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CMU Context

The South Africa Country Management Unit (AECS1) comprises 5 diverse countries, 4 IBRD (Eswatini, Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa), and 1 IDA (Lesotho) with integrated economies through membership of the Southern Africa Customs Union (SACU). The CMU oversees a wide range of Bank activities, a growing program in multiple sectors and a strong program of country innovative knowledge, analytics, and technical assistance, all oriented to be demand-driven.

The South Africa CMU is recruiting a Senior Operations Officer to play a lead role in the CMU's operations team, under the management of the Operations Manager. The duty station for this position is Pretoria, South Africa.

Duties and Accountabilities

A seasoned and dynamic development professional is required to join the South Africa Country Management Unit as a Senior Operations Officer. The Senior Operations Officer is a key member of the CMU's operations team led by the Operations Manager. The Senior Operations Officer will support the Operations Manager in the planning, delivery, implementation, and monitoring of the unit's work program. More specifically, the Senior Operations Officer will undertake the following principle tasks:

1. Operations Quality Management. Help ensure strategic and high-quality lending and non-lending products by playing a central role in the CMU's operational clearance function. Review operational documents in the project cycle and analytical products. Ensure operational compliance and promote best practices and distill and disseminate operational lessons learned. Bring ideas and contribute to continuous CMU efforts to improve CMU processes and procedures. Support the preparation of the unit's operational quality tables and reports. Participate in selected missions to remain abreast of sector and country developments.

2. Portfolio Implementation Support. Play an active role in managing the operational quality of the ongoing South African CMU lending and non-lending program. This requires taking a proactive role in reviewing and monitoring country portfolio performance in close collaboration with the CMU country resident representatives and operations offices; technical project teams; fiduciary, safeguards, and legal staff; and government counterparts. Identify and assess implementation problems and bring them to the attention of the Operations Manager. Assist project teams in addressing complex operational challenges that emerge during implementation, liaising with World Bank operational departments as needed. Also, oversee and participate in periodic country portfolio performance reviews and monitor follow-up.

3. Relationship Management. Play a key role in ensuring timely coordination with counterpart institutions, including the National Treasury (NT), line Ministries, development partners, and other stakeholders on operational matters. Support program delivery and implementation, portfolio development, and the preparation of strategy products, including being the coordination and integration point for the extended country team and providing guidance and advice on country developments, operational priorities, and strategies, as needed. Maintain strong relationship with government counterparts, development partners, civil society organizations, RVP Front Office, Verticals, IFC, MIGA, and other WBG entities. Help foster teamwork and cross-sectoral cooperation on program preparation and implementation.

4. CMU Support. Assist business planning and work program preparation, budget allocation, monitoring of work program and budget implementation, quarterly reviews, and progress reporting in collaboration with the Operations Manager. Support the CMU by preparing and reviewing letters, notes, briefs and other documents for internal or external clients. Contribute to Work Program Management by i) supporting the preparation of the Work Program Agreements (WPAs) and budget allocation; ii) monitoring and analyzing work progress, budget execution, and staff deployments by GP, using data from current and previous fiscal years; iii) supporting GP task teams in problem-solving; iv) detecting challenges and opportunities; and v) advising CD and OM accordingly.

5. Country Strategy Documents. Support the preparation of Country Engagement products (Country Partnership Frameworks, Performance and Learning Reviews, etc.), including supporting the consultative process with external partners; conceptualizing the storyline, pillars, and objectives; organizing inputs from Bank teams; drafting sections of these documents; and preparing the results framework.

6. Contribute to the mentoring of junior Pretoria office-based colleagues in coordination with OM and HR business partners.

Reporting:

The Senior Operations Officer will report to the Operations Manager.

Selection Criteria

Advanced degree (minimum Master's degree) in a relevant field such as economics, finance, business, and international relations, or other related field.

Minimum of 8 years of relevant experience with development agencies, government, non-governmental organizations, or comparable institutions.

Knowledge of the development context of South Africa and the other CMU countries will be a plus.

• Hands-on experience in portfolio management. Operational/sector experience at the World Bank or another International Financial Institution (IFI) highly desirable.
Client relations and donor coordination experience highly desirable. Strong analytical skills.

Excellent knowledge of operational, procurement, and financial management policies and procedures of the World Bank or other IFI highly desirable.

Demonstrated competence in key areas of sustainable development topics with sound understanding of development and developing country issues; with proven capacity to assess policies and interrelationships for sector, macro-economic, and country strategies.

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  Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to draft concise reports and correspondence.
  
Ability to think strategically and be innovative in both substance and process in the design and implementation of country strategy and work program.

• Demonstrated outstanding inter-personal skills with proven ability to work cooperatively in multi-cultural environment with a multi-disciplinary team.

COS Competencies: https://tinyurl.com/y34lnxvu

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.

Job ID req30270