Senior Private Sector Development Specialist - (GPS) Trade Logistics

Job #:	121908
Title:	Senior Private Sector Development Specialist - (GPS) Trade Logistics
Job Stream:	Private Sector Development
Location:	Washington, DC
Closing Date:	08/31/2012
Background / General description:
The World Bank Group’s Investment Climate Department (CIC) assists governments of developing countries and transition economies in reforming their business environments, with support focused on reforms that strengthen business environments and the investment climate (IC) at economy-wide as well as industry/sector level. The department collaborates extensively with other teams across the World Bank Group in the design and delivery of advisory services and other operational work related to investment climate reform, and develops IC knowledge products for staff and clients. Serving as the global backbone of the World Bank Group’s IC activities, CIC: (i) anchors the Investment Climate Business Line (one of IFC’s four Advisory Services Business Lines), and handles the global dimension of its work; (ii) anchors the Investment Climate Global Practice of the Bank’s Finance and Private Sector Development Network (which covers six Practices); (iii) implements MIGA’s technical assistance mandate, and (iv) manages the multi-donor Facility for Investment Climate Advisory Services (FIAS; a global funding and partnership platform for IC reform), the Health in Africa (HiA) initiative, as well as a new work program on private participation in infrastructure. CIC delivers technical assistance through its various product lines, one of which is the global trade logistics product. This product focuses on helping developing economies improve performance indicators such as time and cost to import and export through targeted technical assistance. The product facilitates cross-border trade, including simplifying and harmonizing trade procedures, such as documentation, customs, and inspections performance, and improving relevant laws, policies and regulations and their enforcement. Emerging areas of work include improving logistics and distribution services; addressing trade logistics barriers along agribusiness supply chains; and promoting regional integration. Technical assistance focuses on economy-wide reforms as well as sector-specific ones, especially in strategic sectors such as agribusiness. Reforms interact closely and reinforce the activities of related work areas such as on investment policy reform and business taxation reform. Trade logistics is currently being developed into a standardized and scalable product which is rolled out in partnership with IFC regional departments, relevant WB units (e.g. FPD, Infrastructure, Trade) and other agencies with donor support. Since launch in FY08, the program has grown rapidly to include projects in all the six WBG regions. The global product team consists of staff based in HQ as well as regions, including in the Vienna hub.
Duties and Accountabilities:
I. Program Management • Leads development of the global product strategy with a focus on high developmental impact and ensuring the strategy aligns with IFC and FPD strategic objectives and with the Advisory Services and Global Practices business models. • Provides guidance to global team members tasked with the development of emerging areas of the trade logistics program. • Designs and sets global strategy for the product and provides technical expertise to regional teams ensuring the product meets high quality standards, and has a clear development and exit strategy. • Advances the global team which contributes to product development. • In partnership with relevant Regional Business Line Managers (RBLMs, IFC) and Sector Managers (SMs, FPD), analyses and learns from portfolio results to set benchmarks, and manages a results and impact feedback loop. • In partnership with relevant RBLMs and SMs, contributes to the design of new projects, reviewing relevant technical aspects of new project proposals for quality control and ensuring that lessons learned are appropriately taken into account. • Ensures the development of and adherence to a solid measurement and evaluation framework for the product in collaboration with M&E staff, including setting guidelines for pre-implementation scoping and post-project monitoring. • Establishes good relations and strong partnerships between IFC/FPD and PREM, SDN, DEC and other WBG departments and units. • Works with Managers of the mentioned WBG departments and units as well as CIC Service/Business Line Managers to effectively contribute knowledge to broader FPD and IFC programs. Knowledge Management • Leads the knowledge management agenda for the trade logistics product with accountability for gathering, managing and disseminating global best practice and institutional knowledge of the product. • Networks with external professionals to cultivate outside knowledge and learning, helps establish the WBG role in the market, and disseminates knowledge to our clients. • Contributes to the design and development of internal and external thematic events and knowledge sharing networks to share product lessons and experience and learn from others; • Participates in regular business line and service line meetings with peer specialists and reports to larger practice groups and networks. Implementation • Monitors implementation and progress of projects drawing on the trade logistics product and recommends corrective actions where/if necessary; • Ensures all Advisory Services processes are implemented by supporting RBLLs on regional projects and providing leadership for global projects; manages collaboration, project concept note process, initiates workflow and approves updates during project implementation, approves supervision and completion documents. • Ensures project materials related to the trade logistics product are properly documented and archived, with the objective of building core product expertise and a solid knowledge base. • Leads the annual product review together with the respective team members and in coordination with CPA, the M&E team, and the IC BL Secretariat. II. Resource Management Accountabilities • Recruits, leads and supervises a team of technical specialists to provide global product expertise in client engagements. • Ensures proper technical on-boarding of staff (including regional staff) in their product areas, including through provision of technical materials and support to appropriate training • Participates in Performance Evaluation and Planning (PEP) and Overall Performance Evaluation (OPE) reviews for global product staff. • Mentors global and regional product staff, ensures development of networks and skills, quality assurance and professional development. • As required, provides feedback on performance of specific regional staff. • Monitors budgets for global product staff, consultants, and vendors. • Recommends allocation and deployment of relevant technical specialists effectively and efficiently to client relationship teams across the WBG. III. Relationship Management Accountabilities • Supports the Global Business Line Leader and Business/Service Line Managers to develop new initiatives/global projects, leading innovation and keeping abreast/influencing industry developments. • Interacts with donors to communicate, describe, and explain specifics of the trade logistics product line. • Develops and maintains a relationship with the Development Impact group (CDI), including joint setting of the impact and results agenda. • Develops and maintains relationships with global players in the relevant product, industry or field. • Maintains strong relationships with relevant WBG Managers in the regions so that the product strategy is well aligned and projects can be deployed and executed efficiently. • Fosters strong relationships with counterparts in the World Bank Group as well as other private and public financial institutions to identify collaboration opportunities and to enhance client and business delivery. • Works collaboratively within the matrix to deliver impact for clients.
Selection Criteria:
Education • Advanced degree in economics, public policy, international trade, business economics or equivalent with special emphasis on trade facilitation. • Very good knowledge of technical cross-border trade issues, particularly trade facilitation, non-tariff measures, trade finance, and other behind the border issues. • Minimum of 12 years of relevant experience. Business/Product Experience • Demonstrated understanding and experience of substantive issues in international development, with emphasis on regulatory and institutional economics related to trade facilitation. • Demonstrated technical expertise in the area of trade facilitation, trade logistics and/or private sector development, including an understanding of relevant implementation considerations in diverse country settings. • Established, up-to-date global knowledge on trade logistics and strong ability to disseminate this knowledge effectively and efficiently within IFC and IBRD as needed. • Sound experience in dealing with public and private sector institutions, including ensuring a balanced set of interests. Main Skills • Ability to think strategically and modify products as needed so they are responsive to business and client needs. • Sound understanding of World Bank, IFC and MIGA business models and opportunities for joint collaboration. • Strength in managing complex projects and relationships, including working across various groups within the World Bank Group. • Proven success in developing/managing client and donor relationships. • Strong experience in working with developing countries. • Considerable experience in making presentations to high-level government ministers/officials and investors. • Proven track record in leading effective work groups in a service-oriented and diverse setting. • Strong leadership skills. • Recognized as a team players and ability to coach/mentor staff. • Ability to develop innovative solutions and challenge the status quo in order to build the business. • Fluency in English required; Spanish and/or French is highly desirable. • Good influencing and negotiation skills in addition to strong written and verbal communication skills.
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