Communications and External Relations Officer

Communications and External Relations Officer

Description

The World Bank Group (WBG) is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries. It is a unique global partnership of five institutions dedicated to ending extreme poverty, increasing shared prosperity and promoting sustainable development. With 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide, we work with public and private sector partners, investing in groundbreaking projects and using data, research, and technology to develop solutions for the most urgent global challenges. For more information, visit www.worldbank.org.

Communications and External Relations (CER)
The mission of Communications and External Relations (CER) is to help deliver financial and political support for the World Bank Group, strengthen the Bank Group’s role as a global thought leader in development by enhancing and safeguarding its reputation, and supporting operational teams to achieve country outcomes. CER manages corporate communications and global engagement with key stakeholders, including media, civil society, foundations, private sector, donor countries, and international organizations, as well as employee engagement. CER also manages strategic communications for the World Bank Group’s Regions and technical units and leads the management of reputation risk. 

Regional Stakeholder Engagement in CER
The Regional Stakeholder Engagement team manages strategic communications across the seven regions of the World Bank Group, driving engagement across regions and country offices to align local efforts with our global strategy.

The work aims to build support and understanding for World Bank Group (WBG) priorities across a range of stakeholders; enhance and protect the reputation of the WBG as a leading development organization; support operational effectiveness and social accountability by sharing development progress, knowledge, and results.

Recognizing that economic and social contexts evolve rapidly, and that communications technologies have revolutionized the ways that information travels, we are building a team of dynamic and innovative professionals prepared to use innovative engagement strategies, traditional and digital tools, including social media and artificial intelligence to shape the debate on development priorities and tradeoffs.

Communications and External Relations Officer, Advocacy, Campaigns & Editorial Content
The Communications and External Relations Officer is a member of the Regional Stakeholder Engagement team and supports the development and implementation of stakeholder engagement, communications, advocacy, and reputational risk management activities across the region.

The position contributes to advancing the World Bank Group's regional stakeholder engagement agenda through delivery across CER's four business lines: Stakeholder Engagement, Strategic Business Marketing, Advocacy & Campaigns, and Risk & Issue Management. The role requires sound judgment, strong communications and editorial skills, political awareness, and the ability to translate complex development issues into compelling communications that advance regional priorities.

Working closely with regional and country management, operational teams, and colleagues across IBRD, IDA, IFC, and MIGA, the Communications and External Relations Officer helps advance a coordinated One World Bank Group approach to External Relations.

The role has primary responsibility for coordinating the region's Advocacy & Campaigns work, overseeing editorial planning, content development, and digital storytelling to support advocacy objectives, strengthen stakeholder engagement, and ensure high-quality, consistent messaging across all regional communications.

Key Responsibilities

1. Advocacy & Campaigns
• Coordinate integrated advocacy and communications campaigns supporting regional priorities, flagship initiatives, and institutional objectives.
• Develop campaign plans, messaging frameworks, and communications approaches that combine media, digital communications, executive positioning, events, and storytelling.
• Oversee regional editorial planning, ensuring communications activities align with advocacy priorities and institutional objectives.
• Oversee the development and editorial review of speeches, blogs, feature stories, press releases, newsletters, opinion pieces, talking points, multimedia products, and other communications materials for regional leadership.
• Ensure high editorial standards, quality, and consistent messaging across all regional communications products and digital platforms.
• Manage regional editorial calendars and coordinate content development across country teams and priority initiatives.
• Identify, develop, and package compelling stories that demonstrate development results, client impact, and regional thought leadership.
• Ensure communications products are effectively adapted for web, social media, multimedia, and other digital channels to maximize audience reach and engagement.
• Promote innovative storytelling approaches that strengthen advocacy efforts, elevate the World Bank Group's voice, and amplify regional priorities.

2. Stakeholder Engagement
• Support stakeholder engagement strategies by developing communications approaches that broaden understanding of regional priorities and encourage engagement among key audiences.
• Translate stakeholder insights into compelling communications products, campaigns, and storytelling.
• Support digital engagement activities, virtual events, and communications that complement stakeholder outreach.
• Use audience insights and communications analytics to improve advocacy efforts and audience engagement.

3. Strategic Business Marketing
• Support Strategic Business Marketing by identifying flagship operations, regional priorities, knowledge products, and development results for strategic promotion.
• Develop high-quality communications products that increase understanding of the World Bank Group's work and reinforce the One World Bank Group approach.
• Collaborate with colleagues responsible for Strategic Business Marketing to ensure advocacy campaigns and communications products support broader regional business objectives.
• Identify opportunities to showcase development impact, client success stories, and thought leadership through compelling communication.

4. Risk & Issue Management
• Support the identification and monitoring of reputational risks and emerging issues affecting regional priorities.
• Review communications products to ensure accuracy, consistency, and appropriate consideration of stakeholder and reputational risks prior to publication.
• Prepare briefing materials, background notes, messaging documents, and other communications products to support informed decision-making.
• Monitor political, economic, and social developments and assess their implications for regional communications and advocacy efforts.
• Coordinate with colleagues across countries, institutions, and business lines to ensure timely, accurate, and consistent communications during priority announcements and sensitive issues.

Selection Criteria

• We require a relevant mix of education and experience: Master’s degree with 5 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience in a relevant discipline (communication, journalism, public affairs, international affairs, or other related fields). 
• Experience working in an international environment and in-depth knowledge of international trends and political/economic issues related to development. 
• Knowledge of, and experience working in government and/or public institutions, or other entities - private sector, business associations, CSOs, think tanks and other key local actors.
• An understanding of WBG operations; up-to-date knowledge of current development topics and issues, and ability to identify communications and reputation-related risks and opportunities in an international environment.
• Demonstrated political awareness and ability to diplomatically handle sensitive situations with target audiences and to otherwise cultivate effective, productive client relationships and partnerships. Experience working with senior executives including experience of managing reputational risks and issues, messaging, stakeholder engagement, and media engagement; and ability to think strategically and rapidly analyze diverse information from varied sources.
• Excellent English and potentially other specific language skills and proficiency to write and edit complex communications products for purposeful structure, clarity of ideas, and logical, persuasive presentation, in an accessible way to different audiences.
• Demonstrated ability and the necessary personal organization skills to multitask, take initiative, personal ownership, and accountability to meet deadlines, work under pressure, and achieve agreed-upon results.
• Teamwork orientation with strong diplomatic and interpersonal skills, and sensitivity to working in a multicultural environment.

WBG Culture Attributes:

1. Sense of urgency: Anticipate and quickly respond to the needs of internal and external stakeholders.
2. Thoughtful risk-taking: Challenge the status quo and push boundaries to achieve greater impact.
3. Empowerment and accountability: Empower yourself and others to act and hold each other accountable for 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.

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.