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.

Specific Unit Description: Education AFR E2 (Eastern and Southern Africa, HAEE2)

The World Bank’s Eastern and Southern Africa Education unit (HAEE2) serves 13 countries, across three Country Management Units (CMUs), impacting over 107 million school-aged children, with more than 40 percent of the children residing in fragile and conflict-affected situations. The region has made significant progress over the last 20 years, with primary enrollment nearly doubled over the last two decades and 11 countries achieving a gross enrollment rate of over 100. However, despite progress, nine million children are out of school and even for those in school, learning level remains low, with children in the region attaining only 5.3 year of learning adjusted schooling. Amongst many, learning poverty, gender inequality, and completion rates remain a significant challenge. Through its analytical and operational projects, HAEE2 unit continues to work with governments and development partners in addressing these challenges.

The unit currently has 19 active projects amounting to $3.21 billion in IDA lending, supplemented by six advisory services and analytics (ASAs) and 51 grants totaling $270 million. The diversity of our countries and projects includes high-performing countries such as Kenya and Rwanda to several FCV contexts such as DRC, Somalia, and Burundi. The diversity of our sectors: from basic education to skills and higher education reflect HAEE2’s commitment to enhancing educational outcomes and addressing the unique challenges faced by these countries.

The transformation of Africa’s educational outcomes holds global significance, as investments today will prepare Africa’s youth to lead in the future. Our unit business plan emphasizes the necessity of building a coalition for progress, accelerating adaptation, and embracing successful practices to create an educational ecosystem that can help meet the needs of over 300 million children and youth across Africa East and South (AFE). This ambitious vision is underscored by specific, measurable targets such as reducing learning poverty by 25 percent, increasing secondary access for adolescent girls by 50 percent, and reducing the number of youths not in education, employment, or training (NEET) by 22 percent.

AFE is committed to delivering impact at scale by supporting large-scale educational reforms beyond individual projects. This involves leveraging catalytic financing, bringing together countries facing similar challenges, and promoting new regional initiatives like the Africa Center of Excellence. By expanding results-based financing (RBF) and using vertical and horizontal multi-project agreements (MPAs), our unit aims to shape and sustain efforts to improve education outcomes across the continent. The focus on transformational spaces, policy reforms, and a collaborative approach with development partners is expected to create a resilient and equitable educational framework for our countries’ futures.

Duties and Responsibilities

HAEE2 is recruiting a Junior Professional Associate (JPA) to fill the role of Education Specialist. The HAEE2 JPA will be primarily responsible for the following activities:

Operational Support

Project Preparation and Processing: Assist in the development and processing of lending and non-lending tasks related to operational and analytical tasks. This includes preparing and reviewing key project documents such as Project Concept Notes (PCNs), Project Appraisal Documents (PADs), restructuring memos, and Board packages. It could also include making substantive contributions to analyses conducted on key sectoral priorities.

Implementation and Supervision: Support the implementation and supervision of project activities by preparing and reviewing progress reports, such as Implementation Status Reports (ISRs). Ensure timely and effective project monitoring and evaluation.

Consultant Recruitment and Mission Coordination: Assist TTLs with the recruitment of consultants and the organization of missions. This includes preparing Terms of Reference (TOR), budgeting, mission agendas, and organizing meetings.

Dissemination Activities: Participate in dissemination activities, including presentations to government entities, private sector organizations, and support external dissemination efforts. Contribute to the preparation of materials for public outreach and stakeholder engagement.

Support for HAEE2 and Practice Manager

Regional Climate Focal Point: Design and recommend climate-related activities and interventions to be included in education projects, provide expert guidance and support to Task Teams on enhancing their Climate Co-Benefits (CCB) results. Collaborate closely with the Climate Group to assess climate risks and opportunities, ensuring alignment with corporate climate policies and frameworks.

Portfolio Support: Support Practice Manager by producing various unit-related documents in response to identified needs. This may include unit business plan, portfolio monitoring, outcome/impact summaries, and case studies that describe project/program outcomes and impacts.

Business Development: Assist in submitting new business development proposals for trust fund financing. Identify opportunities for project expansion and additional funding sources.

Research and Analytical Support

Sector Research: Conduct research on educational sector issues that will support operational projects and their associated documentation. Provide an analytical support for knowledge products, such as flagship or sector reports.

Communications Tools: Support team to produce external communication tools, such as PowerPoint presentations and analytical summaries, which synthesize ongoing research and operational activities.

Information Gathering: Collect and analyze information on current events in the education sector of client countries and on selected topics under discussion. Maintain up-to-date knowledge of sector developments.

Administrative Support: Provide administrative support, including planning conferences and workshops, and organizing mission logistics. Ensure effective coordination of project-related events and activities.

Selection Criteria

This position is ideal for a highly motivated, detail-oriented team player with a knack for creative problem-solving. It presents a unique opportunity to engage with the complexities and challenges of developing inclusive and resilient educational systems. The role offers broad exposure to various aspects of educational development, including curriculum design, teacher training, and climate-related educational interventions. At the same time, it provides opportunities to develop specialized expertise in areas such as foundational literacy and numeracy, digital learning tools, educational policy analysis, and project implementation. Ability to travel is expected, allowing for hands-on experience and collaboration with international and local stakeholders.

In addition to the general qualifications of the JPA program, the candidate should meet the following qualifications:

• University degree (master’s degree preferred) in Education, Development Studies, Public Policy, or a related field.
• At least 3 years of relevant professional experience in education, international development, or a related sector.
• Proven technical experience in the development and education sector. Field work experience in Africa region or developing country, especially FCV context preferred.
• Excellent inter-personal and organizational skills, client-orientation, diplomatic skills, and mature judgment
• Ability to work under pressure and meet strict deadlines. Capacity to identify systemic issues and propose and lead the implementation of solutions.
• Ability to collaborate with others in a multi-cultural environment, manage multiple tasks, identify, and respond to needs as they arise, and remain flexible and self-motivated in a dynamic, fast-paced work environment.
• Ability to conduct research on educational sector issues that will support operational projects and their associated documentation. Excellent analytical skills, both qualitative and quantitative, with the ability to think strategically.
• English fluency with excellent writing and communication skills. Fluency in French, Portuguese desirable.

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.