Jobs and Careers

JOB DESCRIPTION : 

The World Bank Group seeks to recruit Senior Climate Change Specialist, based in Yerevan, to provide leadership to World Bank work in advancing the climate change and green transition agendas through policy dialogue, analytical and advisory services, and operations in ECA, with a focus on Armenia and Georgia. The Specialist will join a team of over 40 environmental and climate change professionals located in Washington DC and other ECA countries (including 1 ETC staff in the Yerevan office) and will report to the unit’s Practice Manager (currently located in Washington DC). The Specialist will be an integral part of the Yerevan office working closely with the Country Manager and will also advise the Regional Director for the South Caucuses, based in Tbilisi, on climate issues.

RESPONSIBILITIES : 

A successful candidate should be able to:
- Lead/ contribute to policy dialogue, capacity building, analytical work, and operations in the areas of green growth, environment, climate resilience, natural resource management, circular economy and NDC implementation, with the focus on (but not limited to) Armenia and Georgia;
- Play a key role in building capacity of clients and Bank staff on integrating climate change into country development programs and Bank operations;
- Lead/ contribute to development and implementation of a new generation of “green” and climate-informed operations programs with focus on Armenia and Georgia while also covering other ECA countries, as agreed with the Practice Manager;
- Engage/ coordinate with development partners on climate and green transition engagements in Armenia and Georgia;
- Help CMU coordinate multidisciplinary teams across GPs to promote climate considerations and the green transition as a multi sectoral, “whole of the country team” agenda;
- Represent ENB GP, ECA SD and South Caucuses CMU in relevant Bank-wide initiatives and external meetings on climate change and green growth within the country and region.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS : 

- Advanced degree (master’s or Ph.D) in Environmental/ Climate Science, Policy, Law, Economics, Finance, or other relevant disciplines;
- At least 8 years of relevant experience at the policy and operational level in environment, climate change, natural resource management;
- Familiarity with the green transition, climate and environment contexts of Armenia and other ECA countries;
- Familiarity with the EU Green Deal and its relevance for Armenian legislation, strategies and directives;
- Strong analytical skills, ability to think strategically, analyze and synthesize diverse qualitative and quantitative data and information related to green transition and climate change;
- Excellent interpersonal and team leadership skills and ability to easily interact with people of different backgrounds and seniority inside and outside the World Bank, including clients and partners;
- Demonstrated focus on results, maturity and sound judgment; ability to communicate ideas clearly and confidently, articulate issues and recommend solutions;
- A good team player who works well as a member of multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural teams, motivate others and network effectively across boundaries;
- Knowledge of global Climate Change policies, and standards in the field of environment and climate change;
- Excellent oral and written communication skills in English and Armenian languages;
- Ability and willingness to travel frequently within and outside Armenia (subject to COVID-19 related restrictions).

APPLICATION PROCEDURES : 

All qualified candidates should fill in the online application at the WB's careers site: https://worldbankgroup.csod.com/ats/careersite/search.aspx?site=1&c=worldbankgroup. Please type "req17563" into the "Keyword or ReqID" search field and click Search.

Please clearly mention in your application letter that you learned of this job opportunity through Career Center and mention the URL of its website - www.careercenter.am, Thanks.

ABOUT : 

The Europe and Central Asia (ECA) Region:
The Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region comprises 30 extremely diverse countries, with a population of nearly 500 million people. Although ten of our clients have joined the EU and seven of these have graduated, most continue to remain active recipients of knowledge and/or lending services. Furthermore, in the midst of a crisis like the pandemic that we are experiencing now, some of the advanced countries re-engage with the Bank for additional support, including financial. ECA has a strong lending pipeline as well as a large and growing portfolio of Reimbursable Advisory Services. Knowledge is critical to the Bank’s value proposition to client countries in the ECA region in both lending and advisory services.
A predominantly middle- and high-income region, ECA continues to be at the forefront in confronting the numerous development challenges that countries face in the evolving global economy. The region is at the vanguard of building regional connectivity while having to manage the changing structure of the labor market. At the same time, digital technologies are changing the nature of work, populations are aging, and large migration flows have generated social tensions that have contributed to increased political polarization. These emerging trends threaten to reverse the region’s achievements in regional integration, poverty reduction and shared prosperity.
The ECA region is also vulnerable to climate change. It has a large potential to strengthen climate resilience and reduce its contribution to GHG emissions. Other important challenges affecting parts of the region include frozen conflicts and domestic political instability.
In February 2020, the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak interrupted the incipient recovery and the impact on growth remains highly uncertain and in a downside scenario of prolonged shutdowns, output in ECA could contract by nearly 8 percent in 2020. The pandemic also poses medium-term risks, particularly if global value chain linkages are lost or if extended school closures have a significant impact on learning, dropout rates, and human capital development. The near- and medium-term impacts of the COVID-19 crisis serve to re-emphasize the critical importance of ECA’s medium-term strategic agenda on raising productivity and boosting resilience, while pursuing “green transition” that addresses environmental and climate risks.

The Sustainable Development Practice Group:
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 and Blue Economy, Environmental and Social Framework, Urban, Disaster Risk Management, Resilience and Land, Social Sustainability and Inclusion, and Water.

Environment, Natural Resources and Blue Economy (ENB) Global Practice:
The sustainable management of the environment and natural resources is vital for economic growth and human wellbeing. When managed well, renewable natural resources, watersheds, productive landscapes, and seascapes can provide the foundation for sustained inclusive growth, food security and poverty reduction. For more information: https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/environment.

The Country Management Unit (CMU) for South Caucasus:
The South Caucasus CMU maintains and fosters all operational relationships with Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. The Regional Director oversees the program for the three countries from the Tbilisi office, with offices in Baku and Yerevan headed by Country Managers. In all three countries, there is a growing focus of World Bank engagement on increasing resilience to climatic changes and supporting “green” economic transition. In Armenia and Georgia, for example, green growth policies are supported through development policy operations, analytical work and technical assistance while the design of investment operations increasingly integrates climate considerations and opportunities for climate co-benefits.

The Yerevan Country Office in Armenia:
Armenia is a middle-income country whose economy expanded rapidly between 2017 and 2019, with an annual GDP growth rate averaging 6.8 percent. However, following the twin shocks of the pandemic and the military confrontation with Azerbaijan in 2020, GDP fell by 7.4 percent, one of the sharpest contractions in the region, and poverty rates rose sharply, especially in urban areas. The country partnership framework (CPF) for FY19-FY23 outlines a program of support to the Government of Armenia’s vision for a just, inclusive, and citizen-centric Armenia. The World Bank Group (WBG) strategy is to capitalize on the new momentum for deeper reforms and commitment to good governance brought about by recent political changes in Armenia to support a rebalancing of the economy toward a new growth model. The CPF presents to focus on: (a) boosting export enablers and firm competitiveness; (b) enhancing human capital and equity; and (c) sustainably managing environmental and natural resources.
The third focus area of CPF responds to Armenia’s stated goal of protecting the environment, improving the management and governance of natural resources, and managing environmental and climatic risks. Forward-looking management of environmental and natural resources, including forests, pasture lands, watersheds, and mineral resources, provides the foundation for sustained inclusive growth through improved performance and citizen engagement in sectors such as agriculture, mining, tourism, and forestry, as well as providing a buffer against climate change and extreme weather events. To enhance environmental and climate-change resilience, the World Bank will focus on strengthening government capacity to deliver critical and timely weather and climate services, and improving preparedness against natural disasters at the national, subnational, and local levels.
The Armenia County Office consists of 30 IBRD and 7 IFC staff. It is led by a Country Manager overseeing the World Bank program in Armenia.