Transport Specialist – Colombo
JOB DETAIL
Description
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.
The South Asia Region Context
The South Asia Region (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lankis at a crucial stage of development. Rapid economic growth, driven by urbanization and demographic dividend, has brought down poverty rates, but severe forms of exclusion and disparities based on ethnicity, caste, and gender remain. Rapid growth has also come with congestion and pollution in cities. South Asia is more than other regions affected by changes in temperature and extreme weather event. Additional challenges are that South Asia is underperforming in exports, has large informal sectors and low female labor force participation rates. All these challenges must be addressed to secure rapid growth in coming decades. Private sector led growth, focused on investments in infrastructure, energy, logistics and cities are essential to generate the jobs needed to employ South Asia’s sizeable youth population. At the same time, the region needs to continue building human capital so that South Asia’s population is well equipped for the jobs of the future.
The South Asia Region: https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/sar
The Infrastructure Practice Group oversees developing sustainable solutions to help close infrastructure gaps in developing and emerging economies. This is done by scaling up investments in critical infrastructure sectors, leveraging innovations that drive impact and promote integration across sectors and regions at a scale that encourages the participation of the private sector, catalyzing financing from commercial and other sources of development and climate finance. The Infrastructure Practice Group leads the design and implementation of the Global Challenge Program (GCfor Energy Access and Transition (GCP, which is a part of the World Bank Group’s flagship effort to address complex and pressing global issues, such as climate change, poverty reduction, shared prosperity, and fragility, conflict, and violence. The South Asia Infrastructure Department (ISADincludes Energy, Transport and Urban and works closely with Extractives, Digital Development, International Finance Corporation, and Infrastructure Finance, Public Private Partnerships and Guarantees.
Under ISADR, there are two Transport Units (ISAT1 and ISAT2). The two units combined have roughly an active portfolio of 28 lending operations with total commitments of about USD 2 billion, 5 ongoing Advisory Services and Analytics (ASand an average of 58 new lending deliveries per FY. SAR Transport team focuses on green, resilient, inclusive, efficient, and safe development of the transport sector in SAR. The portfolio is evolving to match the high urbanization of the region, and includes trade and logistics, rural roads and highways, urban mobility, rail and waterways, and road safety. It focuses increasingly on leveraging private capital to bring additional resources to SAR clients, working with IFC and MIGA and providing Bank Guarantees.
SAR Transport is a key contributor to the Global Challenge Program (GCfor Energy Access and Transition (GCP, through leading the designing and implementation of efforts related to Decarbonizing Transport. It is also a key player to engagements led by other Global Practices, most recently in response to policy reform Development Policy Operations and disaster response operations. It has a large regional integration agenda and works closely with the Regional Integration team in SAR to deliver connectivity, trade, and logistics services. It contributes to, and learns from, the global knowledge and best practices in the Global Transport Department and other regional transport units.
The hiring unit, namely ISAT1, primarily focus on operations in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives, and Sri Lanka. The unit has about 21 Staff and is largely decentralized in the country offices.
About the Position
ISAT1 seeks a Transport Specialist to lead and support technical, analytical, and operational work on assigned projects in Sri Lanka and the Maldives as well as contribute to new and ongoing sector dialogues with counterparts. The Transport Specialist will report to the Practice Manager, ISAT1, and will be expected to support the program across the range of Bank instruments. The Transport Specialist is expected to demonstrate the highest collaborative competencies, working with colleagues across the range of areas within the unit and across the organization.
Duties and Responsibilities
The Transport Specialist is expected to display leadership and excellence across several transport modes with proven experience in design and implementation of transport programs for improving rural connectivity, road safety, urban mobility and climate adaptation. The SAR Transport portfolio has increased substantially over the past few years with strong growth anticipated with mobilization of private sector capital and solutions. The Transport Specialist will play an instrumental role in supporting and catalyzing the growth for mobilizing private sector capital and solutions.
