E T Consultant Job #: req33250 Organization: World Bank Sector: Financial Sector Grade: EC3 Term Duration:ย 1 year 0 months Recruitment Type: Local Recruitment Location: Washington, DC,United States Required Language(s): English Preferred Language(s): Closing Date: 5/28/2025 (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.
Background/General description
The World Bank Group plays a key role in the global effort to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity. It consists of five institutions: the World Bank, including the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA); the International Finance Corporation (IFC); the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA); and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). Working together in more than 100 countries, these institutions provide financing, advice, and other solutions that enable countries to address the most urgent challenges of development. For more information, please visit www.worldbank.org, www.miga.org, and ifc.org.
The Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi), which is housed at the World Bank, was created in 2017 in recognition of the critical role played by womenโs entrepreneurship in empowering women, creating jobs, boosting inclusive economic growth, and ending poverty.ย Starting and growing a business is one of the most powerful tools for women to build a better future for themselves and their communities. While women are increasingly harnessing their entrepreneurial spirit, their business growth is stunted by outmoded policies, business practices, and attitudes.ย Women business owners are undercut by limited training opportunities, scarce access to finance and markets, biased legal and cultural barriers, and inadequate support systems like mentors and business networks.ย
We-Fi is a collaborative partnership among governments, multilateral development banks, and other stakeholders focused on unlocking financing for women-led/owned businesses in developing countries, including in the most challenging environments. The Initiative hosted by the World Bank Group has 14 donors who have, to date, collectively committed over USD380 million to We-Fi.ย ย For more information: https://we-fi.org/.
We-Fi allocates its funds to seven Implementing Partners (IPs), including the World Bank, IFC, ADB, AfDB, EBRD, IDB and IsDB through a call-for-proposal process. To date, there have been five calls for proposals, resulting in about 24 separate allocations.ย With these funds, IPs have rolled out activities in 67 countries as well as some global activities.ย They are partnering with around 400 public and private sector partners to achieve sustainable,ย
systematic, scalable solutions to:
โข Increase Access to Finance. We-Fi provides capital, risk mitigation, and capacity building to enable financial intermediaries to expand women entrepreneursโ access to debt, equity, venture capital, and insurance.
โข Provide Access to Training, Mentoring, and Networks. We-Fi builds the capacity of women entrepreneurs and connects them to mentors and networks to take their businesses to the next level.
โข Increase Access to Markets. We-Fi creates linkages for WSMEs to access new markets and works with corporations to include WSMEs in domestic and global supply chains.
โข Improve the Enabling Environment. We-Fi works with public and private sector actors to break down gender biases and legal and regulatory constraints that women entrepreneurs face in running their businesses.
We-Fi supports these activities by funding blended finance, technical assistance, capacity building, grants and research activities.ย Implementing Partners report on their results annually based on results and risk frameworks.ย
The We-Fi Secretariat is responsible for the day-to-day operations of We-Fi, including preparing and supporting decisions of the Governing Committee; preparing governance documents, managing the call-for-proposal process; managing the reporting process, guiding the IPs on We-Fi processes or requirements, managing relations with contributors, IPs and other partners, and communications and advocacy related to We-Fi.
The Secretariat is recruiting an ETC to support the work related to monitoring We-Fiโs portfolio of activities, extracting and disseminating knowledge and lessons of experience, and reporting to donors.ย This includes regularly engaging with Implementing Partners about their ongoing activities, providing advice and ensuring compliance and progress in relation to their approved activities, and promote learning and understanding from WE-Fiโs experience.ย ย
They will also coordinate communications and meetings with the Governing Committee and other donors.ย
The position requires familiarity with a broad range of activities of the type supported by We-Fi, from blended finance to policy interventions, technical assistance and research.ย It also requires a strong understanding of the underlying constraints facing women entrpreneurs and the entrepreneurial ecosystems in developing countries. The job also requires attention to detail, excellent writing skills, strong relationship management skills and an ability to engage and effectively throughout the partner network.ย
Duties and Accountabilities
The successful candidate will be expected to carry out the following duties and responsibilities:ย
โข Engage closely with IPs and provide guidance on full range of issues related to reporting and program effectiveness.
โข Work with a team to prepare reports to the Governing Committee, the We-Fi Annual Report, the We-Fi results dashboard and ad hoc reports.ย
โข Advise on the reporting systems including the results and risk frameworks, the results database, the We-Fi dashboard and other data capture and visualization mechanisms.ย
โข Engage in IP learning efforts designed to surface and share experiences across We-Fiโs IP network and with other stakeholders, with the goal of improving the design and implementation and spurring innovative approaches and collaboration; this can include IP learning sessions, case studies, site visits or other knowledge sharing modalities.ย
โข Engage with IPs and other stakeholders on key themes to identify opportunities for deeper collaboration and impact;
โข Lead the review and recommendations to the GC in the case of IP exceptions, amendments, or adjustments, and for any remedial measures required by IPs.ย
โข Support meetings with the Governing Committee and Trustee.
Selection Criteria
โข Possesses master's degree in economics, finance, business, or similar field relevant to the Bank's mission.
โข Minimum of 8 years of relevant experience engaging with multilateral development banks, including World Bank and IFC.ย
โข Demonstrates extensive experience in managing effective relations with a wide range of stakeholders (Governments, international organizations, multilateral and bilateral development agencies).ย
โข Ability to address a range of issues related to womenโs economic empowerment and entrepreneurship and its relationship to economic development.ย
โข Demonstrates ability and the necessary organizational skills to take initiative, personal ownership, and accountability to meet deadlines, work under pressure, balance competing demands and achieve agreed-upon results.ย ย
โข Sound knowledge of the operating model of multilateral development banks and the ecosystem supporting gender equity and women entrepreneurs
โข Demonstrated political awareness and ability to diplomatically handle sensitive situations with target audiences and to otherwise cultivate effective, productive client relationships/partnerships.ย
โข Excellent oral and written communications and editing skills; strong command of English; knowledge of other languages would be desirable, especially French and Spanish.ย
โข Ability to deal sensitively in multi-cultural environments and build effective working relations with clients and colleagues.
WBG Culture Attributes:
1. Sense of Urgency โ Anticipating and quickly reacting to the needs of internal and external stakeholders.
2. Thoughtful Risk Taking โ Taking informed and thoughtful risks and making courageous decisions to push boundaries for greater impact.
3. Empowerment and Accountability โ Engaging with others in an empowered and accountable manner for impactful results.
World Bank Group Core Competencies
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 theย World Bankย andย IFC, including our values and inspiring stories.ย
Note: The selected candidate will be offered a one-year appointment, renewable at the discretion of the World Bank Group, and subject to a lifetime maximum ET appointment of three years. If an ET appointment ends before a full year, it is considered as a full year toward the lifetime maximum. Former and current ET staff who have completed all or any portion of their third-year ET appointment are not eligible for future ET appointments.