E T Consultant

World Bank Group•Washington, DC

About The Position

The Extended Term Consultant (ETC) will support the World Bank’s Environmental and International Law Practice Group (LEGEN), which advises Bank clients on environmentally and socially sustainable development and on the operational aspects of environmental and international law. The role focuses on the Bank’s portfolio of projects involving environmental and natural resource law, environmental and social safeguard policies, climate change, and related legal transactions. Work may include projects reviewed by the World Bank Inspection Panel and coordinating Management’s responses. Under the general supervision of the Chief Counsel, LEGEN, and the Deputy General Counsel, Environmental and Social Risk, the ETC will advise Bank staff and managers, support legal and policy work, and collaborate across regional, operational, policy, and corporate units. The ETC will help develop environmental and natural resource law initiatives, advise on the application of safeguard policies and the Environmental and Social Framework, and assist with capacity building for Bank staff and borrower countries. The role also provides policy and transactional legal support for the Bank’s climate agenda, including work involving carbon funds, climate facilities, and emissions-reduction agreements.

Requirements

JD or LLB and LLM degree required; SJD or PhD is optional.
Admission to the Bar, or equivalent, in at least one jurisdiction.
Five to seven years of relevant experience.
Expertise in environmental, natural resources, and/or climate change law and policy.
Legal operational and transactional experience.
Ability to formulate policy positions and draft decisions on safeguard issues and defend them with clients, peers, or management.
Ability to work collaboratively, build trust with peers and colleagues, and respond quickly and consistently to key issues.
Demonstrated intellectual leadership and ability to integrate knowledge with broader strategic, policy, and operational objectives.
Persuasiveness and diplomacy to generate consensus, particularly on divisive legal issues.
Fluency in written and spoken English.
Ability to communicate and defend complex issues and positions orally and in writing to Bank management, government officials, and civil society groups.
Ability to work sensitively in a multicultural environment and build effective working relationships with clients and colleagues.
Ability to work effectively across organizational boundaries.
Ability to manage multiple tasks under demanding and occasionally conflicting time constraints.
Ability to respond to client needs, adapt to organizational or strategic changes, collaborate across boundaries, apply and share knowledge, make risk-informed decisions, and demonstrate professional maturity.

Nice To Haves

SJD or PhD.
Fluency in French, Spanish, Arabic, and/or Portuguese.

Responsibilities

Help develop and implement projects and initiatives that use environmental and natural resource law and policy advice.
Engage with Bank staff and managers to identify legal advice and assistance LEGEN can provide.
Help identify areas where the Bank can support legal and capacity building, and advise Bank programs providing that support in borrower countries.
Provide timely legal advice and technical guidance on environmental and social safeguard policies.
Serve as a LEG resource on special-risk projects and issues involving the development and interpretation of safeguard policies.
Help ensure a consistent and sound LEG position on significant issues concerning safeguard policies and the Environmental and Social Framework.
Join task teams for special or high-risk projects when requested.
Support capacity building for Bank borrowers and Bank staff on environmental, social, and natural resource law and safeguard issues.
Assist with Bank initiatives to harmonize borrower-country laws with Bank environmental and social policies, including requirements relating to the use of country systems.
Advise clients on legal and policy issues concerning the creation or implementation of World Bank-administered carbon funds and climate facilities, and other climate-related activities.
Draft and participate in negotiations of emissions-reduction purchase agreements and related agreements for acquiring emissions reductions for World Bank-administered carbon funds.
Work with lawyers and managers in LEG VPU, regional operational units, Verticals, OPCS, other corporate units, and staff and management at headquarters and in the field as required.
Help coordinate Management’s response to matters under review by the World Bank Inspection Panel.