Jobs and Careers

JOB DESCRIPTION : 

The World Bank Office in Yerevan is looking for a Senior Operations Officer. The Senior Operations Officer will report to the Country Manager and be part of the wider country management team, which is headed by the Country Director based in Tbilisi, Georgia. This position will offer exposure to a broad range of operational and strategic issues, as well as opportunities to work with a wide range of staff across Global Practices.

RESPONSIBILITIES : 

Country Strategy Formulation and Implementation:
- Based on the Strategic Formulation of the Country Manager, and in close collaboration with Operations Analyst lead/ develop the Country Strategy Products of Armenia CPFs, PLRs, CLRs, CGAPs, as required;
- Take the leadership in the monitoring of the results outlined in the CPF in coordination with the CPC, CO Operations Analyst, and GP technical staff;
- Contribute to business development on behalf of the Country Manager in collaboration with Program/ Sector Leaders and other GP staff;
- Act as alternate focal point in the CMU (with the CPC as primary focal point) on corporate requirements, including: (a) climate change, (b) gender, and (c) citizen engagement.

Support Portfolio Implementation and Management:
- Lead and work closely with Operations Analyst on the bi-Annual Country Portfolio Performance Review with the Government and within teams and ensure that implementation bottlenecks are addressed;
- Support and advise GP teams to incorporate Armenia-specific aspects into project design and implementation arrangements and to ensure cross-GP knowledge sharing, including lessons learnt from project implementation experience. Participate as needed in project supervision missions and advise teams on relevant country/ local contexts;
- Contribute to the oversight of the ASA portfolio in cooperation with Program/ Sector Leaders, with a view to ensuring that the ASA program is strategic and generates development impact through outreach and policy dialogue in CPF priority areas.

Support Relationship and Partnership Building:
- Work closely with the Sr. Communications Officer based in the Yerevan office, support the Country Manager in managing relations with clients (including high-level dialogue and country relationship with the government at all levels), development partners, civil society, media and private sector entities, especially as they relate to operational matters;
- Support the Country Manager in liaising with IFC and MIGA on country strategy and operational coordination to strengthen the One-Bank approach and the implementation of the MFD in Armenia.

Support Country Office Management:
- Provide input in the formulation of the CMU budget proposal, in coordination with the CPC and RM team, and in the discussions of the WPAs;
- Provide input in the knowledge and learning agenda for Country Office staff, lead or help organize training activities (including Country Team workshop);
- Prepare or review speeches and talking points for the Country Manager on portfolio and country partnership issues;
- Ensure appropriate follow-up to Country Manager’s meetings with visiting missions, working with the relevant colleagues across the Country Team;
- Help identify agile and innovative approaches to optimize interactions between CMU and internal and external clients;
- Work with the communications team to help manage public relations and Media outreach for the CMU;
- Lead certain tasks for the CMU, or participate as a member of task teams, as may be assigned by the Country Manager, based on areas of professional specialization and interest as well as on the CMU’s workload.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS : 

- Master’s degree, equivalent or higher degree in a relevant field/ discipline (e.g., Economics, Management, Business Administration, Social Sciences, Technical Studies, or another field relevant to the Bank’s mission);
- At least 8 years of relevant experience; prior country officer experience is a plus;
- Thorough understanding of Bank policies, processes, and procedures, and of the roles and responsibilities of various Bank units. Strong knowledge of World Bank projects, technical assistance, and trust fund operations. Broad understanding of the links between macroeconomic and sectoral policies;
- A proven record in timely delivery of written outputs with high quality;
- Commitment to ensuring effective implementation and longer-term sustainability of projects/ programs;
- Outstanding interpersonal skills in relating with people. Ability to operate effectively in a matrix management environment, both as a team leader and team member. Dedicated team player with proven ability to work collaboratively in a decentralized environment; demonstrated ability to work across silos. Proven track record of working effectively in a multicultural environment with staff at all levels;
- Proven strong analytical and problem-solving skills; ability to diagnose problems and propose solutions;
- Proactive and action-oriented. Ability to anticipate, coordinate, and prioritize activities. Capacity to respond quickly and in a pragmatic manner to a wide range of issues
- Commitment to client-orientation. Ability to promote client/ beneficiary participation in design of project and achievement of objectives. Ability to build effective working relations with clients;
- Outstanding planning and organizational skills and ability to handle multiple tasks under tight deadlines; ability to adapt to shifting priorities and work pressure. Demonstrated ability to meet short deadlines; ability to deal with uncertainty, unstructured and changing situations;
- High level of professional maturity, integrity and discretion, sound business judgment, diplomatic skills, high degree of tact, political awareness, sensitivity, and discretion in dealing with internal and external clients, staff and managers, and in handling confidential and sensitive information;
- Demonstrated strong written and communication skills in English and Armenian languages, including the ability to speak and write persuasively and present ideas clearly and concisely. Ability to synthesize analyses and present materials effectively and tailored to different audiences;
- Ability to mentor more junior staff.

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 "req17567" 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.

ADDITIONAL NOTES : 

REGIONAL CONTEXT:
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.

COUNTRY AND UNIT CONTEXT:
The Country Management Unit (CMU) for South Caucasus
Armenia is part of the South Caucasus Country Management Unit (ECCSC) which includes Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia; three middle-income countries with very active Bank Group programs in place. The Regional Director oversees the program for the three countries from the Tbilisi office, with offices in Baku and Yerevan headed by Country Managers. The size of the overall portfolio is 29 projects for about $2.3B. The size of Armenia’s portfolio is 12 projects for about $520 million.
Armenia has undergone a profound transformation since independence. Sustained growth, ambitious reforms as well as inflows of capital and remittances have created a market-oriented economy and reduced poverty significantly. The economic structure of Armenia depends on its minerals, agriculture, tourism, and food processing sectors.

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. Emergency spending packages and limited tax breaks provided as part of the fiscal response to the pandemic, coupled with declining revenues, increased public debt to 67 percent of GDP in 2020. However, the debt composition remains favorable. The current-account deficit narrowed in 2020, while increased borrowing kept reserves adequate.
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: (i) boosting export enablers and firm competitiveness; (ii) enhancing human capital and equity; and (iii) 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.
The World Bank Office in Yerevan is looking for a Senior Operations Officer. The Senior Operations Officer will be part of a small country management team comprising an Executive Assistant, Program Assistant, and an Operations Analyst, that supports and advises the Country Manager on a broad range of issues. The Senior Operations Officer will report to the Country Manager and be part of the wider CMU country management team, which is headed by the Country Director based in Tbilisi, Georgia. This position will offer exposure to a broad range of operational and strategic issues as well as opportunities to work with a wide range of staff across GPs.

ABOUT : 

Working at the World Bank Group provides a unique opportunity to help its 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, the WB works 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, please visit: www.worldbank.org.