Background & General Description:

Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? Working at the World Bank Group provides a unique opportunity for you to help our clients solve their greatest development challenges. 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, increasing shared prosperity and promoting sustainable development. 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. For more information, please visit www.worldbank.org

Junior Professional Associates – Program Description

The Junior Professionals Associate Program (JPA) offers an exceptional opportunity for recent graduates to embark on a professional journey, providing a three-year contract with valuable work experience within a diverse and dynamic environment and the potential of field work experience. The program is an excellent platform to sharpen your existing skills and to develop new ones, all while gaining a profound understanding of the challenges associated with reducing poverty and fostering shared prosperity on a livable planet.

We will provide you with the opportunity to gain entry-level professional experience in a premier development institution, on an Extended Term Consultant (ETC) contract with benefits. For more information, please visit www.worldbank.org/careers/jpa

The following are minimum requirements to be eligible for the JPA program:

• Be 32 years of age or younger
• Hold a bachelor’s degree Be fluent in English

The JPA program at the World Bank is a highly competitive initiative. Candidates who are being actively considered for positions may be required to present academic transcripts and professional references. The World Bank’s Human Resources team and hiring team will reach out exclusively to individuals selected for assessment and interviews.

Positions may be in any of the World Bank’s offices worldwide.

Africa Regional Context: Health, Nutrition, and Population

In the Africa Region of the World Bank, there are four units that comprise the Africa HNP practice. The Africa HNP Practice Managers have joint responsibilities for region-wide HNP strategies, and staff work across unit boundaries. HAEH1, which covers Eastern and Southern Africa, is responsible for policy analysis and dialogue, strategic engagement, relationship management and lending operations in that part of the region. The Unit has 41 staff members, located in Washington DC and in country offices. HAEH1 has a strong portfolio of analytical work (ASA) in 20 countries, and an active and diverse portfolio of 18 projects under supervision, with a net commitment of about $1.5 billion.

Moving forward we are looking to support the countries in 3 ‘new’ priority areas: i) digital health, ii) climate change and health, iii) Women’s and Girls empowerment within which we will the development of a strong Adolescent Health programme, that includes expanded access to HPV vaccination. This will require a team aware of and able to scale up new innovations and willing to challenge the orthodoxy of approaches that have not delivered sustained or significant results.

We are working to strengthen the alignment with traditional development partners, but also to leverage the support of African foundations active in health and development. The team works with the Global Financing Facility (GFF), a broad coalition of bilateral and multilateral agencies that seek to transform the status of the health of women and children worldwide, through smart, scaled up and sustainable financing that is linked to RMNCA-N results. Governments are seeking ways to further improve the aid effectiveness in the health sector and better the spending program by improving prioritization, monitoring and evaluation, allocation of resources and fiduciary functions to maximize the benefits from the available resources domestic and external.

Duties and Accountabilities:

The JPA will have the following key responsibilities, inter alia:

• Support implementation of the Bank’s HNP operational portfolio in HAEH1 including the preparation of selected national and/or regional operations. This will include assisting in organizing technical discussions and monitoring of the Bank portfolio on a day-to-day basis;
• Assist in developing concept notes for technical assistance to support relevant capacity-building activities including workshops, seminars, etc. In particular on HPV and cervical cancer,
• Conduct background research on selected topics related to digital innovation, water and sanitation, demographics, and access to energy in the health sector in HAHE1 countries
• Support the development of communication products
• Help teams with building and maintaining partnerships and networks within the Bank (in HNP as well as other sectors) and with external partners.
• Review and contribute to sector-specific or cross-sectoral policy and other documents;
• Organize and participate in missions of the health team;
• Respond to ad hoc information requests from internal and external parties.
• Carry out any other activity required as part of the health and human capital portfolio.

The JPA will report to the Practice Manager (Health Nutrition and Population) for Eastern and Southern Africa (HAEH1). The JPA will be subject to all World Bank regulations and guidelines applicable to staff.

Selection Criteria

Selection Criteria

• Prior experience working on public health, nutrition, population, digital innovation, adolescent health, and climate and health would be welcome.
• Strong digital skills; experience developing videoblogs, websites, Powerpoint, editing videos.
• Work experience either with government of civil society organization working in health or other field.
• Experience or academic work on Africa and or public health.
• Ability to think strategically, rapidly analyze diverse information from varied sources.
• Curiosity about development challenges.
• Excellent oral and written communications skills are essential with the ability to prepare documents/briefs on complex subjects, speak and write persuasively, and present ideas clearly and concisely.

Diversity and Inclusion

The World Bank continually searches for qualified individuals with a diverse set of backgrounds from around the globe. We are proud to be an equal opportunity and inclusive employer with a dedicated and committed workforce, and do not discriminate based on gender, gender identity, religion, race, color, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability. Individuals with different abilities may be provided reasonable accommodations to perform essential functions and support in receiving other workplace accommodations.

Poverty has no borders, neither does excellence. We succeed because of our differences and we continuously search for qualified individuals with diverse backgrounds from around the globe.