WBG Young Professional

WBG Young Professional

The World Bank Group’s Young Professionals Program (YPP) offers exceptional professionals from around the world the opportunity to apply their specialized technical expertise, broaden their experience, and contribute to solutions to some of the most pressing development challenges. Young Professionals (YPs) work across the World Bank, IFC, MIGA, and ICSID in support of our mission to create a world free of poverty on a livable planet. For more than 60 years, this highly competitive program has selected outstanding professionals to contribute to the institution’s work and develop as future leaders in global development. 
 
We seek candidates who demonstrate strong leadership potential, exceptional technical skills, and a clear commitment to our mission and values. As a YP, you will collaborate with colleagues across disciplines and institutions, applying your expertise to help address pressing development challenges and improve lives around the world. 
 
YPs join the World Bank Group on an initial two-year term contract, renewable subject to satisfactory performance. During this period, YPs complete three eight-month rotations: one with their primary function and area of expertise, one cross-institutional rotation, and at least one rotation based in a country office.  These assignments enable YPs deepen their technical and operational knowledge while gaining experience across different areas of the institution. 
 
Through the YP Academy, YPs undertake a structured learning and development journey that includes technical and operational training, language programs, negotiation and business skills, and leadership development. They also receive individual coaching, connect with mentors, and participate in strategic dialogues with senior leaders. 

The World Bank Group’s Young Professionals Program (YPP) engages global talent with distinctive technical skills and diverse backgrounds to work across the World Bank, MIGA, and IFC towards a world free of poverty on a livable planet. Through the YPP, we select top talent to advance the World Bank Group’s mission. 

For over 60 years, the YPP has been both a highly competitive and uniquely rewarding opportunity to join the World Bank Group. As a premier international organization at the forefront of development, we look for prospective Young Professionals (YPs) to join us from around the world with diverse backgrounds, exceptional technical skills, outstanding leadership potential, and a demonstrated commitment to our mission and values. Working across the World Bank, IFC, and MIGA, the YPs help solve the world’s most pressing development challenges to improve the lives of millions globally.

This position would respond to a clear and growing business need while also creating a strong development opportunity for F-level specialists to learn from, and contribute to, a highly experienced E&S team.

The department needs to strengthen its pipeline of E&S talent to continue delivering high-quality support to increasingly demanding operations. A YP would initially benefit from structured exposure to the team’s technical expertise and operational judgment, while progressively taking on greater responsibility. Over time, the specialist would help expand the team’s capacity by supporting due diligence, supervision, client engagement, and eventually independently processing transactions.

Recruiting an E&S specialist through the YPP would help build the next generation of WBG professionals with the technical depth, operational exposure, and institutional commitment needed to support sustainable development outcomes across the region.

What You’ll Deliver

• Support IFC’s project cycle in all the E&S related functions in order to contribute to the timely and successful achievement of IFC goals and objectives vis-à-vis IFC’s 2030 agenda.
• Support IFC project teams in identifying, assessing, and monitoring E&S risks and impacts associated with new investments, portfolio projects, and selected advisory engagements across sectors, including Manufacturing, Agribusiness, Services, Infrastructure, and Energy.
• Support the IFC E&S team throughout the project cycle, including actively participating in E&S due diligences, supervisions, and portfolio monitoring activities, through the review and analysis of project documentation, consultant reports, environmental and social management systems, technical studies, and monitoring information.
• Participate in site visits, including appraisal and supervision missions, as needed, and contribute to the preparation of written outputs, including Environmental and Social Review Summaries (ESRSs), Investment Review inputs, Board Papers, legal documentation, supervision documentation, and other materials, as needed.
• Support portfolio supervision activities through the review of Annual Monitoring Reports (AMRs), monitoring of ESAP implementation, identification of emerging E&S risks, and preparation of supervision documentation and internal reporting.
• In coordination with E&S thematic specialists (e.g. social, gender, biodiversity), support the early-stage E&S screening of prospective investments and advisory engagements by assessing potential E&S risks and impacts associated with the project's sector, activities, geographic location, supply chains, and broader operating context. Contribute to the identification of information gaps and the preliminary determination of due diligence requirements, including the need for thematic specialists.
• Support the E&S team in client capacity-building activities, including the preparation of guidance and training materials, participation in training and knowledge-sharing sessions and the identification of opportunities to strengthen E&S management practices and alignment with IFC Performance Standards.
• Contribute to the effective delivery of the South America E&S team's work program by supporting project and portfolio activities, analyzing and preparing internal documentation and reporting, tracking key actions and deliverables, identifying information gaps and follow-up needs, and providing flexible support across team priorities, as workload and business needs require.

• Minimum of a Master's degree in environmental science, engineering, or other relevant disciplines.
• 2-6 years of relevant professional experience working on E&S management, monitoring and/or due diligence, with a preference for private sector experience in the infrastructure, energy, manufacturing, services and agribusiness sectors.
• Experience working with IFC/World Bank E&S Policies and Standards specifically IFC Performance Standards or ESF.
• Willingness to travel regularly.
• Strong analytical skills, ability to think strategically, analyze and summarize diverse sources and draw conclusions from limited data.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously under tight deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to adapt to changing circumstances, organize and prioritize deliverables, and maintain attention to detail.
• Ability to communicate effectively and concisely on complex E&S issues in spoken and written form.
• Proficiency in English essential, with Spanish and Portuguese preferred.
• Ability to work effectively as a member of a multi-disciplinary, multi-cultural team, influence and negotiate point of view within teams.
• High personal integrity and emotional intelligence, with the ability to handle sensitive matters in a discreet and respectful manner, respond diplomatically and remain calm under pressure.

WBG Culture Attributes:

1. Sense of Urgency – Anticipating and quickly reacting to the needs of internal and external stakeholders.
2. Thoughtful Risk Taking – Taking informed and thoughtful risks and making courageous decisions to push boundaries for greater impact.
3. Empowerment and Accountability – Engaging with others in an empowered and accountable manner for impactful results.

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.