Description

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. Visit www.worldbank.org.

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 of 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 recently had to deal with  a debilitating Desert Locust infestation that threatened  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.

Energy and Extractives at the World Bank

The Energy & Extractives (EEX) Global Practice (GP) of the World Bank Group is made up of about 300 professionals, a lending program in the order of US$5-7 billion a year, an active portfolio of some $40 billion, and a rich program of Advisory and Analytical Work. The EEX GP focuses on: providing affordable, reliable and sustainable energy to meet the needs of fast growing economies and to ensure universal access to modern energy services for people in client countries; and, strengthening policy and institutional frameworks to promote transparent and equitable growth of the extractives sectors for public benefit.   There is a strong emphasis on private sector resource mobilization and catalyzing financing from commercial and other sources of development and climate finance.

The Bank is engaged in all aspects of the electricity sector – generation, transmission, distribution, rural electrification and off-grid– through development policy financing, program for results, investment financing support, technical assistance and guarantee operations; assisting the government with policy reforms to attract investments in generation and renewable energy along with the promotion of the regional energy trade in the Central, Eastern, Southern and Western Africa power pools, modernizing the electricity network for the needs of a modern economy and increasing energy access are among the key areas of the Bank’s deepening engagement in the sector.

The Africa energy sector grouping consists of four units across two regions of Eastern and Southern Africa (AFEVP) and West and Central Africa (AFWVP).

Duties & Accountabilities

The Southern Africa Energy Unit (IAEE3) seeks an Energy Specialist based in Lusaka, Zambia, to support the unit’s strategic, advisory, and operational work. Specifically, the incumbent will engage in analytical work and in investment operations in Zambia and Zimbabwe (and possibly other countries covered by the unit). The overall work program centers on sector and utility reform, expanding access to modern energy services, and increasing regional integration.

The responsibilities of the selected candidate will include:

• As part of project teams, prepare, appraise, negotiate and supervise investment operations in the energy sector;
• Work with project teams to design and implement initiatives to finance and support utility/sector reform;
• Contribute to analytical work related to the shift towards clean energy and development of strategies for increasing energy access in Eastern and Southern Africa in a sustainable manner;
• Learn and lead the preparation and processing of grant financing requests, lending operations, analytic work, and reporting in line with Bank systems and processes;
• • Support teams on strategic energy issues and implementation of the sub-region’s access agenda, including efforts to increase the participation of the private sector in energy;
• Actively participate in overseeing World Bank-supported energy country programs in the region with the aim to enhance quality and pro-poor focus and accelerate implementation;
• Contribute to business development in selected countries (predominantly in Zambia);
• Develop and maintain close relationships with local public and private stakeholders, support policy dialogue and keep abreast of developments in the energy sector.

Selection Criteria

The Energy Specialist must be a team oriented professional with proven ability to carry out complex tasks as part of a multi-disciplinary team; capacity to work under pressure and to meet strict deadlines.

• A Masters’ level degree in engineering, energy planning, finance, economics, business administration or equivalent areas;
• At least five years of relevant experience in the energy sector with demonstrated ability to engage credibly on a range of issues in the energy sector in developing countries;
• Operational experience as a technical specialist with demonstrated experience on working in investment operations is desirable;
• Experience in working in the energy sector in Zambia would be an added advantage;
• Direct experience in at least one of the following areas: utility management; energy project management; on-grid and off-grid electrification models and their applications in a development country context;  required  legal and regulatory frameworks to incentivize private sector investments in the energy sector; variable renewable energy development and grid integration; approaches used in energy sector development planning; and energy efficiency and demand-side-management models applicable to electricity supply systems;
• Hands-on project management experience, an ability to efficiently manage many activities simultaneously, a flair for problem-solving and an ability to self-navigate through complex bureaucratic environments;
• Excellent interpersonal skills and proven ability to build strong partnerships with clients, different stakeholders and colleagues across units and departmental boundaries in a multi-cultural environment with virtual teams located in different countries;
• Good written and oral communication skills in English, including an ability to communicate complex issues in simple terms and to engage in evidence-based dialogue with clients.

Required Professional Competencies:

• Knowledge and Experience in Development Arena – Translate technical and cross-country knowledge into practical applications and contributions to country and sector strategies;
• Policy Dialogue Skills – Anticipate needs and requests in the field and conduct independent policy discussions with representatives of the government and non-government partners;
• Integrative Skills – Understand relevant cross-sectoral areas and how they are interrelated; able to undertake cross-sectoral work in lending and non-lending operations;
• Energy Sector Technologies – Deep experience applying knowledge (hydrocarbon, power generation, transmission and distribution, renewables, and energy efficiency) to policy-related decisions and advice;
• Energy Policy, Strategy and Institutions – Proven understanding of energy policies, strategies, institutions, and regulations.

WBG Core Competencies

• Lead and Innovate – Develops innovative solutions with others.
• Deliver Results for Clients – Achieves results and identifies mission-driven solutions for the client.
• Collaborate Within Teams and Across Boundaries – Initiates collaboration across boundaries and broadly across the WBG and brings differing ideas to the forefront.
• Create, Apply and Share Knowledge – Creates, applies and shares knowledge from across and outside WBG to strengthen internal and/or external client solutions.
• Make Smart Decisions – Recommends and takes decisive action.

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.