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. For more information, please visit www.worldbank.org.

Infrastructure Practice Group

Globally, 840 million people live more than 2 kilometers from all-weather roads, 1 billion people lack electricity, and 3 billion people lack Internet access. Access to basic infrastructure services is critical for creating economic opportunities for the poor. The Infrastructure (INF) Practice Group within the World Bank is charged with developing sustainable solutions to help close infrastructure gaps in developing and emerging economies. The INF Vice Presidential Unit (VPU) currently consists of four global practices (GPs): Energy & Extractives (EEX), Transport, Digital Development (DD) and Infrastructure Finance, PPPs and Guarantees (IPG).

The Transport Global Knowledge Unit

The Transport Global Knowledge and Expertise Unit (ITRGK) was established in 2020 to serve as the global unit for the World Bank’s Transport Global Practice (GP) with a view to bring global knowledge, good practices and lessons learned in the design of country and regional transport operations and policies. The Global Unit systematically engages with international partners to both develop partnerships for frontier-knowledge generation but also position the Bank in key global dialogues about transport interventions vis-à-vis climate action, food security, private capital mobilization, adoption of emerging technologies, fragility, and inclusion to services, development opportunities and markets.

In addition to supporting the Regional Transport Units in one of the highest lending practices in the World Bank, ITRGK also takes leadership on key corporate priorities, and implementation of the knowledge compact for the Transport Global Practice.

ITRGK comprises global leads for the WB-wide transport knowledge groups, several technical staff specialized in each of the transport sub-sectors (urban transport, logistics, railways, maritime, air transport,) as well as specialists in cross-cutting transport policy topics such as economics, funding and financing, regulation, and digitalization. The global leads and experts are engaged in both global work and providing cross-support to regional transport operations. The unit houses the Global Road Safety Facility (GRSF), Global Facility to Decarbonize Transport (GFDT, Sustainable Mobility for All (SuM4All).

The work of ITRGK is organized around five buckets as follows:

• Climate and Clean Air. ITRGK supports knowledge and operations to accelerate transport decarbonization to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. An important co-benefit of achieving this objective is improving air quality. ITRGK supports a comprehensive approach to transport decarbonization following the Avoid-Shift-Improve approach. ITRGK also seeks to develop in-house modeling capabilities to support climate corporate mandates (climate co-benefit tracking, project alignment with Paris Agreement, GHG accounting) and the Climate Change and Development Reports (CCDRs). 

• Resilience, Adaptation and Fragility. ITRGK supports activities, knowledge, and policies to improve asset management practices and increase the adaptative and resilient capacity of transport systems to withstand exogenous shocks such as climate-related and natural disasters, pandemics, and minimize disruptions to economies and adverse impacts on people and their well-being. ITRGK promotes sound technology-supported and data-driven asset management practices to create resilient economies and efficient, reliable and financially sound supply chains. 

• Logistics, Food Security and Regional Integration. ITRGK support knowledge and operations to enhance countries integration to regional and global value chains and integration of lagging and landlocked regions through effective and reliable connectivity infrastructure and efficient logistics. The agenda includes support to regional operational teams to improve connectivity and logistics networks, enhance the impact of transport corridors on promoting growth through competitiveness and stimulating wider economic development, and more broadly, supporting the multimodal agenda including the expansion and improvement of railways, airports, ports, waterways and highways and roads. 

• Inclusion. ITRGK promotes inclusive and sustainable mobility and interventions to overcome barriers to enable access to jobs, markets, health care, schools, services, and other opportunities. Among the goals of inclusive and sustainable mobility is to connect all people and communities to economic and social opportunities, considering the needs of different groups, including the poor, those in vulnerable situations, women, children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities, across geographical locations. Limited access to transport in rural and urban areas are key barriers to eradicating poverty while promoting property and sustainable economic development. ITRGK support the tracking of the rural and transport access indicators as part of the World Bank Group’s Corporate Score Card. 

• Road Safety. The Global Road Safety Facility (GRSF) provides knowledge and technical support to aimed at achieving sustainable reduction in crash-related fatalities and serious injuries. The GRSF produces knowledge products, appraisal tools, and offers continuous training and support to regional staff to implement the Transport GP’s strategy for road safety.  

Along with the thematic program activities grouped on the above five buckets, ITRGK also has robust work program for mobilizing private capital and climate finance, in transport promoting transformative technologies in transport, and conducting economic research and policy analysis on transport. 

Job Duties and Responsibilities:

The Transport Global Knowledge and Expertise Unit (ITRGK) is looking for a Senior Urban Transport Specialist, with demonstrated experience in sustainable urban mobility in developing countries, to be based in Washington, DC. The Senior Urban Transport Specialist will report to the ITRGK Global Practice Manager. 

