Senior Program Assistant at the World Bank Group

The World Bank Group – Established in 1944, the WBG is one of the world’s largest sources of funding and knowledge for development solutions. In fiscal year 2018, the WBG committed $67 billion in loans, grants, equity investments and guarantees to its members and private businesses, of which $24 billion was concessional finance to its poorest members. It is governed by 188-member countries and delivers services out of 120 offices with nearly 15,000 staff located globally.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Senior Program Assistant

Job Number: req30769

Location: Abuja, Nigeria

Term duration: 3 years 0 months

Sector: Administration/Office Support

Description

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

Country Context

• Nigeria is critical to the World Bank Group’s (WBG) twin goals of eradicating global extreme poverty and promoting shared prosperity. A multi-ethnic and diverse federation of 36 autonomous states, Nigeria is already Africa’s largest country, with over 200 million people, and Africa’s largest economy.
• With its abundance of resources, a young and entrepreneurial population, and a dynamic private sector, Nigeria has the potential to be a giant on the global stage.
• At the same time, with over 40 percent of its population living in poverty, Nigeria has the second largest population of poor in the world and real per-capita incomes are about the same level today as they were four decades ago. 
• The economy and public finances continue to be highly vulnerable to oil shocks, and not enough jobs are being created for the 3.5 million young Nigerians coming of working age every year.
• To provide economic opportunities for its growing population, Nigeria needs to unlock private investment and job creation, and further the structural transformation and diversification of its economy.

Program and Unit Context

• Nigeria, a blend country eligible for both IBRD and IDA financing, has the largest country allocation under IDA20 and the third-largest IDA-IBRD portfolio with approximately USD 14.6 billion in active commitments across 29 projects. Approximately 70% of this portfolio is implemented by states under multi-state platforms.
• A new Country Partnership Framework (CPF) was approved in December 2020 to guide the World Bank Group’s support to Nigeria from FY21-FY25, anchored in several core engagements that combine large-scale financing with upstream policy, advisory and institutional strengthening ASA-based initiatives.
• The World Bank Office in Abuja is one of the larger country offices, with over 120 staff. The large, decentralized nature of the program, and growing insecurity makes for a challenging operating context.
• A Country Management Team composed of the Country Director, the Operations Manager, two Senior Operations Officers, and several Engagement Leaders meets on a weekly basis to actively monitor implementation and provide strategic and operational guidance to the task teams.

Job Summary

• The World Bank Country Nigeria Office is seeking a highly organized and energized professional, capable of operating effectively and discreetly in a very demanding, fast-paced, and culturally diverse environment, to work as a Senior Program Assistant, level GD based in Abuja, Nigeria.
• The successful candidate will work under the overall supervision of the Country Operations Manager and in collaboration with the Operations Officer (OO), Program Leaders (PLs), and the operations teams.

Roles & Responsibilities

• The overall purpose of the assignment is to provide overall coordination support to the Operations Manager in coordinating the ACS Staff in the Country Office/Portfolio, in addition to his/her normal ACS role.
• S/he will provide administrative, operational and knowledge management support to the country teams.

The main functions include but are not limited to:

• Mentor other ACS Colleagues: Serve as a mentor to other ACS staff. Keep abreast of the relevant policies and procedures of the Bank and guide staff on how to gain access the policies.
• Training Support: Support in the onboarding of other ACS staff and provide the necessary support needed to integrate them into the system.
• Periodic Data Update: Serve as rallying point in requesting and collating information from each unit as required by the Operations Manager or the CMU per time. E.g. number of TTLs/Local and International staff in each team that an ACS supports.
• Administrative support: Provide administrative support to designated members of the team, including organizing team meetings, preparing documents, and managing communication. Organize and coordinate AWCW2 unit-wide activities (such as unit retreats, unit meetings, social events, etc.) 
• Participate and/or chair committees within the Country Office such as retreats, high level visits, etc.
• Assist in monitoring the budgets in the project, liaise and follow up with TTLs as appropriate and advise on overruns and burn rate.
• Confidentiality: Handle sensitive information with the utmost discretion and maintain the confidentiality of all communications and documents.
• Efficiency and Initiative: Proactively identify areas for improving administrative processes and take initiative to streamline tasks and enhance office efficiency. 
• Technical Proficiency: Utilize office software and tools proficiently, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Document Management: Oversee the organization, filing, and retrieval of documents, ensuring that all records are maintained accurately and securely. 
• Travel and Event Coordination: Arrange travel itineraries, accommodations, and events for the team members as needed. Also manage operational VIP visit to the country.
• Operational Support: Provide operational support to the teams, circulating packages, sending reminders on milestones of the project and providing follow-up to relevant teams such as AFDWE, LEGAM and other team members where necessary.
• Provide support to Program Leaders on their work program in the Nigeria Portfolio as requested.

Selection Criteria

• A Master’s Degree or Undergraduate Degree in a relevant discipline (e.g. Economics, Business Administration, Political Science, Finance, International Relations, Social Science or similar field relevant to the Bank’s mission) strongly preferred. 
• Five (5) years of relevant experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience. 
• Proven ability to think strategically and demonstrated political sensitivity and mature judgment, with an ability to navigate a challenging environment.
• Outstanding inter-personal skills with proven ability to work cooperatively with a multi-disciplinary team.
• Demonstrated initiative, leadership skills, and drive for results including ability to undertake a diversity of tasks within a rapidly changing and demanding environment on short deadlines.
• Highly developed spoken and written communications skills including the ability to draft concise reports, minutes, briefs, and correspondence.
• Proficiency in English Language (verbal and written).
• Strong knowledge of Nigeria’s context, Nigeria WBG portfolio, work program, Government of Nigeria systems, UN/INGO and donor coordination mechanisms.  
• Extremely dynamic, results-oriented, and action focused with a can-do attitude focused on immediate problem solving.

Competencies:

• Excellent working knowledge and understanding of the WBG organization and its range of available financial instruments (e.g., IBRD loans, IDA credits and grants, trust funds).
• Demonstrated experience working in operations with a clear understanding of the project and country engagement life cycle and Bank operational policies and procedures.
• Familiarity and ease of working with the Bank’s data and reporting systems, such as SAP, Standard Reports, and the Operations Portal. 
• Excellent writing skills and capacity to prepare briefs/presentations using Word/PowerPoint.
• Capacity to work with tact and diplomacy with staff at all levels, often under tight time pressure in a busy environment.
• Proven ability to work both independently and in diverse teams, including with colleagues in various Global Practices, with minimal supervision and with high levels of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Familiarity and understanding of Bank’s lending portfolio performance measurement and analytics.
• Full proficiency in data handling and ability to work quickly in Excel, particularly with creating data driven visuals and using advanced formulas e.g. pivot tables.
• Ability to carry out research and analytical tasks on a wide range of operational and country issues, review and interpret information/data, identify trends and issues, and recommend actions/solutions.

How to Apply

Interested and qualified candidates should:

Click here to apply

Note: This requisition is both internal and external. It is open to WBG and (including short-term and extended term consultants/temporaries)

Application Deadline 2nd January, 2025; at 11:59pm UTC