Description
Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? Working at the World Bank Group (WBG) 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. For more information, visit www.worldbank.org.
Sustainable environment and natural resources management (ENRM) is at the heart of the WBG poverty agenda. Biodiversity and natural resources constitute the social safety net of the poor, representing a food bank and often their only source of livelihood. Sustainable ENRM promotes a green, clean, and resilient world where natural resources—from forests to fisheries, freshwater, oceans, coastal zones and ecosystems—are managed to support livelihoods and strong economies. Sustainable ENRM builds a world better prepared for shocks and global challenges, helping countries limit their exposure to resource scarcity, more-volatile weather patterns, and the long-term consequences of climate change across different Business Lines:
Green: Forests, Watersheds & Sustainable Landscapes - managing renewable natural capital across landscapes.
Blue: Marine, Coastal & Aquatic Resources - unlocking the wealth of marine, coastal and freshwater economies.
Brown: Pollution Management & Environmental Health - reducing pollution to improve environmental conditions.
Clean and Resilient Growth: Fostering economics and institutions for sustainable and sustained growth; and
Environmental Risk Management and Sustainability: Managing risks and creating opportunity to advice sustainable development in accordance with the Bank’s Operational Policies and, since October 1, 2018, the Environmental and Social Framework (ESF).
UNIT CONTEXT
The Environment, Natural Resources and Blue Economy (ENB) Global Practice (GP) has close to 300 operations, representing $7 billion, and a growing pipeline of new investments and ASAs under active development. The ENB GP Global Platform Unit (SENGL) comprises about 35 staff, most of them based in Washington, DC. The team reports to the Practice Manager also based in DC. SENGL is primarily responsible for (i) designing and leading the global programs for the GP whose implementation in country rests with the GP's regional units, including alignment to key business areas and crosscutting solutions; (ii) resource mobilization and donor coordination, including trust fund management, planning and reporting; (iii) conducting key global studies to advance the environmental agenda globally and internally; and (iv) knowledge management of SENGL’s key outputs.
THE POSITION
This position will be based in Washington DC, and will be part of the Economics Team within SENGL.The work program for this position will focus on managing an analytical work program (studies) related to economic and fiscal aspects of environmental and natural resources management and sustainability, particularly under the Global Program on Sustainability (GPS). The position will comprise a combination of global and country-specific analytical and advisory activities. This will include providing technical and policy advice to county-based teams and to client governments.
DUTIES & ACCOUNTABILITIES
The Economist will have the following key responsibilities to be further agreed with his/her Practice Manager based on annual work plans:
Analytics
The Economist is expected to advance the World Bank’s agenda in the area of environment and natural resource economics. This will include remaining current on the latest developments in the field. The position requires the flexibility and adaptability, using economic and fiscal tools to address a range of practical policy problems in such areas as forest and landscape degradation, the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services, blue economy (including fishery, plastic pollution), circular economy, pollution management and climate change. This will include application of state of art econometric methods and/or macro-, and micro-economic, financial and fiscal models and other diagnostic tools to analyze complex interactions between fiscal, structural, trade, labor and environmental policies. Participation in linking economic models with bio-physical modeling in the assessment of ecosystem services will also be expected from the incumbent. Duties will also include carrying out, with minimum supervision, selected components of studies on selected economic issues on the critical path to solving environmental sustainability problems in the areas listed above; and, in some cases, leading/ co-leading such studies. The incumbent will be expected to be able to effectively disseminate results of such studies through written and verbal communication.
Technical Advisory Services
The Economist in the Global Platform Unit will be expected to provide technical advice on a broad range of economic and policy issues related to challenges faced by the World Bank operational units that work directly with clients. This will include technical review of analytical work carried out by other teams in the Bank, economic advice to lending operations managed by the World Bank, across busines lines mentioned above. Where these tasks work requires collaboration with other Global Practices in the World Bank, the incumbent will be expected to proactively establish and maintain functional collaboration and partnerships.
Global Outreach
The Economist will be expected to provide input into the World Bank’s global outreach on environment and climate change issues. This will include preparing briefs and presentations for the Bank’s senior management for engagement in international conferences, negotiations, and bilateral cooperation. The Economist will also be expected to present the World Bank’s work at technical conferences and workshops.
Program Administration and Fundraising
The Economist will be expected to support trust fund management for Trust Funds that finance the World Banks environmental economics program. This will include supporting development partner relations, Trust Fund oversight/ day to day management, preparation of annual workplans (and tracking their implementation), supporting the monitoring and evaluation of Trust Funds in accordance with results frameworks agreed upon with Trust Fund donors.
