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, visit www.worldbank.org

ITS Vice Presidency Context:

The Information and Technology Solutions (ITS) Vice Presidential Unit (VPU) enables the World Bank Group to achieve its mission of ending extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity on a livable planet by delivering transformative information and technologies to its staff working in over 150+ locations. For more information on ITS, see this video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=VTFGffa1Y7w

Unit Context

Operations Effectiveness (ITSEF) Unit delivers data and knowledge solutions that provide business insights to frontline teams and management for improved decision making, transparency, and risk mitigation, while facilitating knowledge capture, curation, and dissemination.

The AI for Operations team under ITSEF is looking for a dynamic Product Owner. This role is essential in ensuring that cutting-edge AI technologies are integrated into the World Bank’s operational platforms, enabling data-driven decision-making and enhancing project planning, execution, and monitoring.

The team focuses on leveraging AI and machine learning solutions to optimize operational processes, streamline workflows, and provide predictive insights that empower teams to make informed decisions with greater speed and accuracy.

Duties and Responsibilities:

•Lead engagement with clients to fully understand pain points, needs and collaborate with the Design team to explore user research options. Assess impact to end users and determine the need for change management.

•Translate stakeholder needs into a clear Product Vision and roadmap, ensuring the development team aligns with organizational objectives and operational needs.

•Prioritize the product backlog by defining and ranking user stories based on impact and importance. Collaborate with stakeholders to manage expectations, trade-offs, and prioritize key features for MVP delivery.

•Manage the end-to-end product lifecycle, from ideation through to implementation, including coordinating sprints, overseeing development stages, and ensuring that product goals are met.

•Deliver regular status updates to clients, flag risks and delays, discuss any shift in requirements and priorities.

•Collaborate with Change Management teams to plan the rollout of new features or system improvements, ensuring smooth adoption by end-users.

•Facilitate collaboration between developers, testers, and UX designers to ensure seamless integration of user-centric features in the Tools for Operations ecosystem.

•Provide frequent updates to stakeholders, highlighting progress, flagging risks or delays, and adjusting to shifting requirements where necessary. Manage effective communication with stakeholders across Operations teams.

•Coordinate User Acceptance Testing (UAT) to validate that the tools delivered meet end-user expectations and align with the Bank’s operational needs. Manage user feedback and ensure continuous product improvement.

•Monitor product performance using KPIs and feedback loops, ensuring that the tools are scalable, maintainable, and delivering value to end users.

•Drive future releases through iterative development processes, incorporating user feedback, and aligning with evolving business needs and emerging technologies.

Selection Criteria

•A Master’s degree in a relevant field with at least 5 years of related experience, or a Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 7 years of relevant experience.

•Experience as a Product Owner in Agile teams. SAFe product owner certificate or a strong understanding of the SAFe Agile framework is preferred.

•Experience or familiarity with generative AI projects, leveraging AI to enhance operational workflows and decision-making, is a plus.

•Strong understanding of operations management systems and related digital tools used for project planning, implementation, and tracking is desirable.

•Proven experience working with Agile tools such as Azure Boards, Jira, or similar platforms to manage sprints, product backlogs, and prioritize development work.

•Ability to lead cross-functional teams, translate complex business problems into actionable user stories, and ensure effective product development.

•Familiarity with using KPIs and analytics tools (Adobe Analytics, Power BI, Azure AppInsights, etc.) to track product usage, user satisfaction, and business impact.

•Strong communication skills to effectively manage stakeholder expectations and deliver frequent updates on product progress.

•Demonstrated experience in user-centered design and facilitating User Acceptance Testing (UAT).

•Ability to prepare high-quality documents, reports, and presentations, and strong organizational skills to ensure project milestones are met.

•Experience with tools integration into larger platforms or systems in an organization as large and complex as the World Bank Group.

•Proven track record in delivering high-priority products and solutions that align with strategic objectives.

•Strong internal consulting skills and the ability to influence stakeholders and drive consensus.

•Demonstrated ability to build and manage effective relationships across departments, managing client needs, and ensuring timely response to stakeholder queries.

World Bank Group Core Competencies

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, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability.

Learn more about working at the World Bank and IFC, including our values and inspiring stories.