WBG Director, Digital Access - req35072

WBG Director, Digital Access

Job # : req35072

Organization : World Bank

Sector : Digital Development

Grade : GI

Term Duration : 4 years 0 months

Recruitment Type : International Recruitment

Location : Washington, DC, United States

Required Language(s) : English

Preferred Language(s) :

Closing Date : 12 / 17 / 2025 (MM / DD / YYYY) at 11 : 59pm UTC

Description

The World Bank Group is a unique global partnership of five institutions driven by a bold vision to create a world free of poverty on a livable planet. As one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries, we help solve the world’s greatest development challenges. When you join the World Bank Group, you become part of a dynamic, diverse organization with 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide. We work with public and private sector partners, invest in groundbreaking projects, and use data, research, and technology to bring tangible and transformative change around the globe. For more information, visit www.worldbankgroup.com.

VPU Context

The WBG Digital and AI Vertical Vice Presidency is responsible for getting the right public and private sector solutions to our operational teams and to our clients, and to produce scalable impact. Its mandate is to deliver knowledge for impact and business to enable and support the WBG to achieve its goals in support of our mission and specifically : providing guidance on creating more and better jobs; supporting foundational infrastructure and human capital, policy environment, and private sector mobilization; focusing on agribusiness, healthcare, infrastructure, manufacturing, and tourism; and digital and AI interventions play a critical part in the achievement of specific targets including for digital connectivity and verifiable credentials. The VPU’s objectives in driving outcomes include replicating and scaling effective solutions, enhancing thought leadership and innovation, and delivering timely knowledge to client teams.

WBG Director, Access – Solutions And Impact

The WBG Digital and AI Vertical is led by a Vice President and was established in July 2024. It consists of four departments : Access, DPI and Services, Applications, Data and AI. These departments will be headed by Directors / Managers who will report to the WBG Vice President. The four departments will be responsible for Solutions and Impact for their business areas and will collaborate closely with the Manager for Policy and Regulations, who will support the Vice President to provide thought leadership for the Vertical. This position will report to the WBG Vice President, Digital and AI Vertical, who is accountable to IBRD / IDA, IFC, and MIGA Managing Directors. Access – Solutions and Impact Department is comprised of 30+ staff. WBG recently published its Digital Strategy which includes four pillars : access, affordability, ecosystem and AI readiness. The strategy identifies the priorities that WBG will engage across the client segment over the next five years. The implementation plan is currently under preparation.

Duties And Accountabilities

The WBG Director will lead a diverse and multidisciplinary team of staff with skills from across IBRD / IDA, IFC, and MIGA institutions and business contexts.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the new WBG approach for Solutions and Impact in Digital Access and Affordability and drive the organizational change needed to build a new Department that will bring together teams from different parts of WBG.
• Lead and coordinate the implementation of sector / thematic / industry strategies and global targets with the Manager for Policy and Regulations.
• Provide vision and direction for the team to deliver scaling and replication solutions and impact for public and private sector clients that help unlock private sector financing and drive impactful changes. Mobilize and lead Solutions and Impact teams and ensure alignment between policy and regulations and solutions and impact.
• Guide scaling and replication of new and revamped operational solutions including through testing and adaptation and the development of platforms. Collaborate with WBG Directors of other sectors, verticals, and horizontals, Regions, and with DEC to capture, scale, replicate and monitor innovative and multi-sectoral solutions.
• Represent the VPU on WBG corporate strategic issues.
• Support pipeline and project development across Regions, ensuring that the most promising WBG development solutions get scaled and replicated, in partnership with Regions.
• Provide specialized knowledge and expertise on sectoral context and solutions and guidance on operational design by producing, curating, managing, and sharing knowledge (global, regional and country) with operational teams, clients, and partners.
• Oversee the delivery of timely, high quality advisory services led by Vertical teams to public and private sector clients.
• Foster a culture of partnership and trust, whereby all internal and external parties appreciate the mutual benefits of working together.
• Coordinate and collaborate with the Vertical’s Partnership Team and work with public and private sector partners across the WBG institutions and globally to strengthen delivery of solutions for impact.
• Strategically engage with and manage senior-level relationships with governments, the private sector and other key stakeholders.
• Lead global engagement efforts, advocacy and partnership initiatives on digital access and affordability issues.
• Position the WBG as a global leader for solutions and impact in Digital Access and Affordability by understanding and influencing major directional trends.
• Engage with operational counterparts to support a culture of WBG knowledge and delivery of joint public and private sector solutions to clients. Build internal understanding of WBG Digital and AI Vertical engagement on policy and regulations, and solutions and impact.
• Empower teams to work with WBG regions to develop client capacity, including facilitating "south-south" learning through WBG Academy on global lessons, analytical tools and technical frameworks.
• Enhance the quality of client work, particularly for high-risk projects, and increase contestability across the WBG.
• Cultivate an environment of openness that encourages innovation and rewards knowledge sharing and dissemination to drive impact.
• Support country teams to apply global knowledge and consider the complex local political economy in the work program.
• Disseminate best practices and lessons learned and manage learning and knowledge flows, including full suite of WBG products and solutions.
• Ensure the implementation of the access to information policy.
• Lead on communicating the results of engagements internally and externally, in coordination with the communications team.
• Build a strategic, focused and selective program of analytical and knowledge work that responds to the priorities of WBG clients and responds to global challenges, develop engagement and dissemination efforts that support take-up and use of knowledge for results.
• Lead efforts to collect, curate, validate and disseminate Access and Affordability data, including contributions to the Data360; and work with partners (e.g. UN agencies) to support data for policy making.
• Help clients scale proven solutions, and design, implement and deliver training, learning and capacity building programs for staff and clients, including through the WBG Academy.
• Model exemplary WBG leadership values and managerial behaviour and reinforce these qualities in the management team and staff.
• Lead, mentor, and support a high-performing team of WBG professionals in the Department. Foster a culture of rigor, inclusion, collaboration, and ethical leadership.
• Drive and encourage technical excellence within the team by creating an environment of learning and innovation that attracts and develops the best talent reflective of the diversity of our clients.
• Foster and lead a strong and collaborative management team including Regional and Global Managers and working closely across the WBG.
• Coordinate talent management efforts across the WBG.
• Lead talent review for all Departmental staff and support performance and talent mobility by convening and chairing regular meetings of all WBG Managers that manage and advise on the career of all Departmental staff.
• Coordinate and support management in developing and implementing appropriate strategies for global staffing, deployment, staff learning and development as well as career progression and talent and performance management.
• Manage the department’s budget to support the implementation of the Directorate strategy.
• Ensure Management accountability for delivering the agreed-upon work program through cost-effective use of resources (human and budget) within the agreed parameters and in compliance with internal WBG fiduciary and safeguard controls and policies and ensures timely delivery and overall quality of the region’s outputs.
• Ensure implementation of an appropriate risk management framework to meet unit’s objectives.

Selection Criteria

The ideal candidate for the role of WBG Director for Access – Solutions and Impact Department will be a seasoned executive with a deep understanding of strategy, technology and financing of digital connectivity and infrastructure (including fixed line and mobile broadband, satellite connectivity, sub‑marine networks and devices), strategic leadership roles in complex public and private organizations, and the credibility to operate independently while influencing at the highest levels of both government and the private sector.

Required Qualifications And Experience

WBG Culture Attributes

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.

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