We improve lives

The IDB Group is a community of diverse, versatile, and passionate people who come together on a journey to improve lives in Latin America and the Caribbean. Our people find purpose and do what they love in an inclusive, collaborative, agile, and rewarding environment.

About this position

The Capital Markets and Financial Institutions Division, a part of the Institutions for Development Sector Department of the Inter-American Development Bank (IFD/CMF), is focused on supporting member countries in productive development financing and related fields – including broadband access.

LAC Region faces lacks in digital infrastructure that has consequently a 47% of the population (280 million people) with no Internet access, and Internet bandwidth is 75% below the average of OECD countries, which impacts the type of services. But it also faces deep gaps in the use of that digital infrastructure; around 40% of the population under some network coverage does not acquire the service, and the main obstacle to the meaningful use of the Internet and digital infrastructure is the need for digital skills.

In El Salvador fewer than 10% of rural households have an Internet connection, limiting their capacity to participate and access the benefits of broadband and the continuity of public services during the pandemic. In El Salvador, 65% of public schools do not have connectivity, and only 40% of health centers have this service; (b) the penetration of fixed broadband (9.7%) and mobile broadband (77%) in El Salvador is the lowest in Latin America and is far from the average of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) (37.2% and 136.2%, respectively), hindering access to online health and education services. This is due to: (i) limited level of digital infrastructure and institutional capacity; and (ii) low level of digital skills and a gender gap; (c) 42% of people under 25 and 54% of those over 66 do not have an Internet connection, and of the people who do, more than 90% have a low-speed plan that does not support online education and/or healthcare solutions. The main determinants are the high prices for services and insufficient connectivity infrastructure, especially in rural areas; and (d) the lack of the ability to use the Internet aggravated the effects of COVID-19. The World Economic Forum (WEF) gives El Salvador a digital skills score of only 3.2 points out of 7, ranking the country 131st in the world. The main determinants are: (i) the illiteracy rate and the school attendance rate among women; (ii) the low level of digital training; and (iii) the low level of training and certification of women in information and communication technologies (ICT) (the percentage of women ICT graduates is 4.62% compared to 16.5% for men).

To drive those issues, the IDB supports its member countries in developing broadband plans and digitalization strategies, including deploying infrastructure, meaningful use policies, strategic regulations, and capacity building.

What you’ll do

• Support the digital infrastructure team on technical dialogue, as well as with its current and future portfolio of operations, with a geographical focus on operations in El Salvador.
• Support the agenda on digital connectivity and data infrastructure with a territorial, gender, and diversity approach.
• Support or participate in identifying, conceptualizing, and preparing operations where digital connectivity and data infrastructure deployment and use can deliver a strong development impact, to solve and mitigate country problems, such as climate change, socioeconomic gaps, accelerated processes of citizen migration between countries, and low competitiveness in rural areas and productive sectors.
• Participate with the rest of the digital infrastructure team in the design new projects, as well as in the supervision of the execution of the ongoing operations related to digital connectivity and data infrastructure with a geographical focus on operations in El Salvador.
• Build and boost relations with donors to manage grants and technical cooperation opportunities to promote digital connectivity and data infrastructure interventions.
• Build and boost relations with other multilateral development institutions, particularly with the World Bank, as part of the current Memorandum of Understanding between both institutions to seek complementary synergies for coordinated interventions aiming at maximizing developmental impact, particularly those related to digital connectivity and data infrastructure with a geographical focus on operations in El Salvador.
• Support policy dialogue with governments to improve the institutional capability of clients according to the sector trends. The incumbent will support the development of country strategies and programs identifying priority action lines to leverage the agenda of digital connectivity and data infrastructure.
• Mainstream digital connectivity and data infrastructure with gender and diversity approach into loan and grant operations, technical cooperation, and knowledge to support high-impact projects with a geographical focus on operations in El Salvador.
• Liaise and coordinate with other sectors (including agriculture, health, education, energy, financial services, and transportation) and vice-presidencies within the IDB Group (IDB, IDB Invest, and IDB Lab) on matters related to digital connectivity and data infrastructure.
• Support the identification, design, supervision, and execution of digital connectivity and data infrastructure loans, technical cooperations, and knowledge products with a geographical focus on operations in El Salvador.
• Support the development of a knowledge agenda on digital connectivity and data infrastructure that continues to position IDB and IFD/CMF as regional knowledge leaders, participating in IDB’s or external events and preparing press interviews and blogs.

