Senior Program Assistant, BPSCP

Senior Program Assistant, BPSCP

Job #:
req30383

Organization:
World Bank

Sector:
Administration/Office Support

Grade:
GD

Term Duration:
3 years 0 months

Recruitment Type:
Local Recruitment

Location:
Washington, DC,United States

Required Language(s):
English

Preferred Language(s):

Closing Date:
12/2/2024 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC

Description

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. For more information, visit www.worldbank.org

Vice-Presidency Context

The purpose of the Budget, Performance Review, and Strategic Planning (BPS) VPU is to deliver high value for money with efficient, effective, and professional finance, procurement, and resource management services to help drive sustained business success through delivery of the WBG strategy. At the same time, it is focusing on improving governance to enable better oversight of what and how services are provided and continuing to strengthen its professional workforce with up-to-date skills, knowledge, and experience. The BPS VPU delivery model has three core roles designed to provide high quality, relevant and consistent services:

• Business Partners: embedded partners focused on decision support and performance oversight with strong understanding of the business.

• Centers of Expertise: providing thought-leadership and analytics, designing resource management policies, practices, and coordinating business finance knowledge management.

• Service Center: central unit to manage delivery of high volume and transactional and reporting services across Bank, including help desk to support to clients.

Led by a Vice President, BPS is organized into four departments, each with a director as follows: BPS Strategic Planning (BPSSP) with teams supporting the corporate strategic business and budget planning process; BPS Operations Units (BPSOU) with teams supporting Practice Groups and Regions; BPS Corporate Units (BPSCU) with teams supporting corporate units, providing capital budget support, and providing BPS systems, knowledge, and shared services; and BPS Corporate Procurement (BPSCP) with teams providing group-wide procurement services.

Unit/ Role Context

BPSCU is seeking a strong Senior Program Assistant to support the Director.

The department has staff, across HQ, Sofia and Chennai. The department interacts extensively with the Board and Senior Management of the Bank and produces board documents frequently that require strong coordination with multiple VPUs within IBRD/IDA and across WBG institutions.

Roles and Responsibilities:

The primary responsibility of the Senior Program Assistant is to provide comprehensive administrative, logistical, and scheduling support to the BPSCP Director in close coordination with other members of the team. The successful candidate will have excellent interpersonal skills and good judgment in coordinating and communicating with internal and external contacts. The Senior Program Assistant reports directly to the Director and works with a high level of professionalism and discretion to provide a wide range of executive assistance in a fast-paced environment.

Duties include but are not limited to the following:

• Serving as the first point of contact and liaison with a wide range of individuals both inside and outside the WBG on behalf of the Director's front office.

• Managing the administrative workflow of the BPSCP Director's front office, in accordance with general office procedures and guidelines, to ensure smooth operations.

• Scheduling meetings, arranging briefing materials, and ensuring logistical support for meetings and events, including venue reservations, announcements, IT support, catering and other preparations as needed.

• Coordinating, in consultation with other members of the front office team, the day-to-day schedule of the BPSCP Director, monitoring for changes, and anticipating and avoiding scheduling conflicts using business judgment and institutional knowledge.

• Working and collaborating closely with front office staff and supporting as necessary including the other Directors, VP and their front office.

• Screening, tracking, prioritizing, and channeling multiple work processes including correspondence, inquiries, requests, and telephone calls to ensure timely attention to priority issues.

• Working in close collaboration with staff members across BPS's business lines and ensuring smooth flow of communication by consistently keeping others informed and providing relevant information, reports, or status updates.

• Drafting/finalizing correspondence on a range of topics on behalf of the BPSCP Director preparing minutes of meetings as needed.

• Responding to diverse inquiries and preparing recommendations when multiple courses of action are possible.

• Relaying, processing, and otherwise handling information and correspondence of the most sensitive and confidential nature.

• Coordinating all travel arrangements for the BPSCP Director (including coordination with country offices, etc.).

• Establishing and maintaining an effective network of contacts within and outside BPS to ensure effective cooperation in support of office needs.

• Maintaining files for the BPSCP Director and coordinating with other members of the front office team on using the Bank's record keeping and filing system to store files.

• Acting as a resource for less experienced staff on WBG policies, procedures, and norms; and

• Performing any other tasks necessary for the successful operation of BPS, as per direction of the BPSCP Director. The selected candidate is expected to be fungible across the Directors front offices and as a backup for the VP front office Senior Executive Assistant position in response to business needs.

Selection Criteria

• High School Diploma at a minimum with at least 7 years of relevant practical experience. Associate or bachelor's degree desirable.

• Fluency in both oral and written English with excellent communication skills to all levels of audiences.

• High degree of personal integrity with demonstrated ability to handle confidential and sensitive matters with discretion and diplomacy.

• Outstanding interpersonal skills and ability to interact with an extensive network of contacts at senior levels both internally and externally.

• Demonstrated ability to respond and deal effectively with diverse situations that require good judgment, tact, and diplomacy.

• Detail-oriented, organized and possessing robust analytical and problem-solving skills, identifying issues and coming up with creative solutions.

• Substantial and varied experience in providing high-level executive assistance in a fast-paced environment.

• Willingness and flexibility to work overtime as required.

• Ability and aptitude for multi-tasking, managing conflicting and evolving priorities, and expanding the scope of work and responsibilities as needed.

• Pleasant and professional demeanor with a positive, self-starter, team-player attitude.

• Advanced proficiency in computer applications including but not limited to MS Office suite, SAP, SharePoint, Compass, LARS, and the Travel Portal.

Competencies:

• Technology and systems knowledge - Has advanced proficiency of latest technology relevant to assigned responsibilities. Demonstrates initiative in learning and/or supporting implementation of emerging technology and systems relevant to effective work of the unit.

• Project and task management - Able to organize, coordinate, monitor and implement tasks and projects. Demonstrates ownership and accountability for results. Demonstrates innovation and creativity in promoting efficient and effective solutions.

• Institutional policies, processes, and procedures - Demonstrates in-depth and up-to-date knowledge of administrative and policy guidelines, practices, products, and services in areas of assigned functional responsibility; can guide others in complex situations.

• Versatility and Adaptability - Able to anticipate, facilitate, and catalyze change in the business environment and accurately assess the need for new skills and knowledge. Demonstrates continued learning attitude, supporting others in their learning and change management efforts.

• Client Orientation - Able to establish partnership-based working relationships with internal and external clients. Demonstrates independence, initiative, and autonomy in addressing clients' needs.

• Drive for Results - Takes personal ownership and accountability to meet deadlines and achieve agreed upon results and has the personal organization to do so.

• Teamwork (Collaboration) and Inclusion - Collaborates with other team members and contributes productively to the team's work and output, demonstrating respect for different points of view.

• Knowledge, Learning and Communication - Able to research and draft quality written materials as well as review written materials prepared by others to ensure adherence to administrative requirements.

• Business Judgment and Analytical Decision Making - Able to use analytical, problem-solving skills and resourcefulness to make informed and practical decisions or recommendations to carry out work.

Note: This internal requisition is open to WB and IMF staff only (including short-term and extended term consultants/temporaries). External candidates are requested not to apply. In case an external candidate applies, their application will not be considered.

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.

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