 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
Health, Nutrition & Population (HNP) Global Practice:
The World Bank Group (WBG) supports countries’ efforts towards achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and providing quality, affordable health services to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay, by strengthening primary health care systems, reducing the financial risks associated with ill health, and increasing equity. For more information: https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/health
Regional Context:
The East Asia and Pacific Region (EAP) is a highly diverse region, with countries of all income levels and wide differences in resource endowments, human capital, and institutional capacity. The HNP Global Practice in EAP has a large lending and advisory services and analytics (ASA) portfolio, with commitments of over US$5 billion. The unit is actively engaged in most countries in the region, often at the subnational level. The EAP HNP strategy has the objective to improve HNP outcomes and make progress towards UHC, enhancing the performance and resilience of health systems in financially affordable and sustainable ways.Â
Pacific Island Countries (PICs) face unique developmental challenges. They are characterized by small land area, extreme remoteness, geographic dispersion, and high vulnerability to natural disasters. Many of the PIC health systems face substantial constraints—from limited staffing and financial capacity to high service delivery costs—while striving to meet high-level Government commitments to address the health needs of the population. Most PICs receive significant support from development partners, with a recent focus on pandemic response and COVID-19 vaccination. Though the remoteness of the PICs provided an initial buffer against COVID-19, allowing additional time to prepare for outbreaks and achieve strong vaccine coverage, there is an ongoing need to improve health resource prioritization, strengthen health systems for future health emergencies, and make progress towards national priorities of improved UHC. Â
The Pacific HNP portfolio includes a suite of operations and analytical activities focused on key priorities in the health sector, anchored by a multi-year program of health sector performance analysis, policy dialogue and capacity development. The World Bank’s operational engagement includes eleven projects across Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Papua New Guinea aimed at strengthening health systems through a COVID-focused lens and/or broad-based public health and service delivery investments. This is complemented through a continuing country-focused and regional ASA program covering health resource prioritization, service delivery and resilience. Â
Duties and Responsibilities:
We are looking for a Senior Health Specialist/Economist to work on the Pacific HNP portfolio. The staff member will report to the HNP Practice Manager for the East Asia and Pacific Region and will be charged with the following responsibilities:
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• Develop and lead analytical work that informs key policy and operational decisions, and support high-quality analytical and advisory services tasks, including relevant capacity-building activities (e.g., workshops, seminars);
• Develop and lead health and nutrition lending operations and related analytical work programs, which may include technical assistance and capacity-building activities, engaging externally with client ministries and internally within the World Bank;
• Lead and contribute to policy and technical dialogue with government counterparts at the national and sub-national levels and with other relevant partners in relation to World Bank operations;
• Build and maintain partnerships and networks with external development partners, academic institutions and think-tanks in Australia and the Pacific region;
• Collaborate with and support the Human Development practice leader, HNP cluster lead, task teams, and the CMU with relevant analysis, peer review, advice and policy guidance related to all HNP issues for the Pacific countries;
• Contribute to the creation of global knowledge on HNP issues by summarizing and sharing lessons on the Pacific experience, and actively work to enhance the value of Bank support to clients outside the Pacific region through peer review, cross support, etc.;
• Support the development of briefs, blogs, strategy documents, and papers on critical issues for both internal and external audiences; and
• Respond to ad hoc information requests from Global Practice management, regional, CMU, and Government counterparts, and other internal and external parties.
Selection Criteria
• Master’s degree in public health, community medicine, economics, health policy, public policy, health system administration or equivalent discipline AND a minimum of 8 years of relevant professional experience in health systems strengthening, health financing, or health service delivery is required.
• Solid track record of conceptualizing, designing and delivering complex analytical work on health systems financing and reform.
• Evidence of high standards and accountability for work products, ability to meet deadlines and prioritize tasks within a work program, and capacity to work collaboratively with colleagues in a multicultural team environment to deliver products of the highest caliber.
• Demonstrated ability to quickly and strategically synthesize diverse information from varied sources.
• Excellent oral and written communications skills demonstrated by an ability to prepare documents on complex subjects, speak and write persuasively, and present ideas clearly and concisely.
• Experience working on WBG-funded projects and familiarity with WBG operations, policies, and procedures is an advantage.
• Experience working in PICs and/or prior work experience in the East Asia and Pacific Region is an advantage.
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.
