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.
The World Bank’s Pacific department (EACNF) covers twelve countries (Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu) and is home to more fragile and conflict-affected states than any other region outside of Africa. Over the past few years, the Bank has substantially scaled-up its program and field presence in the Pacific, with a focus on initiatives that address the challenges of fragility, isolation, size and limited capacity, and create a foothold for wider development engagement with emphasis on country-specific strategies along three axes; (i) encouraging regional/global integration; (ii) building resilience against external shocks; and (iii) promoting economic reform and private sector development.
The World Bank in the Pacific Islands:
The Extended Term Temporary (Team Assistant / ETT-TA) will carry out the full range of office support work, including managing processes and monitoring schedules for Task team leaders and senior staff. The work is varied involving a large amount of research – in order to ascertain how to perform non routine operational tasks. Most of the tasks will not be standard. The candidate would need to proactively ask questions, use the World Bank intranet and other operational programs, and proactively make connections with staff in other Country Offices and our Washington based HQ for guidance and advice to achieve the required results. The role will also involve extensive liaison with service units, internal team members both in HQ and in the field, as well as external counterparts.
The ETT-TA will report functionally to the Manager, Portfolio & Operations, who provides supervision and guidance to the office support team. The successful candidate may also be assigned responsibility for some aspects of the unit’s administrative functions.
Note: The selected candidate will be offered a one-year appointment, renewable for an additional one/two year(s), at the discretion of the World Bank Group, and subject to a lifetime maximum ET Appointment of three years. If an ET appointment ends before a full year, it is considered as a full year toward the lifetime maximum. Former and current ET staff who have completed all or any portion of their third-year ET appointment are not eligible for future ET appointments.
Roles & Responsibilities
• Work productively and effectively often from own initiative providing support to Task Team Leaders (TTL) and Senior Staff.
• Draft routine correspondence, project related documents, and proofread materials using proper grammar, punctuation, and style.
• Incorporate agreed comments into documents, making full use of shared drives and software capabilities.
• Use word processing, spreadsheets, power point software or desktop publishing skills to produce complex text, reports, figures, graphs, etc., according to standard Bank formats and distribute.
• Coordinate schedules taking priorities into account, monitor changes, and communicate information to appropriate staff, inside and outside the immediate work unit, including officials outside the World Bank (WB).
• Solve non-routine problems (e.g., respond to requests requiring file searches, and identification of correct operational procedures).
• Preparation and logistical planning for various events, such as conferences, workshops, negotiations.
• Create AIS, update milestones and tracks assigned tasks, project steps and timetables in the Operational Portal and SAP.
• Monitor task budget/trust funds for specific projects on behalf of the team.
• Assist with processing Consultant contracts and travel. Coordinate with relevant staff and to provide assistance and/or information on project-related matters when requested.
• Maintain current distribution lists, phone/address lists of project/product contacts, and distributes documents for the team.
• Maintain up-to-date work unit project and other files (both paper and electronic).
• Work will involve frequent interaction with the following: Internal Contacts, Other VP and Global Practice (GP) units, IFC and MIGA, and other institutional units. Staff in all locations, locally and internationally, external Contacts such as Government Officials, Consultants, and External Organizations.
• Provide back up support to reception and assist with other ad hoc tasks as required.
Selection Criteria
• Preferred education – High school diploma with 5 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience. A university degree would be an advantage.
• Excellent knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint
• Working knowledge of SAP and other World Bank applications such as Admin and Operations Portal would be an advantage.
• Ability to quickly become proficient in using advanced functions of Bank standard computer applications and state-of-the-art software along with the WB’s record management and online filing procedures.
• Knowledge of and ability to execute business processes involving diverse and intricate work procedures related to the processing and production of assigned outputs in an accurate and timely manner.
• Good knowledge of unit’s business processes and procedures, and ability to make appropriate linkages in work requirements and anticipate next steps.
• Ability to retrieve reference materials from various sources (e.g., databases or other filing systems, Joint Library, Internet, etc.)
• Effective time management and organizational skills and ability to produce high quality work under pressure.
• Demonstrated initiative and resourcefulness.
• Committed team player with demonstrated inter-personal skills and ability to work effectively in a multi-cultural environment.
• Ability to draft routine correspondence and edit materials using proper grammar, punctuation and style.
• Ability to follow through on team priorities in the absence of the team leader and respond to requests for information.
• Ability to adapt to changing business needs by continuous learning/training.
• Ability to pass relevant Bank Group tests in place at time of recruitment (e.g. Computer application, knowledge tests) as required.
• The candidate should have the legal right to work in Australia.