Senior Operations Officer

at  World Bank Group

DESCRIPTION

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. Visit www.worldbank.org.

WESTERN AND CENTRAL AFRICA (AFW) REGION

We need the best and brightest talent focused on Sub-Saharan African countries 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. https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/afr/western-and-central-africa

The Senior Operations Officer will work under the supervision of the Country Director (CD). As a key member of the CMU (Country Management Unit) team, the Senior Operations Officer will work closely with Operations Manager (OM), Program Leaders (PLs), and other members of the CMU management and country teams on all aspects of the work program to ensure strategic focus, integration and consistency across and within the portfolio. More specifically (s)he will:

• Contribute to the efficiency and effectiveness of the Nigeria CMU in the areas of lending preparation and quality, pipeline monitoring, portfolio implementation support and monitoring, ASA delivery, and relationship management with external and internal stakeholders.
• Work with the Operations Manager (OM) and support the Country Director (CD) in Pipeline Delivery and Management as Quality Assurance through review of processing packages, submitted for the approval/clearance of CD/OM/CMU, and provide CD/OM with relevant strategic/tactical advice, liaising with OPCS, Legal, WFA, AFR DE teams and other relevant entities, as necessary.
• Support to the CD on the CPF/PLR/CLR preparation/delivery/completion. Make substantive contributions to country and sector strategies, lending, and non-lending work programs; play a key role in formulating and implementing the Country Partnership Frameworks and Regional Assistance Strategies; and assess sector and thematic issues in relationship with the broader country developments and Country Partnership Frameworks.
• Contribute to timely follow-up to the Country Director (CD) dialogues and engagements with key strategic stakeholders, including those UN agencies, INGOs, development partners, AFWRVP Front Office, PGs/GPs, IFC, MIGA, and other WBG entities.
• Prepare briefing notes, assist in determining appropriate Bank responses, and draft and review operational correspondence including letters, emails, PPTs, etc., for CD’s signature, transmission, or presentation.
• Take the lead or participate as a key team member in important strategic product activities and contribute to or lead the preparation of management briefs and other major or complex internal reports.
• Review of Board Packages, Management Letters and Aide Memoires as well as sensitive non project related documents.
• Work with the Operations Manager in Portfolio Management and Quality Assurance by reviewing ISRs and restructuring packages. The Senior Operations Officer will be assigned certain responsibilities of next level to carry out the functions as and when required.
• Play a key role in ensuring timely coordination with counterpart institutions, including the International Economic Relations Department (IERD) of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Debt Management Office (DMO), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Ministry of Justice, line Ministries, and Development Partners on operational matters.
• Work with TTLs to support them on lending and ASA preparation and dissemination as needed; communicate CMU’s guidance and share teams’ concerns and requests for support with the CD and in coordination with the OM.
• Assist in country program management, including business planning and work program preparation, WPA budget allocation, monitoring of work program and budget implementation, quarterly reviews and progress reporting.
• Serve as a liaison, coordination and integration point for the extended country teams; provide guidance and advice on country developments, operational priorities and strategies as needed; help foster teamwork and cross-sectoral cooperation on program preparation and implementation and contribute to country team meetings and activities.
• Contributes to the mentoring of Nigeria country Office-based colleagues in coordination with OM and HR business partners.
• Monitor and interpret political, social and economic developments; develop and maintain understanding of country socioeconomic and political conditions.