The World Bank Country Office in Ukraine is seeking a dynamic, qualified locally recruited (under the Ukraine Compensation Plan) specialist to join our private and financial sector development team for a one year term appointment, with the possibility of an extension. The chosen candidate will play a key role in the delivery of the Bank’s present and planned work program in the sector.

Regional and Sector Context

The Europe and Central Asia Region (ECA), Finance and Private Sector Development Department (ECSPF) plays a key role in the strategic framework of the region, where countries face diverse challenges ranging from meeting EU Accession, EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and/or WTO requirements, to establishing viable public institutions and rebuilding weakened or shattered societies resulting from political instability, wars or natural disasters. While there has been remarkable progress in many countries, poverty along with inequality and unemployment remain high in the region.

Within the above context, ECSPF is responsible for providing operational support and technical advice to ECA clients on a broad range of private and financial sector issues including, inter alia, banking sector regulation, enterprise competitiveness and innovation, privatization and corporate restructuring, corporate and financial sector governance, support to SME sector, payment systems development, securities market and non-bank sector development, and the promotion of deeper access to finance through innovative channels and use of modern technology.

In Ukraine, ECSPF offers lending, analytical work and technical assistance which supports the Government’s overarching objective of sustaining economic growth and improving competitiveness through: (i) completing the structural reform of enterprise sector; (ii) improving the investment climate; (iii) deepening financial markets and reducing financial risks; and (iv) promoting innovation and knowledge economy.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The successful candidate will support tasks relating to both financial and private sector development. S/he will work closely with the Washington-based teams for finance and private sector development and with Kyiv office colleagues.

In preparing and implementing assigned responsibilities, the successful candidate will be expected to:

• Monitor, analyze and regularly report on key enterprise and financial sector developments in Ukraine to the ECSPF team in HQ and to the Country Office management.
• Contribute to policy dialogue with the authorities on private and financial sector development issues.
• Assist with supervision of the on-going ECSPF projects and grants through maintaining daily contact with relevant counterparts and organizing periodic monitoring visits by the project team from HQ.
• Contribute to analytical work and economic reports produced by the larger teams, including Investment Climate Assessment, Country Economic Memorandum, Financial Sector Assessment Program Reports, etc.
• Participate in identifying, preparing and helping deliver new Bank activities supporting private and financial sector development.
• Facilitate public-private dialogue on the issues of business concern and ensure effective interaction with broad range of local stakeholders – representatives of business and banking community, think tanks, NGOs.
• Help ensure full coordination of other donors’ activities (including IFC;s) with ECSPF program in the sector.

Qualifications and Selection criteria

• A Masters degree in economics, finance or business administration from a recognized university.
• At least five years of relevant, progressively responsible experience in banking, corporate sector, or public sector.
• Solid knowledge of private and financial sector issues pertinent to economies in transition, with substantial technical expertise in at least one of the following fields: financial sector, legal and institutional framework, investment climate reform, or development of the knowledge economy.
• Demonstrated ability to undertake independent analysis of sector-related issues; financial analysis skills would be a plus.
• Strong client-orientation, coupled with communication, presentation, leadership and excellent inter-personal skills needed to develop internal/external partnerships to further the sectoral agenda.
• Fluent speaking and writing in English, Ukrainian and Russian.

We offer a possibility to work in a stimulating, multicultural environment, with a competitive salary.

The closing date for the receipt of applications is Friday, October 24, 2008.

Applications (including a letter and a recent CV) in English and copies of certificates and three letters of recommendations should be submitted to e-mail address: ekladova@worldbank.org or faxed to (044) 490-66-70 or delivered to reception desk at the 2^nd floor, 1 Dniprovskiy Uzviz, Kiev, Ukraine, attn. E. Kladova

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Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.