The position requires candidates with expertise and practical experience in resilient road connectivity, road safety, urban mobility, and decarbonizing transport for sustainable development of the transport sector. A background in transport infrastructure development, implementing climate/green solutions, procurement, contract management and related technical issues is highly desired. Broader knowledge of the key issues in the transport sector, including asset management system, gender, accessibility, social and environmental impacts and mitigations, and climate change considerations are also required.
The primary objectives of the assignment will be to:
• Lead and/or support core aspects of the preparation and implementation of transport projects (in a variety of subsectoracross the region, covering the core themes on transport connectivity, urban mobility, and resilient transport infrastructure, while incorporating key crosscutting issues such as gender, climate change, road safety, and private sector engagement,
• Lead and/or support analytical and advisory engagements in the transport sector,
• Lead and/or support coordination efforts across operations with crosscutting teams engaged in project delivery, such as legal specialists, fiduciary specialists, and environmental and social specialists,
• Advising government counterparts on technical matters associated with transport projects, including on institutional strengthening activities, technical designs and specifications, compliance with environmental and social policies, procurement, operational health and safety, etc.,
• Contribute to transport strategy, ensuring alignment with country programs as part of Systematic Country Diagnostics, Country Partnership Frameworks, and Country Climate and Development Reports (CCDRto generate evidencebased recommendations for enhancing the resilience of transport systems to climate change impacts, and mainstreaming climate change considerations into transport planning processes, ensuring the longterm sustainability and resilience of transport network,
• Work as an integral member to promote Private Capital Mobilization and work in collaboration with IFC and MIGA while supporting the identification and development of a pipeline of project and programs in Sri Lanka and the Maldives,
• Support the World Bankwide professional community of staff engaged in the transport practice by participating in a selected number of thematic technical groups (Global Solutions Groups or Communities of Practicand drafting of technical notes and supporting cuttingedge work in collaboration with other global practices to enhance knowledge creation and dissemination and expanding the existing knowledge base, and
• Stay abreast of recent developments in the transport sector worldwide, and on crosscutting issues, in relation to the topics of specialization for this position; identifying knowledge gaps and disseminating relevant knowledge to clients.
Note: This internal requisition is open to WB and IMF staff only (including shortterm and extended term consultants/ temporarie. External candidates are requested not to apply. In case an external candidate applies, their application will not be considered.
Selection Criteria
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• Master’s degree or higher in engineering, financing, transport economics, or other related fields,
• Minimum five years of relevant professional experience in the transport sector with demonstrated ability to work on: (designing and implementing transport programs and projects in a resilient and sustainable manner, with particular focus on resilient connectivity, green urban mobility, and road safety; (contract management and execution; (road and/or infrastructure maintenance and asset management; and (financial, economic, social, and environmental impact of infrastructure investments,
• Experience in leading/coleading/executing analytical work in the transport sector,
• Demonstrated solid understanding of a range of subsectors under Transport, including Urban Transport, Roads and Bridges, as well as various crosscutting themes (such as road safety and resilienc,
• Experience in working either with the World Bank, or on programs financed by other development partners, multilateral or bilateral,
• Organizational skills, ability to see the big picture as well as attention to detail and ability to prioritize work among multiple competing demands and tight deadlines,
• High degree of initiative, problemsolving skills, flexibility, and ability to work independently,
• Strong interpersonal skills; experience working effectively in large and multidisciplinary teams of specialists; with the capacity to interact in a multicultural environment,
• Strong work relation and communication with the Client team including ability to coordinate effectively between the Bank team and Client team is desirable,
• Excellent written and communications skills in English, specifically in writing briefs, reports and preparing power point presentations as well as interacting with counterparts.
World Bank Group Core Competencies
The World Bank Group offers comprehensive benefits, including a retirement plan; medical, life and disability insurance; and paid leave, including parental leave, as well as reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities.
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.
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