Team Assistant

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.

The WDG serves 30 client countries in the Latin America and the Caribbean Region (LCR). Clients range from large rapidly growing sophisticated middle-income clients to IDA countries to small Caribbean states to one fragile state. Despite immense resources, dynamic societies, and an average annual per capita income of about $4,000, deep inequalities persist in most LCR countries, with nearly a quarter of the Region’s people living in poverty. The last Bank’s strategy for LCR focused on three pillars: (a) supporting the foundations for inclusive growth; (b) investing in human capital and protecting the poor; and (c) building resilience. In the aftermath of the COVID19 pandemic, this strategy will need to be adjusted to better support the countries deal with a health crisis without precedents and an economic crisis not seen since modern statistical records started in 1900. Yet, the basic elements of the strategy: accelerating growth (following a projected GDP contraction in 2020 of 7.2%), investing in human capital, including in health (in the most affected region by COVID19), and building resilience appear fully relevant.

LC2 is the CMU responsible for overseeing the World Bank’s program in Central America and the Dominican Republic, including country strategy formulation and implementation, policy dialogue, portfolio management and country relations.  The CMU Management Team consists of the Director, Four Program Leaders and the Country Operations Manager, who will be based in Panama; a Country Manager based in El Salvador, who is also the country manager for Costa Rica; and a Resident Representatives based in the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. The CMU works with a diverse set of clients:  two IDA countries (Honduras and Nicaragua), two lower middle income (El Salvador and Guatemala), and two upper middle-income counties (Costa Rica and Panama). Central America has the economy with the fastest growth rate in Latin America (Panama) and one with the biggest growth challenges (El Salvador); countries where poverty tops 25 percent (Honduras), and countries that are close to the 3 percent poverty objective for the Bank twin goals (Panama); countries that have managed to transform its economy entering in high value-added sectors (Costa Rica), and countries where the structural transformation of the economy needs to happen (Nicaragua). Central America has been significantly affected by the COVID pandemic both on the health and the economics front (GDP is projected to contract on average by 4.3% in the Central American countries) and this will have a significant impact on poverty. On top of this, macroeconomic and governance challenges were already an issue in most of the countries before the pandemic.

The successful applicant for Team Assistant position will receive a two-year fixed term position in the Panama Country Office (LCCPA), subject to local recruitment and the local salary scale.  The Team Assistant will report primarily to the World Bank Country Manager and will receive day-to-day guidance on priorities and fulfillment of responsibilities from the World Bank Senior Executive Assistant in the Panama Country Office.

The World Bank Group is committed to achieving diversity in terms of race, gender, nationality, culture, and educational background. Individuals with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply.

The Team Assistant will provide support to the Panama Country Office, specifically to Sector Coordinators, Visiting Missions as well as support to all office related activities, specifically providing back-up support to other team members and assist in ad-hoc activities.

Responsibilities will involve collaboration with team members in the Panama Office and in other World Bank Group Units, as well as frequent interaction with external counterparts such as consultants, Government officials, international donors, service providers, vendors and members of the private sector and civil society.

Duties/Accountabilities:

• Support to Sector Coordinators and teams.
• Make arrangements for for meetings, travel, visas and other logistics related to the program as required;
• Assist with the logistical organization and implementation or events related to the their programs  in Panama and and other countries as required. This may include compilation, preparation and translation of written materials and arrangements with providers for a range of visual materials; and
• Provide support operations-related matters, including processing of lending or implementation support documents, and seeking out Bank guidelines on processing these documents, including distribution lists, formatting, required documents, etc.

Support to Visiting Missions:

• Assist with visiting missions in coordination with Task Team Leaders as needed, including scheduling meetings, and organizing transportation, or other logistical support.
• Follow up with visiting missions through the LC2 Clearance process on Mission Announcement Letters (MALs) and security clearance forms prior to giving clearance for travel.
• Update and circulate the visiting missions calendar and update of Welcome Letter regularly.

General Office Support:

• Update the Panama Master Contact List regularly.
• Serve as backup to colleagues as required, to contribute to the effective workflow of the office;
• Draft routine letters, memos and other internal and external correspondence as required;
• Assist in filing and archiving WB documents.
• Assist in event preparation; and
• Other duties as assigned.

Selection Criteria:

Selection Criteria & Competencies:

• Fluent in English and Spanish.
• College degree preferred and minimum two years of relevant experience;
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to interact effectively with clients and staff at all levels;
• Proficiency in using advanced functions of computer applications such as Microsoft Office (Word, Outlook,  Excel, Powerpoint);
• Ability to draft and translate simple correspondence as required;
• Prior experience in a similar office assistant role; experience in a client service function in a multi-lingual environment would be a plus;
• A proven team player, deeply committed to working collaboratively as part of a multi-disciplinary team to contribute productively to the team’s work and output; demonstrating respect for different points of view; acting with integrity at all times to build trust with team members and external clients and partners;
• Follows guidance from the Senior Executive Assistant promptly and proactively; and
• Works with exemplary dedication to our clients

Source:  https://worldbankgroup.csod.com/ats/careersite/JobDetails.aspx?id=26863&site=1