Operations Officer

World Bank Group•Washington, DC

2d•Onsite

About The Position

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 and promoting shared prosperity. 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. The Eastern and Southern Africa (AFE) region is home to nearly 60% of the continent’s population, with strong human and natural resource potential but persistent challenges in job creation, poverty, and inequality. The World Bank Group is supporting countries in the region to accelerate job creation through investments in infrastructure and human capital, stronger governance and business environments, and mobilization of private sector investment. This is complemented by regional programs in energy, transport, digital connectivity, water, and skills development that enable economic transformation. Flagship initiatives such as Mission 300, AIM2030, and Agriconnect aim to expand opportunities at scale. Through financing, policy advice, and partnerships, the World Bank Group is helping unlock the region’s potential to create more and better jobs. The AFEDE team provides proactive operational services focused on strategic advice, and guidance to staff and regional management and works closely with the Verticals and CMUs in delivering and managing the pipeline and portfolio of the region. The unit also liaises between corporate units, the offices of senior management, and the AFE region. The Operations Officer will be a core member of the AFEDE unit, providing high-quality analytics and operational support to inform regional management decision-making and support operational teams across AFE.

Requirements

Master's degree in economics, public policy, business administration, statistics, development studies, or a related field, with a minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Solid knowledge of WBG operational policies, instruments, project cycle procedures, and portfolio monitoring processes, including project reviews, pipeline tracking, portfolio reviews, and risk ratings, with demonstrated experience in the Africa region being a strong advantage.
Demonstrated experience reviewing operational or project packages for quality, compliance, and strategic alignment, with the ability to provide structured, actionable feedback to task teams and country units.
Deep experience in managing IDA, including PBA & windows, as well as tracking policy commitments.
Strong analytical skills with the ability to synthesize complex portfolio data and produce clear, decision-ready reports, dashboards, briefing notes, and management presentations.
Good understanding of WBG risk management tools and familiarity with key risk issues in AFE.
Familiarity with WBG data systems and analytical tools, including Standard Reports, and the Operations Portal.
Proven ability to lead and coordinate team workflows, manage competing priorities and deadlines, and ensure timely delivery of analytical and operational products in a fast-paced regional management environment.
Proven ability to work effectively across organizational boundaries, including with CMUs, Global Practices, and corporate units, and to communicate clearly with counterparts at the working level in a complex, matrixed institution.
Experience providing training, operational guidance, or mentoring to colleagues, with the ability to translate policy and procedural requirements into practical learning for diverse audiences.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with MPAs is an advantage.
Demonstrated experience in the Africa region being a strong advantage.

Responsibilities

Review project packages for AFE to assess quality, compliance with regional and operational requirements, and alignment with corporate and regional strategies, covering country portfolio review packages, pipeline review packages, and thematic deep-dive packages; familiarity with MPAs is an advantage.
Assist management in preparing for engagements with CMUs, Verticals, and corporate units by synthesizing findings from project package reviews and drafting background materials, talking points, and briefing notes that reflect quality and compliance assessments.
Contribute to the identification and dissemination of good practices, lessons learned, and quality improvements surfaced through the project package review process across the AFE region.
Provide operational support to country teams and CMUs on project implementation issues, helping to identify and track actions to address implementation bottlenecks.
Serve as a liaison between AFEDE, corporate units, and offices of senior management to facilitate information flow and timely follow-up on implementation priorities.
Support regional management in the management of IDA country and windows allocations, including tracking utilization, identifying anomalies, and preparing reports and briefing materials for management review.
Advise teams on eligibility requirements for windows.
Liaise with corporate and operations units such as DFI on eligibility and allocations and advise on reallocations or adjustments as needed.
Prepare regular monitoring reports on IDA commitments and disbursements across the portfolio, ensuring data quality and consistency with corporate reports.
Provide analytical and operational support to the AFE Risk Secretariat, including preparation of materials for risk review meetings, tracking of risk ratings, and consolidation of risk mitigation actions across the portfolio.
Monitor portfolio risk profiles, synthesize findings from project-level risk assessments, and contribute to the preparation of risk-related management briefings and Board-oriented materials.
Coordinate follow-up on risk-related recommendations and escalate systemic patterns or emerging portfolio risks to AFEDE management.
Lead the AFEDE analytics team, producing timely and decision-oriented analysis on lending pipeline, portfolio performance, analytical work program, and other regional priorities for AFE management.
Monitor and analyze portfolio, lending and ASA data, prepare materials for regional management meetings and deep dives, and identify cross-cutting issues and key trends across the Africa Eastern region's program.
Contribute to reporting and monitoring of the region's delivery targets, MOU indicators, interacting with TTLs and regional, GPs, and corporate departments on emerging issues, while flagging risks to AFEDE management.
Design and maintain dashboards, visualizations, and analytical tools that translate complex data into accessible, decision-ready products for regional and country management.
Design and deliver training, workshops, and guidance materials for task teams, CMUs, and regional staff on IDA management, project package requirements, quality standards, and compliance with regional and operational policies, translating recurring knowledge gaps into targeted learning interventions.
Provide mentoring and on-the-job guidance to junior staff across the region, supporting their professional development and building their operational and analytical capabilities.