E T Consultant

At the World Bank, a member of the World Bank Group (WBG), you’ll join a diverse, global community working across cultures, disciplines, and borders to address the world’s most pressing development challenges. With 1.2 billion young people reaching working age in the decade ahead, the challenge of job creation has never been greater. Through partnerships across 145 countries and more than 182 offices worldwide, we work with governments, private sector, development partners and other stakeholders to invest in people, strengthen markets, and deliver scalable, data-driven solutions that generate more and better jobs and improve lives. For more information, visit https://www.worldbank.org/en/who-we-are/ibrd Europe and Central Asia (ECA) Region The Europe and Central Asia region comprises 30 diverse countries with a population of nearly 500 million people. ECA countries continue to confront structural and emerging challenges, including uneven productivity, institutional capacity constraints, demographic transition, exposure to shocks, and gaps in physical and digital connectivity. In line with the World Bank Group approach, the region combines financing, analytical work, technical assistance, and partnerships to support sustainable growth, jobs, inclusion, resilience, and digital transformation. Knowledge remains central to the World Bank's value proposition in both lending and advisory services. Digital and AI Vice Presidency Digital technologies and artificial intelligence offer major opportunities to transform development. The Digital and AI Vice Presidency and its global and regional teams support client countries in building the foundational and cross-cutting elements of digital transformation, including:

• Digital connectivity, data infrastructure, cloud and data-center ecosystems, and digital public infrastructure;
• Cybersecurity, data protection and privacy, and responsible and trustworthy use of AI;
• Digital government services, digital identity, trust services, interoperability, shared platforms, and user-centered service delivery;
• Digital industries, entrepreneurship, skills, and jobs; and
• Digital and AI solutions that enable transformation across sectors and help operationalize corporate digital priorities. The Digital and AI Vice Presidency deploys financing, advisory services, knowledge products, technical assistance, capacity building, and partnerships to help countries define and implement their digital transformation priorities. The DCADU unit is responsible for Digital and AI activities and the portfolio in ECA, including lending, supervision, technical assistance, and analytical work. Western Balkans (WeBA) Strategic Context The World Bank Group is strengthening its Western Balkans engagement through a jobs-first approach in which digital transformation and AI enable productivity, private-sector growth, employment, and improved public services. The Western Balkans Digital and AI P-ASA supports the WeBA Digital and AI Strategy and Implementation Plan, connecting country-owned priorities to the World Bank Group Digital and AI Strategy and the @A Billion Implementation Plan (FY26-30). It covers digital services, industries and skills, shared digital and AI foundations, data and cloud infrastructure, and responsible AI readiness. The DCADU unit is seeking a Digital Development Specialist under a 6-month Extended Term Consultant contract, based in Paris, France. The ET will support ECA dialogue and operations, with a substantial focus on translating the WeBA strategic framework into country dialogue, analytical work, technical assistance, knowledge exchange, grant mobilization, and preparation and implementation of operational engagements. The ET will report to the Practice Manager for DCADU and, given the extensive work program in the Western Balkans, will also report to Simon O'Meally, Task Team Leader (TTL), for the WeBA work program Duties and Responsibilities The ET will provide implementation-oriented technical, analytical, and operational support. The work program will be agreed with the Practice Manager and TTL and adjusted, as needed, to evolving country and regional priorities. A. Western Balkans Strategy and Regional Implementation
• Contribute to implementation of the WeBA Digital and AI Strategy and Implementation Plan, including its links to digital services, digital industries, digital skills, shared digital and AI foundations, data infrastructure, and responsible AI readiness.
• Help translate regional and country strategies into sequenced implementation roadmaps, action plans, results frameworks, technical requirements, institutional and governance arrangements, and potential operational activities.
• Identify common challenges and opportunities for regional learning, reusable solutions, knowledge exchange, and collaboration across Western Balkan countries.
• Support dialogue and coordination across World Bank Group teams and with government counterparts, the private sector, development partners, and other stakeholders. B. Country-Focused Responsibilities
• Kosovo - Co-lead technical assistance support on digital transformation and AI, including Korean Trust Fund-financed activities and substantive inputs into the mapping and design of the new operational engagement.
• North Macedonia - Co-lead the technical assistance focused on the data center and other priority digital and AI topics, and participate as a core team member in preparation and implementation of the new operation.
• Bosnia and Herzegovina - Contribute to the Bosnia digital and AI program, including technical, analytical, and operational inputs as agreed with the country and regional teams.
• Other countries and programs - Contribute to priority Digital and AI programs and country engagements elsewhere in ECA, including Central Asia, as needed. C. Technical Assistance and Operational Support
• Advise client countries on the design and implementation of digital transformation and AI strategies, policies, institutional arrangements, delivery structures, reform sequencing, and change management, in line with a World Bank Group approach.
• Provide technical expertise on digital and data infrastructure, cloud and data centers, connectivity, digital public infrastructure, digital identity and trust services, interoperability, shared platforms, digital services, data governance, and responsible AI.
• Support project development and implementation across the operational cycle, including mapping and diagnostics, concept development, economic and impact analysis, technical design, preparation of concept notes and briefs, implementation support, results monitoring, and identification of risks and mitigation measures. D. Grant Mobilization, Partnerships, and Program Management
• Co-lead the drafting of funding proposals to generate grant financing for technical assistance and lending engagements, including clear theories of change, activity plans, budgets, results frameworks, implementation arrangements, and partner-facing materials.
• Support management and delivery of trust funds and grants, including planning, coordination of experts and firms, quality assurance, progress tracking, reporting, and alignment with operational priorities.
• Contribute to engagement with bilateral and multilateral partners, including European institutions and trust-fund partners, and help connect partner financing to country demand and lending opportunities. E. Analytical Work, Knowledge, and Communication
• Undertake and contribute to digital economy and infrastructure diagnostics, data ecosystem assessments, demand-supply analysis, cost-benefit and economic analysis, and practical policy and regulatory recommendations.
• Prepare or contribute to high-quality analytical products, technical notes, implementation plans, mission materials, presentations, workshops, policy dialogue, and senior-management briefs.
• Communicate complex technical and operational issues clearly to policy, operational, and non-specialist audiences, using data visualization and other effective presentation techniques.
• Capture implementation lessons and contribute to cross-country knowledge products and regional learning activities. Indicative Work Products The precise scope, sequencing, and format of outputs will be agreed with the Practice Manager and TTL. Indicative work products over the 6-month appointment include:
• An agreed annual work plan, with periodic updates reflecting country and program priorities;
• Technical and analytical inputs for the Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina work programs, including inputs to relevant technical assistance and operational engagements;
• Funding proposals and supporting technical, budget, and results materials for grant-financed technical assistance and lending preparation;
• Contributions to analytical products, concept notes, operational documents, implementation roadmaps, workshops, missions, briefs, and presentations; and
• A concise year-end summary of outputs, implementation lessons, and recommended next steps.