Senior Transport Specialist
Job #: req22859
Organization: World Bank
Sector: Transportation
Grade: GG
Term Duration: 3 years 0 months
Recruitment Type: International Recruitment
Location: Kinshasa,Congo Democratic Republic
Required Language(s): English, French
Preferred Language(s): English, French
Closing Date: 6/6/2023 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC
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 .
Eastern and Southern Africa
Home to about half a billion of Africa’s 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. Children under 18 make up almost half of the total population. The subregion boasts of some of the world’s richest human and natural resources and, apart from South Africa, the countries are predominantly raw material exporters.
The subregion harbors some of Africa’s protracted conflicts, rendering many of its countries fragile, while significant gaps in education, health, and skills development continues to keep people from reaching their full potential. This creates a huge development challenge, impacts heavily on the lives and livelihoods of people, and hinders regional integration and trade. But it also creates an opportunity to work closely with country leaders, civil society, development partners, and young people to chart a brighter course for the future.
The World Bank’s Eastern and Southern Africa Region, comprised of approximately 1,207 staff, mostly based in 26 country offices, has been helping countries realize their considerable development potential by focusing on the following priorities:
- Creating Jobs and Transforming Economies: We are working with countries across Africa to stimulate job creation and economic transformation by leveraging all sources of finance, expertise, and solutions to promote investment.
- Building up the Digital Economy: We are supporting Africa’s vision to ensure that every African individual, business, and government is connected by 2030 – a vision that, if realized, can boost growth by up to 2 percentage points per year, and reduce poverty by 1 percentage point per year in Sub-Saharan Africa alone.
- Institutions more Efficient and Accountable: Our support is helping governments strengthen public policy processes, manage resources effectively, and reinforce fair and reliable delivery of public services.
- Investing in People: We are at the forefront of helping African countries accelerate human capital gains and empower women by improving their access to education and skills acquisition, sexual and reproductive health services, and employment opportunities. With the influx COVID-19, we are mobilizing financial support and timely analysis and advice to countries across the subregion to deal with the pandemic.
- Supporting Climate Change Mitigation and Adaption: In the face of increasing climate-related risks, we are working with African countries to advance efforts to adopt renewable energy, climate-smart agriculture, and green infrastructure. A number of East African countries are currently facing a debilitating Desert Locust infestation, threatening the already precarious food security situation. The Bank has put together a program to help affected countries deal with the scourge.
- Addressing the Drivers of Fragility, Conflict, and Violence: Given the cross-border nature of conflicts in Africa, we are employing an approach that simultaneously focuses on the drivers of fragility while also supporting well-targeted regional initiatives to create opportunities for peace and shared prosperity.
- Building Partnerships and Working across the African Continent: We are scaling up our work on regional integration, taking a holistic view of the continent that covers both North and Sub-Saharan Africa.
The World Bank is a dedicated partner for Eastern and Southern African countries, helping them deliver strong development outcomes for their people. A brighter future for Africa is a better future for the world.
The Transport Global Practice
The World Bank’s Transport Global Practice (GP) is made up of more than 300 professionals who are dedicated to respond to the needs of developing countries for faster, cheaper, safer and more efficient transport solutions while addressing traffic fatalities, congestion, greenhouse gas emissions, and local air pollution. Country needs are growing exponentially under the combined effects of globalization, population growth, rapid urbanization, economic development, and technological progress – making sustainable transport a vital part of the global development agenda.
The Africa transport sector grouping consists of four units across two regions led by a Regional Vice President (East and Southern Africa, and West and Central Africa). The transport units are led by Practice Managers who report to Regional Directors, as well as the Global Infrastructure Practice Group led by a Vice President covering transport, energy, digital development, as well as infrastructure finance, public-private partnerships and guarantees.
The Transport Unit in Eastern Africa is now seeking to recruit a Senior Transport Specialist based in Kinshasa, DRC, to support the design, preparation, and supervision of lending operations and technical assistance activities and new business development in the sector. The work will require operational and analytical skills across transport modes, along with experience in addressing cross-cutting transport issues such as road safety, gender, climate change, logistics, procurement and institutions/governance.
If the selected candidate is a current World Bank Group staff member with a Regular or Open-Ended appointment, s/he will retain his/her Regular or Open-Ended appointment and current term. All others will be offered a three-year term appointment.
