Job Description: Senior Human Development Economist

If you are interested in applying for this position kindly send  a CV, a writing sample, 3 references, and a two-page (maximum) statement of interest in the position by Monday, February 25, 2008 to  fimperatriz@worldbank.org 
Specify the job title in the subject line of the message.

Please note that only short-listed candidates will be contacted .

LAC HD Department. The Human Development Department (LCSHD) in the Latin American and Caribbean Vice-Presidency of the World Bank is responsible for providing lending and advisory assistance to the Bank’s client countries in Latin America and the Caribbean to improve education, health and social protection outcomes. As a unit, LCSHD has continuously encouraged strong client focus through efficiency and innovation in its work program, so as to best respond to client demands and overall high quality in its products and processes. The work environment in LCSHD is conducive to promoting multi-sectoral teams and products, and to exploiting cross-sectoral synergies as appropriate.

BrazilHD Team.  The Brazil HD team’s strategy focuses on helping Governments at various levels (federal, sub-national) to strengthen the quality and efficiency of social service delivery and spending, with a view to building human capital for both the equity and the growth agendas.  

In social protection, our direct support focuses on the Government’s flagship social program, Bolsa Familia, as well as broader linkages across the pillars of social protection (social assistance, social insurance, labor), and links to the “jobs agenda” (education, training and lifelong learning, labor intermediation services, and links to productive activities).  

In health, the Bank’s strategy supports sustainable solutions to the unrelenting cost, quality and access pressures facing health systems in Brazil.   In all three sectors, our program is characterized by responsiveness to the needs of sophisticated federal and state clients in a Middle Income Country (MIC), who value technical partnerships and just-in-time advice building on international experience and Brazilian realities.  With an increase in international reserves at the federal level in Brazil , there has been an abrupt shift away from federal lending to sub-national lending, with much of the new business emerging as multi-sector state projects (results-based “SWAps”), some led by HD and others led by other sector units with HD team participation.

Senior HD Economist Position.   The LAC HD Team is seeking a Senior HD Economist, to be located in the Brasilia Office, to assist in the design and implementation of our projects and programs.  These projects include both lending and analytical work.  The chosen candidate will contribute to and lead tasks, and will likely work as part of multi-sectoral teams (some led by HD, others led by other sector units).  The Senior HD Economist will jointly report to the respective Washington-based Sector Managers for education, social protection and/or health (depending on professional concentration) and to the Sector Leader for the HD team in Brazil (based in Brasilia). 

Duties and Responsibilities.   The Senior HD Economist will fulfill the following on-going roles:

• Lead and participate in task teams delivering integrated lending and analytical products, translating analytical findings into concrete policy dialogue and lending operations 
• Lead, carry out or participate in substantive analytical tasks and support sector assessments and analytical work on HD-related topics (e.g., sector governance studies, public expenditure assessments, HD-specific analytical work)
• Participate in and/or lead the identification, preparation, appraisal, negotiations and supervision of projects with HD components to ensure client responsiveness within a framework of consistency and conformity to Bank procedures, guidelines and standards
• Play a well-rounded leadership role in human development in the Brazil team, and advise country sector leader, and country and sector managers in the formulation and implementation of corresponding sectoral strategies
• Provide technical expertise with both breadth and depth in human development.   Breadth should come from solid knowledge of economics, institutional and governance aspects of service delivery across the social sectors – and the linkages to the growth and equity agendas.   Depth should come from technical expertise in at least two of the HD sectors (education, social protection, health).  
• Participate and lead policy, technical and operational dialogue with clients on HD issues.
• Maintain regular contact with clients’ and other stakeholders in HD in Brazil
• Participate in the team’s management of portfolio performance, through support for project implementation
• Respond to ad hoc information requests from internal and external parties, related to HD issues in Brazil and the portfolio
• Work with sector colleagues in the HD department, as well as in other sectors (e.g., colleagues from public sector management, sustainable and social development, infrastructure, etc.)
• Actively mentor junior staff in their professional development

Requirements and Skills.   The Senior HD Economist would have the following skills mix:

• Advanced degree and training in economics, public administration, or related field (minimum Master’s Degree);
• At least 10 years of operational/field experience in at least two of the HD sectors (education, social protection, health) with an emphasis on experience as an economist and/or public management specialist in these areas;
• Demonstrated technical expertise with both breadth and depth in human development.  Breadth should come from solid knowledge of economics, institutional and governance aspects of service delivery across the social sectors – and the linkages to the growth and equity agendas.  Depth should come from technical expertise in at least two of the HD sectors (education, social protection, health);
• Knowledge of social sectors, programs, political economy, and institutions in Brazil would be an advantage;
• Superb writing abilities in English (demonstrated ability to write papers, short notes, briefings, powerpoint presentations);
• Persuasive communications abilities in both English and Portuguese (fluency in spoken and written communications);
• Excellent inter-personal skills; proven team orientation; ability to lead tasks and contribute as part of a team; ability to establish strong relationships with people of diverse cultures and multiple disciplines;
• Proactivity, ability to deliver quality work on-time and to juggle multiple tasks.

Candidates should provide a CV, writing sample, 3 references, and a two-page (maximum) statement of interest in the position.