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.

The Climate Investment Funds (CIF) – one of the world’s largest multilateral funds – uses climate financing to help low and middle-income countries accelerate low-carbon, climate-resilient development. CIF supports an inclusive and just climate-smart future, focusing on diverse partnerships that de-risk green markets and unlock additional investments and financing. 

To date, 14 contributor countries have pledged over US$11 billion to CIF, leveraging an additional US$62 billion in co-financing in 72 recipient countries. Since its start, CIF has worked in the areas of clean technologies, energy access, climate resilience, and sustainable forests. And now, after identifying the next frontier of climate challenges, CIF is investing in five new areas: the transition from coal, climate-smart cities, nature-based solutions, industry decarbonization, and renewable energy integration. 

The CIF’s success is premised on a solid partnership with national governments, citizen groups and communities, private sector sponsors, the CIF governing bodies, and the five multilateral development banks that serve as co-financiers and implementing agencies of the CIF.  At the center of this collaboration is the CIF Secretariat, a 35-person secretariat hosted by The World Bank which supports the work of the CIF governing bodies, including strategy and policy development as well as reporting; manages internal and external institutional relations as well as strategic partnerships; supports program development; delivers a large program of thought leadership, knowledge and learning work; is responsible for portfolio risk management and new private sector capital mobilization modalities and initiatives.

CIF’s Gender Team

CIF places gender equality at the center of its efforts and supports transformational change and climate-smart development for both women and men. It aims to ensure the equal participation and contribution of women and men, and hence equal outcomes for both groups. Building on the partner multilateral development banks’ (MDBs) own commitments to gender equality, CIF works to embed the application of gender policy projects through gender action plans (GAPs). The most recent GAP — (Phase 3) — was adopted by the trust fund committee (TFC) in June 2021 and runs through June 2024. The role of the CIF gender team is to deliver the GAP commitments through (a) knowledge generation; (b) the provision of technical support to MDB teams and national stakeholders during project design and implementation; as well as (c) the strengthening of the monitoring of gender results and learning. Information about activities of the Gender team in FY22 and plans for FY23 could be found here: https://www.cif.org/documents/fy22-progress-report-implementation-cif-gender-action-plan-phase-3-and-fy23-work-plan

Duties and Accountabilities: 

Social Development Specialist will work under the guidance of the Sr. Social Development Specialist to advance the priorities of CIF’s Gender Action Plan and broader social inclusion agenda, including:

Knowledge Management and Communications

• Identify opportunities for partnerships and lead research and collaboration on developing operationally relevant and actionable knowledge on gender integration in investment projects in energy, urban development and nature-based solutions sectors
• Present lessons learned from CIF’s experiences at external events. 
• Contribute to writing blogs and developing other information materials. 
• Conducting background research for developing talking points for senior management. 

CIF Gender Program support

• Provide coordination and technical support for operationalization of Women Led Coal Transitions Grant Mechanism, including coordination of CIF AU-led events and knowledge products, as well as technical support and coordination with the MDB teams. 
• Contribute to knowledge products and technical support events for MDB teams and national stakeholders working on development of Investment Plans under new programs – Accelerated Coal Transitions, Renewable Energy Integration and Nature, People and Climate.
• Contribute to development and launching of CIF’s Disability Inclusion Framework and Toolkits.
• Coordinate engagement with MDB Gender Focal Points, proactively identify entry points for collaboration and joint analytical and capacity building activities. 

Portfolio Monitoring and Reporting

•Provide upstream technical review on gender and broader social inclusion issues on projects prior to TFC approval. 
• Proactively identify opportunities for more in-depth just in time technical support to selected projects on integrating gender and social inclusion considerations. 
• Work with the Results team of CIF to improve gender-responsive reporting in CIF results frameworks and build capacity of national stakeholders through trainings, on-line modules and information materials. 
• Draft the annual progress report on CIF Gender Action Plan implementation and gender sections of operational reports.

Selection Criteria

• Masters in a relevant discipline, such as sociology, anthropology, geography, economics, gender, international development, environment, or climate science.
• Sectoral experiences working on social dimensions and gender equality aspects of climate change, particularly in the context of energy transitions, nature-based solutions or disaster risk reduction or urban planning etc.
• Minimum of 5 years of professional experience in development, preferably in areas such as knowledge generation, research, advocacy, policy, or projects/programs.
• Working knowledge of the processes of international financial institutions.
• Excellent command on English, working knowledge of Spanish or French preferred. 
• Experience working in developing countries preferred.

Competencies:

• Knowledge and Experience in Development Arena – Translates technical and cross-country knowledge into practical applications.
• Analytical Tools for Social Sustainability – Experience conducting gender and social development analyses.
• Participation and Consultation – Experience conducting social development consultative and participatory approaches.
• Social Development Implications on Policy, Institutions, and Operations – Understanding of the implications of social development on policy,
institutions, and operations.
• Social Safeguards – Experience applying social safeguard policies, with supervision.
• Inclusion (including youth and gender) – Understanding of inclusion and exclusion, with ability to support efforts to advance these.
• Knowledge and Experience with Gender Issues – Possesses strong experience in gender policy, strategy, and operational issues; able to conceptualize, design, integrate and implement gender research.
• Written and Verbal Communication – Demonstrates the ability to influence and persuade others to accept ideas and suggestions (such as counterparts in government, international partner organizations, academia, and Bank colleagues, senior staff and managers).
• Client Orientation – Maintains client relationships in the face of conflicting demands or directions and provides evidence-based advice and solutions based on sound diagnosis and knowledge.
• Drive for Results – Identifies the needed resources to accomplish results involving multiple stakeholders and finds solutions to obstacles affecting key deliverables.
• Knowledge, Learning and Communication – Committed to sharing of best practice, trends, knowledge and lessons learned across units and with clients and partners. Articulates ideas verbally and in writing in a clear and compelling way across audiences of varied levels.
• Business Judgment and Analytical Decision Making – Gathers inputs, assesses risk, considers impact and benefits of decisions for internal and external stakeholders.
• Collaborate within Teams and Across Boundaries – Appropriately involves others in decision making and communicates with key stakeholders. Approaches conflicts as common problems to be solved. Actively seeks and considers diverse ideas and approaches displaying a sense of mutuality and
respect.
• Create, Apply and Share Knowledge – Leverages department’s expertise and body of knowledge to strengthen internal and/or external client solutions. Seeks to learn from more experienced staff to deepen or strengthen their professional knowledge and helps others to learn. Builds personal and professional networks inside and outside the department unit.

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.

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