ET Consultant - Emergency Preparedness and Response

World Bank Group • Washington, DC

6d • Onsite

About The Position

The World Bank Group (WBG) Infrastructure Vertical provides public and private solutions to operational teams and clients across the WBG to produce scalable impact. The Disaster Management, Solutions & Impact Unit (KIUSD) supports low and middle-income countries to understand, manage, and reduce their risks from natural hazards and climate change. Within KIUSD, the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) umbrella trust fund is a global partnership that helps low- and middle-income countries better understand and reduce their vulnerability to natural hazards and climate change. In recent years, there has been increasing demand from governments to address emergency preparedness and response (EP&R) as a core development issue. The challenges posed by climate change are significantly altering the types and magnitudes of hazards faced by communities. The Global Program for EP&R was established in 2016 under GFDRR and is currently managed by KIUSD. The program strengthens government capacities to prepare for and respond to emergencies by supporting legal and institutional frameworks, personnel training, infrastructure, and information technology. It provides technical support to World Bank task teams and governments to institutionalize EP&R investments, supports the operationalization of Catastrophe Deferred Drawdown Option (Cat DDO) and other contingent financing instruments, and helps country teams enhance national EP&R capabilities. To meet growing demand, the program is also developing AI-assisted tools to conduct EP&R assessments more efficiently and strengthen institutional readiness across diverse contexts. The objective of this consultancy is to provide sustained technical, operational, and monitoring support to ensure effective delivery, tracking, and learning of the EP&R Global Program. This position is financed by a Trust Fund and renewal is contingent upon availability of funding, in addition to other factors, including but not limited to business needs, staff performance and skills fit.

Requirements

• Advanced degree in disaster risk management, climate adaptation, environmental management, or a related field.
• Minimum five (5) years of relevant professional experience in disaster risk management or emergency preparedness and response.
• Sound understanding of EP&R topics, including Early Warning Systems, Emergency Operations Centers, emergency evacuation planning, and EP&R institutional, policy, and financing arrangements.
• Proven ability to manage multiple workstreams and coordinate effectively with diverse teams.
• Strong organizational, analytical, and communication skills, including proven experience preparing technical documents, briefs, and reports.
• Fluency in English (written and spoken) is required.

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with World Bank or other international development partner operations is desirable.
• Familiarity with AI-enabled tools for data analysis, reporting, and workflow automation is desirable.
• Proficiency in French, Spanish, or Arabic is an asset.

Responsibilities

• Support EP&R Program Leads in delivering technical assistance to country teams on EP&R interventions, including Ready to Respond Diagnostics (R2R) and Lessons Learned Exercises from Emergencies (LLE) processes.
• Provide technical advice to country teams on the preparation and implementation of the crisis preparedness toolkit’s instruments.
• Contribute to the design and implementation of EP&R activities embedded in World Bank operations, including Investment Project Financing (IPF) and Cat DDOs, covering areas such as Early Warning Systems, Emergency Operations Centers, emergency evacuation planning, and EP&R institutional, policy, and financing arrangements.
• Coordinate with regional and country teams to track progress on EP&R engagements and ensure timely follow-up on technical and operational tasks.
• Provide support by drafting and reviewing technical documents, reports, and internal briefs to ensure quality and consistency.
• Manage the program's database of pre-qualified firms and individual experts, ensuring all records of qualifications and expertise are organized and accessible for rapid mobilization.
• Maintain a comprehensive tracking system for all EP&R country engagements, ensuring records on status, funding source, and intervention type are accurate and current.
• Conduct periodic reviews of the World Bank and GFDRR-financed EP&R portfolio to analyze performance trends, composition, and lessons learned.
• Serve as the M&E focal point for the program, liaising with the GFDRR M&E Specialist to monitor and report on program results against the established results framework.
• Contribute data and operational inputs to the development and maintenance of the Crisis Preparedness Baseline Dashboard and other preparedness databases.
• Prepare portfolio briefs and contribute to donor reports.
• Draft and prepare content for knowledge dissemination channels, including the program's website, LinkedIn page, and case studies, to communicate program activities and impact.
• Support the development and application of AI tools to enhance program efficiency, including building a library of AI prompts for data analysis and contributing to the creation of AI-driven portfolio review tools.
• Provide logistical and organizational support for global and regional events and workshops and prepare briefing materials for engagement with external partners and international forums, such as the World Fire Congress.

Benefits

• Extended Term (ET) appointment is subject to a lifetime maximum of three (3) years.
• Former and current ET staff who have completed or are in the process of completing their third-year ET appointment are not eligible for future ET appointments.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level