Duties and Responsibilities
The Senior Transport Specialist reports to the Practice Manager based in Nairobi. S/he is expected to work on transport projects primarily on land transport (with further potential for rail, waterways and urban transport) in DRC. The transport portfolio in DRC currently consists of one large project that has just been approved for Eastern DRC as part of a Series of Projects, with the second one under preparation and a third one following these two. The project focuses on roads and also has a small airport component. Additional analytical work in the sector and potentially a regional project are also envisaged, and the transport team also collaborates with other sectors on regional trade facilitation and agriculture integration to enhance integrated development in the country. The objectives of the assignment will be to:
- Co-lead and/or support task teams in the preparation and implementation of transport projects in DRC, covering the core elements (planning, financial and economic analysis, engineering, maintenance, and operations), but also incorporating key cross-cutting issues such as gender, climate change, road safety, and private sector participation;
- Support the design, preparation and implementation of new lending and non-lending activities that are part of larger regional transport or trade facilitation programs;
- Engage with clients in designing and advancing sector policy and institutional reforms and capacity building programs, seeking to develop capacity in the implementing entities to plan, develop, and manage transport projects under their jurisdiction, with increased attention to issues such as gender equality and climate change;
- Participate in the policy dialogue under the guidance of the Country Director, the Practice Manager and the Program Leader, with external stakeholders/development partners in the country and region;
- Provide support and guidance to improve the quality of transport projects in general, through peer reviews, technical advice, quality assurance;
- Advise government counterparts on technical matters associated with transport projects, including engineering aspects, the formulation of policy, and measures to strengthen institutional arrangements;
- Supervise the work of consultants and technical specialists to ensure quality and consistency with the World Bank standards;
- Provide procurement and contract management support and advice to the project implementing agencies;
- Participate in cross-sectoral teams responsible for preparation of policy notes, Systematic Country Diagnostics and Country Partnership Frameworks, public expenditures reviews, sectoral studies, and research and policy development activities on the topics/sections pertaining to transport, urban development, trade & competitiveness, and agriculture sectors;
- Support the World Bank-wide 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 Practice) and drafting of technical notes, and supporting cutting-edge work in collaboration with other global practices to enhance knowledge creation and dissemination, and expanding the existing knowledge base;
- Stay abreast of recent developments in the transport sector world-wide, and on cross-cutting issues, in relation to the topics of specialization for this position; identifying knowledge gaps and disseminating relevant knowledge to clients; and
- Represent the World Bank as designated by the Practice Manager, the Country Director or the Operations Manager at public events relevant to the sector.
Selection Criteria
Technical Competencies
The position requires candidates with expertise and practical experience in infrastructure planning, design and construction, sector policy, combined with appreciation and awareness of the challenges/difficulties of working in the Sub-Saharan Africa region. Specialist in-depth knowledge of a particular thematic focus (such as climate resilience or road safety) is essential, as is experience in working in developing countries.
Candidates for the position will be selected based on the following considerations:
- Master’s degree or higher in civil/transport engineering, planning, economics, other related disciplines;
- Minimum 8 years proven experience in the transport sector or in a related infrastructure field (either with a government’s transport authority, contractor(s), design or supervision consultant(s), or development institutions), with demonstrated ability to work on: (a) infrastructure design or planning; (b) civil works contract management and execution; (c) procurement of civil works and consultancy contracts; (d) sustainable transport infrastructure asset management; and (e) economic, social, and environmental impact of infrastructure investments;
- Experience of working with programs financed by other development partners;
- Work experience in developing countries, with experience in more than one of the World Bank’s regions and/or in fragile and island states as an asset;
- Experience in analytical work, such as on international and national transport policy, strategy, institutions and regulation as they relate to the transport sector;
- Knowledge of key developments in related sectors and on cross-cutting issues affecting the performance of the transport sector, such as private sector engagement, environmental and social impacts including gender-based violence, road safety, operational health and safety issues, and climate change;
- High degree of self-motivation, as well as the ability to work with minimal supervision;
- Ability to identify and develop potential areas for future World Bank transport sector initiatives based on client consultation and analysis;
- Willingness to travel to and work in challenging country environments;
- A demonstrated understanding of the political economy and the ability to work in challenging contexts is an added value.
- Excellent written and communications skills in French and English.
The World Bank Group is committed to achieving diversity in race, gender, nationality, culture, and educational background. Individuals with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.
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.