Under the guidance of the Global Practice Manager, the selected candidate will lead global engagement in urban mobility, support regional teams, and co-lead the knowledge group for Inclusive Urban Mobility. 

Global Engagement. 

• Identify and develop priority areas to scale up WB engagement in urban mobility. 
• Provide thought-leadership on urban mobility interventions, strategies, and policies. This includes, but it is not limited to:
• Undertake strategic analytical and advisory work to distill global lessons from regional or country engagements in urban mobility.
• Stay abreast of key developments and trends in urban mobility and in cross-cutting issues affecting the sector, such as policies, laws and regulations, impacts, and financing mechanisms.
• Participate in relevant international conferences and keep abreast of the relevant transport literature.
• Liaise with internal and external experts on priority topics in urban mobility. 
• Support the professional development of staff engaged in urban mobility by developing learning curricula, mentoring less experienced staff, and contributing to knowledge sharing activities in the GP and across relevant World Bank units. 
• Promote internal partnerships and collaboration with associated Bank units, including GP SURR, Climate Change, and IFC/MIGA
• Help manage global partnerships and trust funds supporting Urban Mobility, including the Global Facility to Decarbonizing Transport (GFDT)

Regional Engagement 

Under the guidance of Regional Practice Managers, the selected candidate will provide the following support to regional units. 

• Support regional teams in the design and implementation of Urban Mobility interventions, strategies and policies in strategic or complex World Bank operations. 
• Provide hands-on cross-support to regional teams. 
• Bring international good practices to bear in the design of WB engagements in urban mobility.  
• Provide just-in-time advice to regional teams and clients. 
• Recommend consultants and TORs to support regional teams’ work. 
• Provide guidance and coaching to junior operational teams. 

Knowledge Group Leadership

The selected candidate will co-lead the Urban Mobility Knowledge Group and its associated activities, including the following. 

• Help to animate and organize Knowledge Group on urban mobility, including incentivizing and motivating World Bank urban mobility staff and consultants to be active in the knowledge group, solution areas, and community practices. 
• Develop and help deliver Urban Mobility training programs for staff and clients, including the Leaders in Urban Transport Planning (LUTP) training program. 
• Disseminate knowledge through publications, seminars/webinars, and other Transport GP activities and events. 
• Play an active role in global networks, establishing links and maintaining effective cooperation with external organizations such as other MDBs, UN agencies, industry partners such as UITP, NGOs, public and private institutes/foundations, as well as existing and potential donors.
• Provide input to strategic analytical work as well as quality enhancement and advise on good practices through peer-reviews and upstream support to regional operations. 
• Support data management and analytics efforts by the Transport GP
• Support portfolio monitoring functions related to the quality of design and implementation of Urban Mobility components.
• Support learning and knowledge events by the Transport GP such as Transforming Transportation, the Transport Learning Week, and thematic Webinars.

Selection Criteria

• Post graduate degree at Masters’ level or higher in a field relevant to the Urban Mobility agenda.
• Minimum 8 years of professional experience in transport planning, economics, design, implementation, and/or operations.
• Practical experience in the design and management of Urban Mobility systems, with an understanding and the ability to work on policy, institutional, financing, social and environmental requirements for the sector.
• Strong technical and operational skills as evidenced in a proven track record in the delivery of transport initiatives/projects/operations within the Bank or similar type of products in non-Bank entities and demonstrated capacity to advance and deliver analytical knowledge on Urban Mobility issues.
• Proven ability to lead tasks/projects and to function effectively as team leader or team member of multi-disciplinary teams, providing effective mentorship and resolving conflicts constructively. 
• Strong client and communications skills, with proven experience in providing quality policy and project advice to national and sub-national clients and exhibiting interest in transferring knowledge.
• Experience of working on Urban Mobility programs in developing countries, in activities financed by the World Bank or other financing organizations, or in a contractor or consultant capacity.
• Research expertise and publications on Urban Mobility in transport/infrastructure journals and specialized magazines.
• Proficient in written and spoken English. 

Technical Competencies

The successful candidate will have the following areas of technical expertise:

• General Urban Mobility Knowledge - Possesses specialized technical knowledge in the Urban Mobility field and ability to translate this knowledge for the practical benefit of clients.
• Knowledge and Experience in the Development Arena - Translates technical and cross-country knowledge into practical applications and contributions to country and sector strategies; interacts with clients at the policy level.  
• Policy Dialogue Skills - Anticipates needs and requests in the field and conducts independent policy discussions with representatives of the government and non-government partners.  
• Integrative Skills - Understands relevant cross-sectoral areas how they are interrelated; able to undertake cross-sectoral work in lending and non-lending operations.  
• Transport Policy, Strategy, and Institutions - Solid understanding of transport policies, strategies, institutions, and regulations as they relate to Urban Mobility.

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.