E T Consultant / Transport Specialist

E T Consultant / Transport Specialist Job #: req34032 Organization: World Bank Sector: Transportation Grade: EC2 Term Duration: 1 year 0 months Recruitment Type: Local Recruitment Location: Dakar,Senegal Required Language(s): English and French Preferred Language(s): English and French Closing Date: 9/5/2025 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC

Description

Western and Central Africa (AFW) Region

We need the best and brightest talent focused on Sub-Saharan African countries in order to harness the potential and innovation happening across the continent. Africa is a continent on the move, with a young population and a growing market of nearly 1.2bn people. We are committed to making the Africa regional teams into leading innovation hubs.

Yet, these vast opportunities are tempered by persistent gaps in education, health, and skills, constraining Africa to only reaching forty percent of its estimated potential. This is further exacerbated by conflict, food insecurity, rapid population growth, and the disruptive forces of climate change, threatening to curtail or even reverse the progress that has been achieved over the past decades.

In West and Central Africa, the World Bank is a leading partner with a growing portfolio of 387 projects totaling more than $44.1 billion in areas such as agriculture, trade and transport, energy, education, health, water and sanitation, all to support job creation, gender equality, poverty reduction, and better lives. Across the continent, the World Bank program has nearly doubled over the last 10 years. By 2030, it is estimated that about 87% of the world’s extreme poor are projected to live in Sub-Saharan Africa, so this is where our mission to end extreme poverty and to promote shared prosperity will be achieved.

Western and Central Africa (AFW) Region:

https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/afr/western-and-central-africa

Overview of Unit

The World Bank Transport Practice in the Africa Region has a large and diverse portfolio of about 54 projects under implementation, with an aggregate value of about US$ 8.9 billion. This portfolio is increasing by 10 projects per year, with a slightly smaller number closing over the same period. The record replenishment for IDA20, together with the greater focus on fragile states, gender equality, transformational projects, greater private sector participation, and climate change, is leading to a further increase in both the diversity and scale of the portfolio. IDA 21 starting in July 2025 is likely to bring similar amounts of resources. The Transport Practice is split between four geographical Units covering: (a) Francophone and Lusophone West Africa and The Gambia, (b) East Africa, (c) Southern Africa, and (d) Central Africa, and English speaking West Africa except The Gambia.

In the Francophone and Lusophone West Africa and Gambia Transport Unit (IAWT4), the World Bank serves 13 client countries, ranging from lower middle-income countries such as Senegal and Cote d’Ivoire with high demand for Transport infrastructure and services, to fragile and low-income IDA countries such as Chad, Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali. Areas of particular interest for the Transport sector in these countries include i) Rural Transport for agricultural productivity; ii) Urban Mobility to improve the efficiency of urban areas, including the improvement of accessibility to jobs and social services for the poorer segments of the population; iii) regional integration , transit and trade facilitation and reduction of logistics costs; iv) investments in ports, railway, and air transport, for improving connectivity within and across countries; iv) PPPs to bring in efficiencies in the provision of Transport and Logistics infrastructure and services; and v) Road Safety interventions to reduce the high number of traffic fatalities in the client countries.

The IAWT4 unit is hiring a Transport Specialist for a one-year Extended Term Consultant (ETC) position, based in the WB Country Office in Dakar, Senegal. The Unit is looking for candidates with outstanding technical skills and knowledge of urban mobility or other transport sub-sectors, and prior direct project management experience—preferably in Africa.

The selected candidate will report to the IAWT4 Practice Manager, Transport, and will contribute to: (i) the technical dialogue in the Transport sector with the Senegalese authorities as well as with other clients in the sub-region; and (ii) the preparation and implementation of projects and knowledge activities in the Transport practice in close collaboration with other World Bank Global Practices.  She/He will report to the IAWT4 Practice Manager, Transport, and will: (i) contribute to the World Bank support to the governments of Senegal and other neighboring countries in the implementation of Transport sector projects and initiatives in these countries, currently with a focus on Road Connectivity and Urban Mobility; (ii) support the technical dialogue in the Transport sector with the authorities of Senegal and other neighboring clients in the sub-region; (iii) contribute to the preparation of potential new projects in Senegal, in areas such as Rural Connectivity, Urban Mobility, Road Transport/Road Assets Management, Road Safety, and Regional Trade; and (iv) potentially support the implementation of other projects and knowledge activities mapped to other Global Practices in Senegal. 

