Senior Education Finance Specialist

Senior Education Finance Specialist

Description

At 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 www.worldbank.org  

The People Vertical
The World Bank Group is the largest provider of development finance and solutions for human development, working with low-, middle- and high-income countries to develop country-tailored solutions under the themes of education, health, social protection, jobs and gender. The People Vertical coordinates with other Verticals to ensure an integrated approach to development challenges and, through the World Bank Regional Units, delivers support to client countries. It is central to the World Bank Group's goals of ending extreme poverty on a livable planet.

The Education and Skills Global Department
Education is a human right, a powerful driver of development and one of the strongest instruments for reducing poverty and improving health, gender equality, peace and stability. The mission of the Education and Skills Global Department is to ensure that everyone can achieve their full potential through access to quality education and lifelong learning, supporting clients through financing, knowledge services and strategic partnerships. At country level the Department supports a systemic, equitable and inclusive approach across all levels of education, from early childhood and basic education to skills development and tertiary education, and across all contexts, from fragile settings to upper-middle-income economies.
The Department forms part of the World Bank Group's Knowledge Bank and is organized in two global units, Policy and Regulations and Solutions and Impact, working as a single team under a Director. Together they deliver the WBG Education and Skills Implementation Plan (SkillUp), approved by the Board in July 2026, which is structured around six solution areas and a set of cross-cutting areas, of which education finance is one. The Knowledge Bank generates and curates the Bank's global knowledge on education and skills, develops the guidance and tools that task teams apply in country engagements, convenes communities of practice, supports capacity development, and manages strategic partnerships and umbrella trust funds.

Education finance
Countries face converging pressures on education budgets. Public debt is at record levels and some countries now spend more on debt service than on education, official development assistance to education is declining, and non-state financing and provision have expanded across all regions, so that a growing share of total education spending sits outside the government budget. At the same time, Public Finance Reviews have become the Bank's core diagnostic for engaging governments on public spending, and education financing questions increasingly arise within a fiscal conversation led by Ministries of Finance rather than in a standalone sector review.

The World Bank Group has also placed private capital mobilization at the centre of its approach to development finance, recognizing that public and concessional resources alone cannot meet countries' financing needs. Private capital mobilized by the Group reached a record US$112 billion in FY26. The scope for private capital differs markedly across the education system. Basic education is a public good with high social returns and remains predominantly publicly financed; there, the priority is to use public resources efficiently and equitably, and to regulate and contract well where non-state providers already operate. In higher education, TVET and workforce skills, a larger share of the returns accrues to individuals and firms, which creates greater room for private financing through student finance, employer contributions, outcome-based instruments and public-private partnerships. Realistic expectations about where private capital can contribute, and on what terms, are therefore central to the Bank's education finance offer.

The Department is establishing a WBG Education Finance Platform to strengthen the Bank's analytical offer in response. The Platform will translate the Bank's knowledge on education finance into practical tools, diagnostics and evidence that support Public Finance Reviews, country engagement, policy dialogue and operations, beginning with the revision of the Education Public Expenditure Review Guidelines for the Public Finance Review context and their application in country work. It will build a global education finance dataset, invest in the capacity of task teams to engage on fiscal issues, and extend over time from basic education to early childhood development and to higher education, TVET and skills development.
The selected candidate will lead the Platform and serve as Global Lead for education finance for the Department. The position is based in Washington, DC and reports to the Manager, Education and Skills.

Duties and Accountabilities
The selected candidate will work across policy, knowledge, data and operational tasks. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following.

• Leadership of the education finance work program
• Lead the WBG Education Finance Platform, including its work program, budget and trust fund resources.
• Serve as Global Lead for education finance for the Department, providing intellectual and technical leadership and acting as the senior technical voice on education finance with internal and external partners.
• Convene the education finance Community of Practice and support the network of regional focal points.
• Build and maintain working relationships across the Bank Group, including with Macroeconomics, Trade and Investment on macro-fiscal analysis, domestic resource mobilization and the Public Finance Review framework; with Governance on public financial management and fiscal decentralization; with the Chief Economist for People in DEC on private provision and financing; and with Social Policy and IFC on higher education and skills.
• Position the World Bank Group in the global dialogue on education finance, and represent the Department in internal and external forums.
• Analytical guidance and tools
• Lead the revision of the Education Public Expenditure Review Guidelines for the Public Finance Review context, delivered as a published report and maintained thereafter as a living document.
• Develop the accompanying operational toolkit of analytical modules, data templates, benchmarking approaches, reform options and country examples, designed to integrate education into existing Public Finance Review and governance diagnostics rather than to replace them.
• Ensure the guidance addresses fiscal sustainability, financing adequacy, spending efficiency and equity, public financial management, fiscal decentralization, and non-state and complementary financing, and that it is modular enough to support anything from a short education section within a broader Public Finance Review to a comprehensive education-focused review.
• Extend the guidance beyond basic education to early childhood development financing, which runs through health and social protection as well as education budgets, and to the financing of higher education, TVET and industry-based training.
• Develop guidance and tools on how public financing can be structured to leverage private capital in education and skills, including public-private partnerships, guarantees and risk-sharing, results- and outcome-based financing, student finance and employer co-financing. The guidance should be differentiated by sub-sector, grounded in a realistic assessment of where private financing is viable, and attentive to equity, and should be developed with IFC, MIGA and the WBG Guarantee Platform as relevant.
• Lead and contribute to global, regional and country analytical work on education finance, including the completion and publication of outstanding analytical papers.
• Country application, policy dialogue and operational support
• Work with the regions to select countries from the existing Public Finance Review pipeline, and lead or co-lead the education component of Public Finance Reviews in selected countries.
• Ensure analysis translates into action, linking diagnostic findings to recommendations in Public Finance Reviews, prior actions in Development Policy Operations, the design of Investment Project Financing and Program-for-Results operations, and inputs to Country Partnership Frameworks, Country Economic Updates and Country Growth and Jobs Reports.
• Participate in Bank missions and engage in policy dialogue with Ministries of Finance, Ministries of Education, development partners and other stakeholders.
• Provide technical support to regional and country teams on education finance within analytical and operational work, as determined in periodic work planning.
• Data and analytics
• Lead the consolidation of the dataset into a global dashboard hosted on Data360, improving the access, reliability and comparability of available data, and develop standardized country education financing profiles.
• Lead the development of AI-enabled analytical tools that help teams assemble financing profiles, benchmark countries and prepare analytical inputs.
• Agree definitions and data sources with partners inside and outside the Bank so that effort is not duplicated.
• Capacity building and knowledge
• Design and deliver a core curriculum on education finance in the Public Finance Review context, covering the fiscal framing, the language and calendar of Ministries of Finance, and how to position education within a whole-of-budget conversation.
• Deliver training to task teams, including regional clinics run alongside live Public Finance Reviews, and produce short, accessible reference materials for operational use.
• Lead regular reporting on the state of education finance, building on the Education Finance Watch series.
• Ensure education finance knowledge products are curated and accessible through the Bank's knowledge platforms, and mentor staff across the Department and the regions in deepening their expertise.
  

