The Ugandan Jobline

Job Title:   Senior Social Protection Specialist/ Senior Economist

Organisation: World Bank Group (WBG)

Duty Station:  Kampala, Uganda

About US:

The World Bank is a vital source of financial and technical assistance to developing countries around the world. The World Bank provides low-interest loans, zero to low-interest credits, and grants to developing countries. These support a wide array of investments in such areas as education, health, public administration, infrastructure, financial and private sector development, agriculture, and environmental and natural resource management. Some of our projects are co-financed with governments, other multilateral institutions, commercial banks, export credit agencies, and private sector investors.

Job Summary:   The Senior Social Protection Specialist/Senior Economist will work as a part of the Social Protection and Jobs team at the World Bank Office in Uganda. The primary objective of the position is to lead the World Bank’s support to the national safety-nets program, and to play a leading role to advance the dialogue with the Government on social protection systems, the jobs agenda and human capital investment through the strengthening social protection systems ASA. To this end, collaboration, and coordination with other GPs such as Education, Health, Agriculture and Environment will be important. The candidate may also work on other country programs outside of Uganda and regional work as time allows.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Task Team Leader for national safety-net program.

• Provide technical support to the broader SPJ and human capital portfolio in Uganda, including promoting integration with the GROW, DRDIP and other HD operations and leading on the Uganda Human Capital Growth Review.
• Lead high-level policy dialogue on social protection, with a particular focus on social protection system building and the jobs agenda with Ministry of Gender, Labor, and Social Development (MGLSD), Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) and Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MOFPED), Ministry of Local Government (MLG), Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology (M-ICT) and key sector ministries and districts as needed.
• Ensure high quality implementation support to the Government implementation team and oversight of risk management issues working with relevant Environmental and Social Framework experts.
• Oversee overall program supervision activities for the social protection operations, including financial management, procurement and ensuring high level, multi-sectoral and regional engagement and participation from Development Partners.
• Ensure strong coordination and teamwork within the safety net programming and in particular to liaise across Global Practices to support joint programming and analytical activities to strengthen program delivery.
• Actively engage with the Social Protection Development Partners Group supporting social protection in Uganda to promote harmonized development partner support to the sector.
• Lead analytical and advisory service (ASA) efforts through the multi-year ASA on strengthening social protection systems in Uganda in the areas of social protection systems strengthening, disaster risk financing, nutrition-sensitive social protection programming as well as expand analytical work and advisory services on jobs, pensions, and social insurance and working with other Global Practices to support Uganda’s approach to human capital investment.
• Promote strong team leadership within the overall SPJ and human capital team in the Uganda country office, participating in team leadership discussions and planning on a regular basis and providing mentoring to junior and new staff members.
• Manage trust fund resources with a view to cost effective programming to achieve policy and program enhancement.
• Contribute to the global knowledge base of the Social Protection & Jobs GP and other country programs, as agreed with the Practice Manager.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• The applicant for the World Bank Group (WBG) Senior Social Protection Specialist/ Senior Economist should hold a graduate degree and minimum of master’s level qualification in economics, social policy, or related sector
• Minimum of eight years of directly relevant experience in social protection and/or safety nets and the jobs agenda. Experience and substantive skills in social protection policy dialogue
• Experience in World Bank operations as demonstrated through TTL-ship and/or being core team member for lending operations.
• Experience with large scale, multi-sectoral social protection programming
• Demonstrated international experience, including within low-capacity environments.
• Experience working with clients to build capacity and engage in dialogue on social protection and service delivery.
• Experience working with multiple development partners to harmonize support for Government-led programming

Competencies:

Technical Ability

• Experience in leading analytical and technical assistance activities designed to support the development and strengthening of social protection programs.
• Proven ability to carry-out independent policy-relevant research, translate theory into practical applications, and adapt professional knowledge and technical skills to analyse, diagnose and propose solutions to policy issues and challenge.
• Knowledge of social safeguards policies of the World Bank within the context of a SPJ program
• Knowledge of WB financing instruments and operational procedures.