More specifically, the ETC will: 

• Contribute, as a team member and sector specialist, to the preparation and supervision of Transport projects in Senegal, providing technical support related to procurement activities, contract management, while paying close attention to environmental and social safeguards implementation and other cross-cutting issues, including climate change/resilience considerations, gender dimensions, and opportunities to expand private sector participation in the financing and/or provision of Transport infrastructure and services. 
• Contribute to selected analytical studies or Trust Funds, particularly on issues related to the provision of Transport infrastructure and services in the Road sector or in Urban Mobility, financing options, asset maintenance and operations, climate resilience, impact evaluation, and, in general, best practices in investment in management and delivery of infrastructure and services.
• Under the guidance of the Transport GP Practice Manager, contribute to the sector policy dialogue, institutional reforms and capacity building programs, with a focus on strengthening the capacity of implementing entities, and exploring opportunities and options to engage the private sector. This effort should incorporate consideration of cross-cutting issues such as, social and environmental impacts, gender equality, health and safety, and climate change.
• Participate in cross-sectoral teams involved in the preparation of policy notes, public expenditure reviews, sectoral studies, and research and policy development activities related to Transport, Trade and Competitiveness.
• Support the 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 Solution Areas) and in drafting selected technical notes in collaboration with other Global Practices to enhance the creation and dissemination of new knowledge and expand the existing knowledge base.
• Stay abreast of global developments in the Transport sector relevant to the topics of specialization for this position.

Selection Criteria

• Advanced degree (Masters level or higher) in engineering, economics, finance, urban transport planning or other discipline relevant to the Transport sector.
• Minimum 5 years of proven practical experience in urban transport, road transport or road asset construction and management, and general experience in broader transport issues, with demonstrated ability to work on at least three of the following areas: (a) development of transport policy and planning instruments; (b) policy, institutional and financing aspects of urban mobility and the strategies to encourage private sector participation in the delivery of transport infrastructure or services; (c) road/urban mobility investment prioritization; (d) road assets management; and (e) procurement and contract management.
• Experience of working on similar programs in developing countries, in activities financed by the World Bank or other financing/ government organizations, or in a contractor or consultant capacity would be a plus. 
• Thorough understanding of the Transport sector in Senegal is essential. 
• Proven ability to build client relationships involving multiple stakeholders. 
• Demonstrated familiarity and comfort with quantitative methods.
• Publications in transport journals or specialized magazines would be a plus.
• High degree of dynamism and self-motivation, as well as the ability to work with minimal supervision.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with the ability to present complex issues in a straightforward manner.
• Written and oral fluency in English and French is required. 

WBG COMPETENCIES

• Deliver results for clients - Proactively addresses clients’ stated and unstated needs.
• Collaborate within Teams and Across Boundaries - Collaborates across boundaries, gives own perspective and willingly receives diverse perspectives.
• Make Smart Decisions - Interprets a wide range of information and pushes to move forward.
• Integrative skills – Understands relevant cross-sectoral areas
• Policy dialogue skills – anticipate needs and requests in the field and conducts independent policy discussions with representatives of the government and non-government partners
• Transport policy, strategy and institutions – Solid understanding of transport policies, strategies, institutions, and regulations.
• Operational Project Management – demonstrates in depth knowledge and understanding of transport project management tools and methodologies, 
• Project design for impact and sustainability – contributes to the design of projects and programs, based on an understanding of the country and sector context
• Team leadership – leads teams to achieve challenging outcomes, providing a role model and enhancing the team-leadership skills of team members.

WBG Culture Attributes:

1. Sense of Urgency – Anticipating and quickly reacting to the needs of internal and external stakeholders.
2. Thoughtful Risk Taking – Taking informed and thoughtful risks and making courageous decisions to push boundaries for greater impact.
3. Empowerment and Accountability – 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 the World Bank and IFC, including our values and inspiring stories. 

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.