Manager, Trade Policy and Facilitation

World Bank Group•Washington, DC

About The Position

The World Bank Group is a unique global partnership of five institutions driven by a bold vision to create a world free of poverty on a livable planet. As one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries, we help solve the world’s greatest development challenges. When you join the World Bank Group, you become part of a dynamic, diverse organization with 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide. We work with public and private sector partners, invest in groundbreaking projects, and use data, research, and technology to bring tangible and transformative change around the globe. For more information, visit www.worldbankgroup.com Background The WBG Prosperity Vice Presidency leads the WBG’s key global engagements in support of: growth and jobs (including supporting teams across the WBG on the jobs agenda); debt sustainability and debt management; improved domestic resource mobilization and expenditure efficiency; a resilient and inclusive financial sector; business-enabling policies and regulations; competition and innovation; manufacturing and services solutions; SME and enterprise development; trade policy and facilitation; and transparent, effective, and accountable government institutions world-wide. The Vice Presidency also houses the group that examines the distributional/poverty impacts of all policies. The Vice Presidency is responsible for delivering timely knowledge for replicating and scaling effective public and private sector solutions to our operational teams and to our clients and to enable and support the WBG achieve its mission and goals, specifically: providing guidance on creating more and better jobs; supporting foundational infrastructure and human capital, a business-enabling policy environment, and private sector mobilization; focusing on agribusiness, healthcare, infrastructure, manufacturing, and tourism; and supporting and accelerating corporate targets and commitments - in the areas of its mandate. Trade, Competition, and Business (TCB) Global Department The Trade, Competition and Business (TCB) Global Department is part of the WBG Prosperity Vice Presidency. The department supports public and private sector clients by identifying critical investments in infrastructure, business-enabling policy reforms and regulations, and opportunities to enable and mobilize capital in pursuit of more and better jobs. It is comprised of five units: Trade Policy and Facilitation; Competition Policy; SME and Enterprise Development – Policies & Regulations; SME and Enterprise Development – Solutions & Impact; and Manufacturing & Services. The department is seeking an outstanding Manager to lead its Trade Policy and Facilitation unit. The unit brings together colleagues delivering thought leadership on policies & regulations and replicable/scalable solutions for impact in the areas of trade policy and trade facilitation through knowledge generation, operational support to regional IBRD/IDA, IFC, and MIGA colleagues, and partnerships. The Manager for Trade Policy and Facilitation will report to the WBG Director, TCB, who is accountable to the WBG Vice President for Prosperity.

Requirements

A Master’s degree (Ph.D. preferred) in a relevant field including economics, trade policy, international development, or related social sciences, with at least 12 years of relevant experience in positions of increasing complexity and responsibility.
Demonstrated leadership and people management skills, including high emotional intelligence, courage of conviction, and experience managing multi-location teams with diverse professional backgrounds. Proven ability to lead effectively through periods of institutional change, using both formal and matrixed authority.
Deep knowledge of World Bank Group operations, instruments, and processes, including policy and investment lending, with a strong record of delivering complex operations and policy dialogue across multiple regions, Global Practices, and institutional settings (IBRD, IFC, MIGA).
Strong technical knowledge of trade and its various dimensions — policy and facilitation, operational and analytical — with the ability to develop synergies across team members and work streams for maximum development and operational impact.
Strong strategic orientation and ability to prioritize, streamline, and rationalize activities across a complex portfolio.
Excellent communication and representational skills, with proven experience engaging senior stakeholders and external constituencies. Commitment to proactively position the trade agenda both externally and internally, including through donor engagement, client country dialogue, and the development and nurturing of internal and external partnerships.
Demonstrated ability to navigate budget and HR management systems, as well as adaptability, flexibility, and resilience in supporting and guiding staff through evolving institutional contexts.

Responsibilities

Leads the unit’s global engagement on trade policy and facilitation, overseeing the delivery of high-quality analytics and evidence-based guidance on policies & regulations.
Champions new innovations and frontier approaches in the unit’s core topic areas, ensuring the team remains at the forefront of the global development debate.
Works closely with regional teams across the WBG to provide in-depth technical inputs, quality reviews, and global knowledge in support of analytics, advisory, and lending operations.
Collaborates across technical, geographic, and institutional boundaries to support tailored and scalable solutions to complex development challenges.
Communicates on the trade agenda effectively to various audiences, including internal and external clients, development partners, donors, civil society, staff, and general public, and develops and nurtures internal and external partnerships.
Develops and implements a vision for the unit in pursuit of strategic objectives of the TCB department, Prosperity Vice Presidency, and the WBG as a whole.
Leads efforts to produce, curate, validate, and disseminate trade-related knowledge and information, including contributions to the Data360 and K360 platforms, and work with external partners to strengthen policymaking based on rigorous evidence.
Ensures alignment between the team’s knowledge-generation and solutions-delivery functions, capturing, scaling, and replicating innovations and monitoring their impact.
Maintains and grows dissemination channels to ensure technical and experiential knowledge reaches operational teams, clients, and partners.
Designs, implements, and delivers training, learning, and capacity-building programs for internal and external clients.
Models exemplary WBG leadership values and managerial behaviors and reinforces these qualities in own team and staff
Leads, drives and inspires technical excellence within the team and the Department by creating an environment of learning and innovation that attracts and develops the best talent reflective of the diversity of our clients
Closely supports and advises staff on their performance, skills development and career planning
Participates in the relevant Talent Boards that oversee strategic staffing, career development, and deployment of staff across the World Bank Group.
In consultation with relevant stakeholders within the WBG, decides on the best use of internal and external resources for maximum client and developmental impact
Is accountable for delivering the agreed-upon work program through cost-effective use of resources (human and budget) within the agreed parameters and in compliance with internal controls and policies, and ensures timely delivery and overall quality of the unit outputs

Benefits

The World Bank Group offers comprehensive benefits, including a retirement plan; medical, life and disability insurance; and paid leave, including parental leave, as well as reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities.

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