Client Orientation

• Strong engagement and policy dialogue skills with high-level counterparts and other stakeholders; client focused with an ability to provide prompt and high-quality responses.
• Ability to maintain client relationships in the face of conflicting demands or directions and provides evidence-based advice and solutions based on sound diagnosis and knowledge.
• Ability to advise, influence and promote consensus among different stakeholders.
• Experience in managing diverse and sometimes competing interests and perspectives to arrive at consensus

Team Leadership, Collaboration, and Inclusion

• Demonstrated ability to lead teams.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with proven ability to work in a team and intercultural environment, with minimal supervision.
• Proven track record of multi-tasking, managing competing demands and effectively time-manage tasks.
• Proven ability to identify and develop new and creative partnerships with a wide variety of agencies and organisations.
• Ability to work in a collaborative way, delivering cross-support and building relationships around a common goal

Communication

• Evidence of strong interpersonal skills, judgement.
• Evidence of sharing and conveying complex technical issues, in accessible format written, spoken.
• Native or near-native proficiency in written English

In addition to the above, the successful candidate is expected to demonstrate the following competencies:

• General Knowledge and Analytical Skills: Stays current on trends and literature pertaining one’s area of expertise. Possesses cross-country knowledge and demonstrates ability to address issues at a broader level, as well as in depth. Demonstrates ability to link the macro, the institutional, and the micro-level behaviors and can identify the relevant sectoral analysis. Able to support findings/policy recommendations with credible analysis and tools. Proven ability to conceptualize, design, and implement major tasks, including through leading and participating in task teams of lending and non-lending operations.
• Knowledge and Experience in Development Arena: Has ability to translate technical and cross-country knowledge into practical applications and contributions to country and sector strategies. Interacts with clients at the policy level and organizes and manages policy development initiatives in collaboration with other development agencies and donors. Ensures consistency and conformity to Bank standards.
• Policy Dialogue Skills: Possesses political judgment, diplomatic acumen, and negotiating skills. Applies cross-country development knowledge to discussions with clients and development partners. Can anticipate needs and requests in the field and develop/offer relevant tools to clients. Can conduct independent policy discussions with representatives of the government and non-government partners on selected policy issues. Able to lead task teams, participate in formal negotiations, and assist government in establishing priorities.
• Social Protection and jobs Knowledge and Experience: Has experience leading social protection and jobs work and dealing with institutional design and implementation issues, including on building social protection systems. Can conceptualize issues and help clients develop flexible and creative approaches to social protection strategy. Can contribute to regional and sectoral strategies, products and tasks, and understands the principles of evaluation and the interpretation of their results. Knowledge and expertise in agriculture, natural resource management and climate change is an asset.
• Integrative Skills: Can link all relevant cross-sectoral areas to own work and understands how they are interrelated. Draws on diverse, cross-sectoral teams to enhance the rigor of advice on cross-cutting and sectoral issues. For operations roles, demonstrates ability to undertake cross-sectoral work, in lending and non-lending operations.
• Lead and Innovate: Encourages and works with others to identify, incubate, and implement relevant solutions. Identifies opportunities in changing circumstances and energizes others to continuously improve, using intentional strategies to boost morale, team spirit, and productivity in context of WBG’s values and mission. Helps others to understand problems, client needs and the underlying context.
• Deliver Results for Clients: Develops and implements solutions that show understanding of how clients and/or own work achieves results that are financially, environmentally, and socially sustainable. Shares new insights based on in-depth understanding of the client and recommends solutions for current and future needs of clients. Holds self and team accountable for risk management and outcomes.
• Collaborate within Teams and Across Boundaries: Collaborates across organizational boundaries, internally and externally with a sense of mutuality and respect. Consistently engages others in open dialogue, brings out any conflicting viewpoints and incorporates viewpoints into solutions, giving credit where credit is due. Leverages expertise of all team members to ensure successful outcomes. Makes choices and sets priorities with a WBG corporate perspective in mind.
• Create, Apply and Share Knowledge: Ensures systematic sharing of good practice and learning from lessons from across WBG, clients, and partners. Is known across WBG in their subject area and is sought out by WBG colleagues to advise, peer review, or contribute to knowledge products of others. Seeks mentoring opportunities with more experienced staff to deepen or strengthen their professional knowledge and mentor junior staff. Builds networks across the WBG and as part of external professional groups/networks.
• Make Smart Decisions: Applies critical thinking and seeks inputs and experience from others to recommend a course of action consistent with the WBG’s strategy. Evaluates risk and anticipates the short- and long-term implications of decisions. Commits to a decision and takes action once a decision has been reached.

How to Apply:

All suitably qualified candidates are encouraged to apply online at the link below 

Click Here

Deadline:  2^nd February 2024

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