What you’ll need

• Education: master’s degree in engineering, business administration, political science, economics, public policy, international affairs, or a related field relevant to the role’s responsibilities. Broad knowledge of digital connectivity and data infrastructure issues is required.
• Experience: At least 5 years of relevant experience in governments, multilateral financing institutions, think tanks, academia, consultancy firms and/or non-governmental organizations related to the key responsibilities of the position in areas such as: public policy effectiveness, digital transformation, telecommunication sector trends, financing, governance, public policy, main digital infrastructure deployments and its contribution to the provision of specific services and Region development. Also, a proven track record of advising leadership in public organizations, public sector and/or multilateral financial organizations for the LAC region is preferable.
• Languages: Proficiency in Spanish and English, spoken and written, is required. Additional knowledge of French and Portuguese is preferable.

Technical Competencies:

• Technical Sector Dialogue: Engages in policy dialogue based on solid knowledge of the sector, development challenges of client countries, and IDB policies, strategies, and guidelines.
• Sector Development: Takes actions to promote sector priorities based on country and regional needs and key IDB priorities.
• Economic and Sector Work: Develops and apply economic and sector analytic work to support the preparation of country, sector and regional strategies and country dialogue, loan operations and technical assistance programs.
• Project Analysis and Design: Conceptualizes, prepares and participates in the approval of projects (loans and technical cooperation), in coordination with other team members and the respective authorities.
• Change Management: Formulates and implements integrated change proposals to contribute to sector modernization and transformation in borrowing countries.
• Project Coordination: Effectively supports the execution of projects and programs to maximize their results.
• Monitoring and Evaluation: Designs and implements effective monitoring and evaluation methodologies.
• Knowledge Management and Dissemination: Effectively shares and disseminates economic/sector knowledge and learning experience to enhance the relevance of the IDB to borrowing countries and the region.

Core Competencies:

• Collaboration, Teamwork and Inclusion: Works cooperatively with others independent of background (e.g., gender, ethnic origin, religion, disability, sexual orientation, background, perspective) or organizational role and takes a team-based and inclusive approach to projects and decision making.
• Innovation and Creativity: Develops imaginative ideas and solutions through creativity, experimentation and critical thinking.

Requirements

• Citizenship: You are either a citizen of El Salvador or a citizen of one of our 48-member countries with residency or legal permit to work in such country.
• Consanguinity: You have no family members (up to the fourth degree of consanguinity and second degree of affinity, including spouse) working at the IDB, IDB Invest, or IDB Lab.

Local Remote Modality: The selected candidate will not provide services from the Bank’s office and will not be provided a physical space on the premises of the Bank’s Country Office. The candidate selected will be responsible for setting up the space, and for having the equipment, internet, and phone accesses to accomplish these TORs, outside the Bank’s office. Access to the Bank’s systems will be arranged in coordination with the Bank.

Type of contract and duration

• Type of contract: Local Remote Consultant Full-Time.
• Length of contract: 12 months (up to 36 months)
• Work Location: Remote, place of residence.

What we offer

The IDB group provides benefits that respond to the different needs and moments of an employee’s life. These benefits include:

• A competitive compensation packages.
• Leaves and vacations: 2 days per month of contract + gender- neutral parental leave.
• Health Insurance: the IDB Group provides a monthly allowance for the purchase of health insurance.
• Savings plan: ​​​​​​​The IDB Group cares about your future, depending on the length of the contract, you will receive a monthly savings plan allowance.
• We offer assistance with relocation and visa applications for you and your family when it applies.
• Hybrid and flexible work schedules.
• Development support: We offer learning opportunities to boost your professional profile such as seminars, 1:1 professional counseling, and much more.

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