Knowledge Management
The Economist is expected to maintain effective communication with relevant internal and external communities of practice, including NGOs, academia, civil society, the private sector as well as specialized international organizations.Active participation in communities of practice and global level technical innovation and knowledge sharing in the area of economics, forestry, biodiversity and rehabilitation of degraded landscapes, fisheries management and blue economy, and pollution management will be an important component of this position.
The Economist is expected to learn World Bank Group procedures, and contribute to their improvement, by participating in training offered, by developing a personal training program, keeping abreast of research and development knowledge in the environment and natural resources sector, and relevant safeguard management process.
Coordinate and carry out other tasks as requested by the relevant Manager such as for example, contribute to the organization of training or knowledge sharing events.
Selection Criteria
• Advanced degree in Economics, Applied Economics, Environmental Economics, Finance or related field (PhD preferred).
• Quantitative training/proven experience in economics, econometrics or quantitative economic modeling and macro-fiscal analytics.
• Minimum of 5 years of full-time relevant professional experience on research or applied work as an economist on public policy, including on environmental issues (time in a PhD program counts toward this professional experience).
• Applied experience on environmental, natural resources management and climate change mitigation and adaptation is desirable.
• Excellent in English communication skill is required (writing, speaking, listening and reading).
• A second language (French, Spanish, Russian or Portuguese) would be highly beneficial.
• Proven teamwork and successful experience working with multi-disciplinary teams.
• A strong sense of teamwork and ability to work independently with limited supervision.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Willingness to travel extensively, including to remote rural areas.
The following would be an advantage but not required:
• Knowledge and experience working on integrated economic and ecosystem models and economic models to simulate policies that increase macro-fiscal resilience to the impact of climate change and facilitate low-carbon transition.
• Familiarity and some work experience with Natural Capital Accounting, particularly in the context of the System of Economic and Environmental Accounts (SEEA).
• Experience working in developing countries, understanding the institutional and political context and exposure to the national environmental policy challenges.
Competencies Level GF, Economist
• Knowledge and experience in sustainable development arena - translates technical and cross-country knowledge into practical applications and contributions to country and sector strategies; interacts with clients at the policy level.
•Policy Dialogue Skills - Anticipates needs and requests in the field and conducts policy discussions with representatives of the government and non-government partners.
• Economic/Fiscal and Environmental/climate Policy - Solid understanding of theory, design and implementation of coherent economic, fiscal, trade and environmental policies, strategies, institutions.
• Environmental Sciences – Solid understanding of fundamental concepts of natural science (soil science; water; ecosystems; conservation; agriculture, pollution etc.), including biodiversity and climate change, with ability to apply knowledge to projects and analytical work.
• Team Leadership - Leads teams to achieve challenging outcomes, providing a role model and enhancing the team-leadership skills of team members.
• Client Orientation - Maintains client relationships in the face of conflicting demands or directions and provides evidence-based advice and solutions based on sound diagnosis and knowledge.
• Knowledge and experience working on integrated economic and ecosystem models and economic models to simulate policies that increase macro-fiscal resilience to the impact of climate change and facilitate low-carbon transition.
• Familiarity and some work experience with Natural Capital Accounting, particularly in the context of the System of Economic and Environmental Accounts (SEEA).
• Experience working in developing countries, understanding the institutional and political context and exposure to the national environmental policy challenges.
WBG Competencies
Lead and Innovate - Develops innovative solutions.
Deliver Results for Clients - Proactively addresses clients’ stated and unstated needs.
Collaborate Within Teams and Across Boundaries - Collaborates across boundaries, gives own perspective and willingly receives diverse perspectives.
Create, Apply and Share Knowledge - Applies knowledge across WBG to strengthen solutions for internal and/or external clients.
Make Smart Decisions - Interprets a wide range of information and pushes to move forward.
Note: If the selected candidate is a current World Bank Group Staff Member with a Regular or Open-Ended appointment, s/he will retain his/her Regular or Open-Ended appointment. If the selected candidate is a current World Bank Group Staff Member with a Term appointment that expires later than the end date of this appointment, s/he will retain the duration of his/her current Term appointment.
Poverty has no borders, neither does excellence. We succeed because of our differences and we continuously search for qualified individuals with diverse backgrounds from around the globe.
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