better lives. Across the continent, the World Bank’s program has nearly doubled over the last 10 years. By 2030, about 87% of the world’s extreme poor are projected to live in Sub-Saharan Africa, so this is where our mission to end extreme poverty and to promote shared prosperity will be achieved.
• Are you ready to make an impact? We are looking for dedicated professionals to join our innovative and diverse team to improve people’s lives and help countries build back better after COVID.

SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY AND INCLUSION GLOBAL PRACTICE

• The SSI Global Practice (GP) helps countries tackle deep rooted social problems stemming from fragility, climate change, exclusion, and the digital age with people centered solutions that build on local values and institutions. The GP engages with citizens, communities, and governments to deepen resilience, build inclusion, and empower vulnerable and marginalized groups to have influence and voice. The SSI GP prioritizes participatory, multi-sectoral approaches that build on norms and informal institutions to address social challenges and to build more inclusive, empowered communities.

POSITION

• SAWS4, one of the two Social Sustainability and Inclusion units in West and Central Africa, is looking to recruit a Social Development Specialist (Extended Term Consultant) who will be based in Conakry, Guinea and will support the Bank’s Environmental and Social Framework (ESF) and social risk management and inclusion agenda for the Guinea portfolio and promote the social sustainability of its investments. She/he will report directly to SAWS4 Practice Manager and will be expected to work closely with the Guinea country unit and task teams.

Duties and Accountabilities 

The Social Development Specialist – Social Sustainability and Safeguards will have the following core responsibilities:

• Work with the Cote d’Ivoire CMU Social Risk/Safeguard Coordinator, the Regional Standards Coordinator, Regional Safeguards Advisor and environment safeguards specialists and other colleagues to provide high quality technical support for the implementation of the OPs/ESF in Guinea. This includes participating in project related missions and meetings, safeguard compliance missions and meetings and comprehensive portfolio reviews as needed;
• Work with the Cote d’Ivoire CMU Social Risk/Safeguard Coordinator, the Regional Standards Coordinator and other colleagues to provide capacity building regarding social risk management, and the ESF for task teams, clients and other stakeholders;
• Actively participate in cross-practice teams and provide timely and high-quality inputs for the preparation of policy notes, Systematic Country Diagnostics, Country Partnership Frameworks, sector studies, and research and policy development activities on the full range of social development topics as they relate to Guinea;
• Participate in analytical studies, support other analytical work on relevant social development topics, and stay abreast of developments in social development globally and on cross-cutting issues relevant to Guinea;
• Engage in the Bank-wide professional community of staff in social development and social standards/safeguards by participating in thematic groups, exchanging best practices, peer review and drafting technical notes.

Selection Criteria

• Master’s degree or PhD in social sciences (anthropology, sociology, political economy, social development, law etc.), and a minimum of five years of professional experience in social sustainability, social risk management and/or social development.
• Knowledge and experience in addressing issues covered by the World Bank’s ESF and social safeguards policies or similar policies in other international finance institutions.
• In-depth knowledge of social and inclusive development issues in the Guinea;
• Knowledge and experience with social assessments and analyzing social risks and impacts on different population groups; involuntary resettlement in different socio-economic contexts and tenure systems; integration of relevant planning instruments such as Resettlement Action Plans in overall project planning and implementation; labor and working conditions community health and safety; and cultural heritage.
• Experience in specific areas of social sustainability and inclusion including, among others, inclusion of vulnerable populations, gender, LGBTQ, disability, ethnic minorities, and climate change.
• Experience with consultative and participatory approaches to project design and implementation as well as grievance redress mechanisms to ensure accountability and problem-solving in a timely fashion.
• Some experience in social sustainability and risk management policy development, including dialogue with governments, collaboration in these areas with other international development agencies, corporate reviews and policy development and improvement efforts.
• Ability to effectively present complex social development and ESF/safeguards issues to task teams and Bank audiences and engage with government counterparts, the private sector, project beneficiaries and civil society.
• Excellent interpersonal, problem-solving, and team skills, and ability to think innovatively and strategically to find balanced solutions to complex development problems, with a strong client focus.
• Very high level of energy, initiative and self-motivation; willingness to travel and work under challenging circumstances.
• Ability to work across practices, work in cross-thematic teams and foster teamwork.
• Excellent oral and writing skills in French essential.
• English language skills a plus.

Source: https://worldbankgroup.csod.com/ats/careersite/JobDetails.aspx?id=28037&site=1