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Urban Specialist

The World Bank
New Delhi, Delhi
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9 hours ago
Full–time
Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? Working at the World Bank Group provides a unique opportunity for you to help our clients solve their greatest development challenges.

The World Bank Group is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries; 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 to the most urgent global challenges.
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The South Asia Region comprises eight countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) that range in size from India (with a population of over 1 billion) to Maldives (with 0.3 million people).

The region has experienced a long period of robust economic growth, averaging 6% a year over the past 20 years.
It was the second-fastest growing region in the world in the aftermath of the global crisis. This strong growth has translated into declining poverty and impressive improvements in human development.

The percentage of people living below the poverty line fell in South Asia from 56% to 16% between 1981 and 2013.
Still, the region remains home to a third of the world's poorest, with 216 million people living below $1.9/day.

The South Asia Region:
Development Practice Group

The Sustainable Development (SD)

Practice Group (GP) supports the WBG's twin goals by focusing on sustainable and inclusive growth. It consists of give Global Practices and one Global Theme.

The Global Practices (GPs) that belong to the SD PG are:

Agriculture and Food; Environment, Natural Resources and the Blue Economy; Urban, Resilience and Land; Social Sustainability and Inclusion; and Water.
The Climate Change Group forms SD PG's single Global Theme. In addition, SD is the Bank-wide steward for the newly launched Environment and Social Framework (ESF).

The ESF Operational Support Unit, established in FY20, works on policy, good practice formulation, roll-out for staff and clients, and monitoring and operational support.

As of July 1, 2024, as part of the Bank-wide realignment of Practice Group management responsibilities, SD's leadership team includes Regional Directors (RDs) responsible for delivery of SD's regional and country programs, and Global Directors (GDs) who have a primary role in setting GP strategy, global engagements, promoting the flow of global knowledge, talent management and strategic staffing.

The SD PG has four objectives:
(i) deliver basic needs; (ii) ensure sustainability; (iii) build social inclusion/cohesion; and (iv) lead on long term issues.

Unit Context

With the highest concentration of the world's poor, South Asia is now at the forefront of a major population shift from a largely rural population to a rapidly urban one.

The Region includes eight countries with a total population of about 1.5 billion people (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka).
The region is currently the least urbanized region of the world, with only about one-third of population in cities.

Yet its economy is well along the transition from farm to nonfarm sectors, the latter accounting for over two thirds of the region's economy and over 80% of the economic growth.
South Asia has one of the world's largest groupings of megacities and cities with over one million population. South Asia also has five of its client countries in or coming out of conflict.

While they present special challenges, there are also unique opportunities to make a difference and have development impacts that directly affect the lives of many.

Job duties and responsibilities:
• Contribute to policy dialogue and the development of the SAR URL Program in India.
• Participate in task teams to support the preparation and supervision/ support of implementation of urban lending operations and programs in India.
• Participate in task teams to develop and carry out analytical activities in urban infrastructure and service delivery, local government strengthening, municipal finance, climate smart cities.
• Develop new business opportunities in the URL areas including cities and climate change, and urban development.
• Generate 'think pieces' and 'best practice' papers; handle complex technical, institutional and program implementation issues in the URL sectors.
• Contribute to dialogue and provide technical inputs for the preparation of country strategy documents.
• Participate in professional development and knowledge sharing activities in the urban, city development and land sector and contribute specific knowledge both within the assigned countries and in the Bank.
• Contribute to knowledge sharing, dissemination and awareness raising activities with key clients.
Selection Criteria
• Master's degree or above in environmental engineering, economics, finance, urban development, or similar field with at least 5 years' experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Solid technical expertise in areas including sustainable cities, municipal service delivery (SWM, WSS etc.), urban governance and municipal finance. More specifically, proven expertise is required in undertaking diagnostic analysis in topics mentioned above, framing the sector dialogue, and developing innovative solutions for addressing the key gaps at the city level.
• Technical expertise and proven analytical experience in working on urban infrastructure financing and municipal finance including own source revenue mobilization, capital investment planning, models for mobilizing private and market finance would be highly desirable.
• Prior experience of working with urban local governments, municipalities and city level utilities on policy and implementation issues related to urban service delivery, infrastructure planning & development, fiscal transfers, and financial sustainability in the current context of climate change, fiscal stress, and low institutional capacity.
• Experience in initiating and implementing urban and municipal services programs with development impact.
• Demonstrated ability to work with multi-disciplinary teams.
• Ability to anticipate client demand and undertake relevant knowledge and research and analytical work.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, with demonstrated ability of making effective presentations to diverse audiences.
• Excellent command of English.
Competencies
• Technology and systems knowledge - Has advanced knowledge of, and keeps up to date with systems, technology, and databases relevant to functional area of assigned responsibilities. Demonstrates initiative and pro activity in learning and/or supporting implementation of emerging technology applications and systems relevant to effective work of the unit.
• Project and task management - Displays good project management skills. Exhibits good understanding of unit's priorities; can proactively negotiate with stakeholders and adjust own deliverables upon changing and competing priorities, remaining flexible and effective with a clear understanding of objectives to be achieved. Can organize, coordinate, and make priorities-based adjustments to work schedule of internal clients (e.g. manager), if the tasks fall in the area of assigned responsibility. Exhibits and promotes ownership and accountability of results and quality-oriented delivery, proactively anticipates and approaches issues. Demonstrates innovation and creativity, promotes process simplification and effectiveness. Able to mentor less experienced staff in task and time management.
• Institutional policies, processes, and procedures - Displays an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the institutional vision, strategy, and priorities and how they affect unit's products and programs and interaction with clients in relevant functional area. Able to act as an expert on relevant administrative and policy guidelines, procedures and practices, demonstrates up-to-date knowledge of a diverse range of products and/or services in the relevant functional area of assigned responsibilities; can independently interpret relevant policy application and guide others in complex situations within assigned area of functional responsibility.
• Versatility and adaptability - Able to anticipate change in the business environment and accurately assess the need for new skills and knowledge. Able to facilitate and catalyze change where applicable. Demonstrates continued learning attitude, shows initiative in accepting new challenges and meeting critical needs within the unit/department/VPU. Encourages and supports others in their learning and change management efforts.
• Deliver Results for Clients - Demonstrates initiative, independence, and autonomy in addressing client needs in changing business contexts and environments. Has knowledge of department strategy, vision, and goals and can link them to those of the larger organization. Allocates and prioritizes resources according to areas of most urgent need and greatest impact for the client.
• Collaborate Within Teams and Across Boundaries - Adopts a collaborative approach to improve overall effectiveness outside one's department and displays an open, helpful attitude toward others. Approaches conflicts as common problems to be solved. Demonstrates understanding of and acts to incorporate multiple perspectives. Frames thinking/actions with a WBG corporate perspective in mind