Senior Water Specialist – World Bank

Job Description

 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

Water Global Practice and the Sustainable Development Practice Group

The water challenges of the world are tremendous. For human development, livable cities, food security, and energy security the need for better water resources management is growing. Even today, 2.5 billion people lack access to improved sanitation, of which 1 billion people practice open defecation. Poor sanitation, including inadequate wastewater collection and treatment, impacts health, education, the environment, and industries such as tourism. At least 800 million people lack access to safe drinking water. The lack of access to safe water and sanitation results in significant economic losses in many countries. This is further exacerbated by climate change, water pollution, water scarcity, and the global covid-19 pandemic in a fast-changing world.

The Water Global Practice (WTR GP) is poised to deliver on a Water Secure World through an approach that focuses on Sustaining Water Resources, Delivering Services and Building Resilience. The WTR GP also seeks to ensure that water issues are effectively addressed across all related sub-sectors, such as agriculture, climate change and disaster risk management, and energy (hydropower). An integrated approach is adopted in each sub-sector, with the support of its respective Global Solutions Group, which considers investment alongside issues such as governance, institutions, and policies. Water in Agriculture (WIA) projects focus on all aspects of agricultural water management, from governance in service delivery, to modernization of irrigation, farmer led irrigation, water accounting and resilience through improved agricultural water practices. The Water Supply and Sanitation (WSS) projects include rural and urban water and sanitation services, hygiene behavior, improving the efficiency of utilities, and provision of services to the poor. The Water Resources Management (WRM) projects include integrated water resource management, including groundwater management, dam safety, and flood management. Increasingly, while staff may specialize in one sub-sector, they are encouraged and supported to address the full water agenda in terms of analytical, policy and operational work – and the position of Lead Water Sector Specialist is an integral element of bringing together all elements to manage water security and “water writ large”.

The Water GP is housed within the Sustainable Development Practice Group, which brings together the cross-cutting sectors of Water with Agriculture, Environment, Social Inclusion, and Urban and Disaster Risk Management. The GP, through its fully integrated GWSP Trust Fund, places highest priority on global knowledge into local implementation, as well as in deploying staff to countries and regions while still working globally.

Eastern and Southern Africa (AFE) Region

Home to about 700 million people, Eastern and Southern Africa is a geographically, culturally and economically diverse region of 26 countries stretching from the Red Sea in the North to the Cape of Good Hope in the South. The Region has been helping countries realize their considerable development potential by focusing on priorities detailed in the World Bank Africa strategy, including responding to the pandemic, helping countries reduce their debt burden, addressing climate change, and promoting jobs with economic transformation.  Towards that end, the Region has prioritized expanding access to power, digital development, food insecurity, water and sanitation, and human capital. Policy and institutional reforms are integral to promoting growth and supporting the sectoral priorities with a view to private capital facilitation. The strategy also prioritizes regional integration especially in the context of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement.

For more information https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/afr/eastern-and-southern-africa

The multiplicity of crisis has set back the gains of the past several years, pushing millions into poverty, accentuating inequalities, and deepening vulnerabilities.  The Bank has responded to the urgent needs through scaled up support, innovative financing, and timely interventions in close collaboration with other development partners.  This is a huge agenda, to not only reverse the development losses but to seek new drivers of sustainable growth, promote resilience, and “build back better”.

The Sustainable Development Practice Group (SAEDR)

The Sustainable Development (SD) Practice Group (PG) helps countries tackle their most complex challenges in the areas of Agriculture and Food, Climate Change, Environment, Natural Resources & Blue Economy, Environmental and Social Framework, Urban, Disaster Risk Management, Resilience & Land, Social Sustainability and Inclusion, and Water.
AFE Water Team (SAEW3)

Within the Eastern and Southern Africa Region, the hiring unit, SAEW3 is responsible for ensuring the translation of the World Bank’s Africa Regional Strategy and the Water Global Practice’s Water Security Strategy into practical results relevant to 12 countries. Specifically, the unit supports the definition and achievement of these results through analytical, policy, and investment activities. The unit has a staffing complement of around 29 water professionals, with an active portfolio of over $4.4 Billion, through 21 investment projects, 2 Programs for Results, Advisory Services and Analytics, and contribution to Development Policy Financing in 13 countries covered by the Kenya, Tanzania, and Mozambique Country Management Units, focusing on water supply, sanitation, irrigation, and water resources management. These require intensive engagement with government counterparts, and other stakeholders to ensure local ownership, capacity, and sustained focus on implementation for results.

The successful candidate will be recruited for a Senior (GG-level) Internationally Recruited Staff position to be based in Malawi for a Four-year term and report to the SAEW3 Water Practice Manager.

Objective and conditions of recruitment

The SAEW3 unit seeks to recruit a Senior Water Specialist to:

(1) provide implementation support to the Shire Valley Transformative Program (SVTP-1 P158805 and SVTP-2 P176575), which is a flagship high-risk high reward project;

(2) perform technical and operational advice on other projects in the SAEW3 unit with a focus on Malawi;

(3) provide guidance to government counterparts and implementing agencies on the overall water project/program implementation in Malawi;

(4) support the Country Management Unit and Practice Manager in corporate and unit activities; and

(5) play a role on cross-SD issues as an SD staff.

Responsibilities

Specific tasks and responsibilities

The Senior Water Specialist will be responsible for the following tasks including but not limited to:

• Lead client dialogue on water resources management, watershed restoration, and irrigation related engagements in Malawi.
• Maintain liaison and dialogue with government agencies and development partners, research institutions, non-government organizations, the private sector, and other sector-related institutions.
• Provide leadership and direction to water investment operations, particularly Shire Valley Transformation Program, and the Malawi Watershed Service project, including day to day dialogue with the responsible Ministries and Project Implementation Units, as well as organization and implementation of supervision missions and the preparation of internal report documentation.
• Manage Trust Fund (TF) activities including preparation and review of grant proposals, consultation on technical issues, preparation of progress reports, project briefings, disbursements and quality control of deliverables.
• Provide technical direction to the Water GP’s portfolio in Malawi, with focus on water resources management, watershed restoration, and irrigation, including reviewing Terms of Reference (TORs), specifications and bidding documents.
• Supervise consultants (individual and firms), ensuring consistency and conformity to Bank standards; and evaluating studies and sector-related project documentation.
• Lead Bank-related adaptative implementation functions such as project restructurings, budget planning, preparation of TORs, provision of no objections, management briefs, etc.
• Work across SD teams and coordinate the work of a multidisciplinary Bank team as appropriate. Support coordination of Bank-funded and donor-funded technical assistance activities.
• Monitor and provide advisory support for the adherence to World Bank’s operational policies and quality requirements in technical and fiduciary due diligence.
• Participate in professional development and knowledge sharing activities in the Water Global Practice, the GSGs, and contribute specific knowledge both within the assigned countries and in the World Bank.
• Other activities as agreed with the Practice Manager.

Selection Criteria

• At least an MS in civil/agricultural/environmental engineering or MA degree in economics, with specialization in water resources management, water supply/hydraulics, irrigation or similar field.
• At least 10 years of work experience in the field of water resources management, irrigation, storage and dams.
• Deep understanding and demonstrated expertise of World Bank operations and processes.
• At least 10 years of experience in project management in the water sector, with proven ability to manage complex multi-sector World Bank operations, including those with complex safeguards and resettlement.
• Experience leading large teams and managing client dialogue in complex projects.
• Ability to speak, read and write in English. Fluency in French and/or Portugues is an advantage.