The Africa Region, Finance and Private Sector Development unit is currently seeking a Junior Professional Associate (JPA) to be based in Accra, Ghana, with short term travel to Liberia and Sierra Leone a possibility.

Sub-Saharan Africa is the largest and most complex region in the World Bank, spanning 47 countries (including 34 of the world’s poorest countries) with a population approaching 800 million. Making headway against poverty will require a focus on job creation with Africa’s youth entering the labor force at an estimated 7-10 million annually.   A new Africa strategy is under implementation.  It has two pillars – competitiveness & employment, and vulnerability & resilience – and a foundation of governance & public sector capacity building. It will be implemented through partnerships, knowledge and financing.

The Accra office of the World Bank is seeking the services of a Junior Professional Associate (JPA) to support the work its Financial and Private Sector Development team. This locally recruited JPA position will report to both sector (AFTFW – finance and private sector development issues for West & Central Africa) and country management (AFCW1 – Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Liberia). AFTFW’s work program in Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Liberia ranges across both financial and private sector development issues, and includes research, analysis, design and implementation of both lending and non-lending services. The successful candidate will assist senior staff based in Accra and elsewhere to build relationships, expand knowledge, and provide operational support to Government in helping move the financial and private sector development agenda for the three countries forward.

Note: If the selected candidate is a current Bank Group staff member with a Regular or Open-Ended appointment, s/he will retain his/her Regular or Open-Ended appointment. All others will be offered a 2 year term appointment.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Accra office of the World Bank is seeking the services of a Junior Professional Associate (JPA). This is an opportunity for younger professionals to interact with World Bank staff, who might seek to continue their studies or improve their jov profile for work outside the bank. Once the two year contract expires, the candidate cannot work at World Bank for the following two years.

The primary responsibility of the Junior Professional Associate (JPA) is to assist the Country Director and the operations team, to provide support in the different operational tasks, which include project preparation, implementation and completion, as well as, to collaborate with the different teams in commenting, discussing timelines for preparation, delivery and dissemination of Economic Sector work. The JPA will provide general mission support and prtfolio monitoring as needed. The JPA will be delegated to assist particular working groups, as need, as staff cannot attend given meeting because of other commitments.

The second major task is to collaborate with the country director and the senior operations officer the preparation of the Donor meetings to be held in the first half of 2013 and the follow up country partnership strategy for Ghana, which includes consultations, internal discussions and dialogue with the client and other development partners. It will also include the tasks of preparing country briefs, or background briefs for other activities, such as country performance portfolio reviews, regular reports, etc.

Criteria For The Position

•  Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) or higher (preferred) in economics, law, or business administration, with sound knowledge of public policy processes;
•  Strong analytical abilities and presentation skills, evidenced by written outputs;
•  Track record of facilitating multi stakeholder dialogues
•  Knowledge of social accountability mechanisms and their application in Ghana
•  Ability to work capably under stress and to juggle multiple tasks;
•  Team player – proven ability to work in a team to achieve team objectives;
•  Excellent oral and written communication skills in English;
•  Applicants must be age 28 or less at Entry on Duty date.

The successful candidate will work under the day-to-day supervision of the senior operations officer in Ghana. The Junior Professional Associate will prepare a work plan within a month of the appointment.

How To Apply For The Job

Interested candidates are requested to submit their applications online at( www.workbank.org/jobs). Once on the website Click on > employment opportunities >

Paper Application will not be considered.