Indicative deliverables

• Revised basic Education Public Expenditure Review Guidelines for the Public Finance Review context, published and maintained as a living document, with an accompanying operational toolkit.
• Guidance extended to early childhood development and to higher education, TVET and industry-based training, and tested in country work.
• A common data template in use from the first country application, consolidated over time into a global education finance dataset and dashboard on Data360, with standardized country financing profiles.
• A training curriculum, a first cohort of task teams trained in the first year and the program running at scale across regions thereafter, supported by quick reference materials and regional focal points.
• Regular reporting on the state of education finance, and the publication of outstanding analytical papers.

Selection Criteria

In addition to the standard World Bank Group competencies on knowledge, leadership, innovation and results, the selection criteria for this position are as follows.

Essential

• Advanced degree (PhD preferred) in economics, with a focus on public economics, macroeconomics or public finance, or a closely related field.
• A minimum of eight years of relevant professional experience, including experience gained in a Ministry of Finance, a line ministry, the private sector, or an international organization. Experience in a research institute or academia is acceptable where combined with exposure to public finance reform.
• Demonstrated expertise in public expenditure and public finance analysis, including public expenditure or public finance reviews, fiscal sustainability analysis, medium-term expenditure frameworks, budget execution analysis or expenditure tracking, and a working command of the instruments used in this work.
• Demonstrated ability to engage credibly with Ministries of Finance and macro-fiscal counterparts, including an understanding of fiscal frameworks and the budget cycle, and the ability to position a sector argument within a whole-of-budget conversation.
• A track record of producing operational guidance that other teams use, such as methodologies, toolkits, guidance notes or diagnostic frameworks, as distinct from research outputs alone.
• Background and expertise on the role of the private sector and mechanisms for catalyzing non-state capital.
• Strong analytical and quantitative skills, with a track record of high-quality written outputs, including published analytical work.
• Demonstrated experience in capacity building and training, including the design and delivery of curricula or learning programs for professional audiences.
• Demonstrated combination of analytical rigor with practical, solution-oriented approaches, and an understanding of the political economy of reform in developing countries.
• Track record of leading teams and delivering complex, multi-country tasks to deadline.
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills in English, including the ability to present ideas persuasively and concisely to senior audiences.
  

Desirable

• Experience in the education sector, or a track record of work on the economics of education or education finance. Candidates without a sector background will be expected to demonstrate a strong interest in education and the capacity to acquire sector knowledge quickly.
• Experience with social sector expenditure analysis more broadly, including health or social protection, and with expenditure that spans more than one ministry.
• Experience with non-state and private financing of public services, including public-private partnerships, household and employer financing, and outcome-based or blended instruments, and familiarity with private capital mobilization instruments such as guarantees and risk-sharing, ideally in the social sectors.
• Experience with student loan design, payroll levies, training funds or other instruments used to finance higher education and skills.
• Experience with financing data systems, databases or dashboards, and familiarity with the use of AI-enabled tools in analytical work.
• Experience working in World Bank operations and in advisory services and analytics.
• Knowledge of another World Bank official language.
• Background across a range of country contexts, including by region, income level and fragility.
  

Personal attributes

• Energy and enthusiasm for community building, learning, knowledge sharing and mentoring.
• Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to work flexibly across a range of assignments, manage competing demands and set priorities for self and others.
• Strong interpersonal skills, client orientation and diplomatic skills, with a proven track record of working effectively in a multicultural environment.
• High degree of tact, political awareness, sensitivity and discretion in dealing with internal and external clients, staff and managers at all levels.
• Strong proclivity for teamwork, including an open and collegial working style.
• Willingness to travel.

As the World Bank Group continues to evolve, we value candidates who:

• Demonstrate the ability to collaborate effectively across teams, disciplines, cultures, and institutional boundaries.
• Responsibly leverage digital and AI-enabled tools to enhance productivity, learning, and decision-making.
• Bring experience working in fragile, conflict-affected, and violent (FCV) contexts and are encouraged to highlight relevant experience in their application materials, where applicable.

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.