Senior Social Development Specialist Vacancy-Job Ref: JKNGWB/0311/202043

Senior Social Development Specialist Vacancy-Job Ref: JKNGWB/0311/202043

Abuja (Nigeria)

Job Description
Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? Working at the World Bank provides a unique opportunity for you to help our clients solve their greatest development challenges. The World Bank consists of two entities – the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA). It is a global development cooperative owned by 189 member countries. As the largest development bank in the world, the World Bank provides loans, guarantees, risk management products, and advisory services to middle-income and creditworthy low-income countries, and coordinates responses to regional and global challenges.

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, which have Africa only reaching forty percent of its estimated potential. Moreover, conflict, food insecurity, population growth, and the disruptive forces of climate change threaten to curtail or even reverse the progress that has been made 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’s program has nearly doubled over the last 10 years. By 2030, 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.

Are you ready to make an impact? We are looking for dedicated professionals to join our innovative and diverse team to improve people’s lives and help countries build back better after COVID.

Position
The Social Sustainability and Inclusion Practice has a growing work program in Nigeria, encompassing project loans and grants, advisory and analytical programs and active partnerships supporting a wide range of engagements focusing on fragility, conflict, and violence (FCV); social cohesion and resilience; women empowerment and gender equality, social inclusion, citizen engagement and social accountability; and social risk management.

The selected candidate will provide support in meeting the Bank’s expanding Environmental and Social Framework (ESF) and social safeguards agenda and promote the social sustainability of its investments. S/he will be based in Abuja, Nigeria and will report to Senior Social Development Specialist – ESF/Safeguards under the overall oversight of SAWS1 Practice Manager and will be expected to work closely with the CMU and task teams in the country.

Duties and Accountabilities
Ensure quality of the project portfolio, including quality review, due diligence, and direct operational support on social safeguards and the Environmental and Social Framework (ESF).
Provide technical support to clients on social sustainability and safeguards issues and advise counterparts on technical options for social risk management, particularly involuntary resettlement, indigenous peoples, labor issues, grievance redress mechanisms, mitigation plans and institutional development strategies.
Assist project teams in developing operational designs and mechanisms to assess social opportunities, impacts, constraints, and risks related to Bank-supported operations.
Manage technical, institutional and program implementation issues related to social sustainability and inclusion and assist in the preparation of project documentation.
Participate in analytical studies, support analytical work on different social sustainability and safeguards topics, and stay abreast of developments in social development globally and on cross-cutting issues.
Participate in cross-practice teams responsible for the preparation of policy notes, Systematic Country Diagnostics, Country Partnership Frameworks, sector studies, and research and policy development activities on the full range of social development topics.

Selection Criteria
Master’s degree or PhD in social sciences (anthropology, sociology, political economy, social development, etc.), AND a minimum of eight (8) years of directly relevant professional experience in social sustainability, social standards/safeguards and/or social development.
Knowledge and experience in addressing issues covered by the World Bank’s Environmental and Social Framework (ESF) and social safeguards policies or similar policies in other international finance institutions in complex and challenging settings.
Strong operational (task management) and analytical skills and demonstrated ability to translate analytical technical and cross-country knowledge into practical applications and contributions to country and sector strategies.
Solid understanding of social analysis and the implications of social development on policy, institutions, and operations; experience conducting social development analyses, deriving results that resonate with the client; ability to coach others in the application of the tools.
Experience in social sustainability and risk management policy development, including dialogue with governments, and collaboration in these areas with other international development agencies.
Experience with consultative and participatory approaches to project design and implementation while deriving results that resonate with the client.
Excellent interpersonal, communication, problem-solving, and team skills, and ability to think innovatively and strategically to find balanced solutions to complex development problems, with a strong client focus.
Excellent oral and writing skills in English. Fluency and ability to write well in English is essential.

Competencies
Social Sustainability and Safeguards: Demonstrated experience managing the social risks of complex projects in Africa.
Strong Experience managing social issues identified in the World Bank’s new Environmental and Social Framework, particularly: Environmental and Social assessment (ESS1), Labor and Working Conditions (ESS2), Land Acquisition, Restrictions on Land Use and Involuntary Resettlement (ESS5), Indigenous Peoples/Sub-Saharan African Historically Underserved Traditional Local Communities (ESS7) and Stakeholder Engagement and Information Disclosure (ESS10) – on both high and low risk projects, with minimal supervision
Policy Dialogue Skills: Anticipate needs and requests in the field and conduct independent policy discussions with representatives of government and non-government partners.
Social inclusion and empowerment: Experience in successfully applying social sustainability and inclusion principles and good practice, covering issues of gender/GBV, inclusion and non-discrimination of vulnerable and disadvantaged groups, stakeholder engagement, etc.
Social Development implications on policies, institutions, and operations: Solid understanding of the implications of social development on policy, institutions, and operations.
Participation and Consultation: Extensive experience conducting social development consultative and participatory approaches, deriving results that resonate with the client; ability to coach others in the application of the interventions.
Analytical Tools for Social Sustainability: Extensive experience conducting social development analyses, deriving results that resonate with the client; ability to coach others in the application of the tools.
Integrative Skills: Understand relevant cross-practice areas and how they are interrelated; able to undertake cross-practice work in lending and non-lending operations.
Knowledge and Experience in Development Arena: Translate technical and cross-country knowledge into practical applications and contributions to country and sector strategies; interact with clients at the policy level.
Lead and Innovate: Develop innovative solutions with others.
Deliver Results for Clients: Achieve results and identify mission-driven solutions for the client.
Collaborate Within Teams and Across Boundaries: Initiate collaboration across boundaries and broadly across the World Bank Group and bring differing ideas into the forefront.
Create, Apply and Share Knowledge: Create, apply, and share knowledge from across and outside WBG to strengthen internal and or external client solutions.
Make Smart Decisions: Recommend and take decisive action.

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