Economist

Economist

Job #:
req38887


Organization:
World Bank


Sector:
Education


Grade:
GF


Term Duration:
Open-Ended Staff (OPEN-OP)

Recruitment Type:
International Recruitment


Location:
Washington, DC,United States


Required Language(s):


Preferred Language(s):


Closing Date:
11/15/2026 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC


Description

At the World Bank Group (WBG), you'll join a diverse, global community working across cultures, disciplines, and borders to address the world's most pressing development challenges. With 1.2 billion young people reaching working age in the decade ahead, the challenge of job creation has never been greater. Through partnerships across 145 countries and more than 182 offices worldwide, we work with governments, private sector, development partners and other stakeholders to invest in people, strengthen markets, and deliver scalable, data-driven solutions that generate more and better jobs and improve lives. For more information, visit


The People Vertical
The World Bank Group is the largest provider of development finance and solutions for human development, working with low-, middle- and high-income countries to develop country-tailored solutions in education, health, social protection, jobs and gender. The People Vertical coordinates with other Verticals to ensure an integrated approach to development challenges and, through the World Bank Regional Units, delivers support to client countries.

The Education and Skills Global Department
The mission of the Education and Skills Global Department is to ensure that everyone can achieve their full potential through access to quality education and lifelong learning. It supports clients through financing, knowledge services and strategic partnerships across all levels of education, from early childhood and basic education to skills development and tertiary education, and across all contexts, from fragile settings to upper-middle-income economies.

The Department forms part of the World Bank Group's Knowledge Bank. It is organized in two global units, Policy and Regulations and Solutions and Impact, working as a single team under the Global Director for Education and Skills. Together they deliver the WBG Education and Skills Implementation Plan (SkillUp), approved by the Board in July 2026 and structured around six solution areas and a set of cross-cutting areas. Solution 2 covers basic education, including foundational learning and secondary education. The Knowledge Bank generates and curates the Bank's global knowledge on education and skills, develops guidance and tools that task teams apply in country engagements, convenes communities of practice and manages strategic partnerships. Its knowledge products are made available to staff and clients through the Knowledge 360 (K360) platform.

The position

The Department is seeking an Economist or Education Specialist to divide their time equally between two roles. Half of the position supports the Global Director for Education and Skills, preparing briefing materials for high-level meetings, coordinating inputs from task teams and preparing engagements with partners, missions and events. The other half sits with the Knowledge Bank global team, where the selected candidate will build and curate the Bank's knowledge on secondary education under Solution 2 of SkillUp, participate in secondary education operations, and support foundational learning work.
The combination is deliberate. Front office work gives the selected candidate a view of the Department's priorities, its partners and its operational portfolio across regions. Technical work on secondary education keeps that view grounded in substantive expertise. The position is based in Washington, DC and reports to the Manager for Education and Skills. Work for the Global Director's office is agreed with the Global Director and the front office team.

Duties and accountabilities
The selected candidate will work across front office, knowledge and operational tasks. Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following.
• Support to the Global Director for Education and Skills (50%)
Briefing materials for high-level engagements
• Lead and coordinate the preparation of briefing notes, talking points, speeches, presentations and background materials for the Global Director's meetings with Bank Group senior management, Executive Directors, government officials, development partners, foundations, civil society and the private sector.
• Prepare inputs for corporate processes and requests from the Office of the President, the Managing Directors and the People Vertical, including Board briefings, Annual and Spring Meetings, and responses to Executive Director queries.
• Draft concise summaries of the Department's evidence and positions on topical issues so the Global Director can respond quickly in internal and external forums.
Coordination with task teams and regions
• Commission and coordinate inputs from task teams, regional education teams, the solution leads and cross-cutting coordinators, ensuring material is accurate, consistent with SkillUp and delivered to deadline.
• Track the Department's portfolio of lending and advisory work to keep briefing material current on country programs, key operations and results.
• Quality-assure inputs from multiple contributors and consolidate them into a single, well-argued product in the Department's voice.
Partner engagement
• Coordinate the preparation of meetings with bilateral and multilateral partners, foundations and global initiatives, including agendas, background notes on the partner and the Bank's relationship with it, key messages and asks.
• Prepare records of meetings and follow up on agreed actions with the relevant teams, keeping a running record of commitments made to partners.
• Liaise with the Department's partnerships and trust fund team so that partner engagement by the Global Director is consistent with fundraising and partnership strategy.
Missions, events and briefing books
• Help organize the Global Director's country and partner missions in coordination with Country Management Units, country office staff and regional education teams, including the program of meetings, logistics with the administrative team and site visits.
• Compile mission briefing books with country context, the education sector and its key policy issues, the Bank's portfolio and pipeline, development partner activities, profiles of counterparts and suggested messages.
• Support the Global Director's participation in conferences and high-level events, including speeches, panel preparation and post-event follow-up.
Front office workflow
• Work with the Global Director's front office team to manage the flow of requests, set priorities and track deadlines and follow-up actions.
• Handle confidential and sensitive information with discretion.

• Support to the Education and Skills Knowledge Bank global team (50%)
Knowledge on secondary education (Solution 2)
Working under the leadership of the secondary education sub-solution coordinator and the Solution 2 lead, and with the wider team, the selected candidate will:
• Map and curate what the Bank and the wider field know about secondary education, covering access and completion, the transition from primary, learning outcomes, curriculum and assessment, teachers, school models, costs and financing, and the links between secondary education and skills for work.
• Identify what we do not yet know, setting out the main evidence gaps and open policy questions, and help shape an agenda of analytical work, impact evaluations and country learning to close them.
• Review the Bank's secondary education portfolio to draw out lessons on design, implementation and results, and document good practice and what has not worked.
• Contribute to guidance notes, toolkits, briefs and other knowledge products for task teams, and ensure they are curated and accessible through K360.
• Support the secondary education community of practice, including clinics, knowledge exchanges and learning events with regional focal points.
Operational support
• Participate in selected secondary education operations, contributing to project preparation, implementation support and analytical work, including participation in missions.
• Provide just-in-time technical advice to task teams on secondary education design questions, drawing on the curated knowledge base.
Foundational learning and other tasks
• Support selected foundational learning work under Solution 2, including analytical and knowledge products, as agreed in the annual work program.
• Undertake other tasks as needed to support the Department's work program.

Selection Criteria

In addition to the standard World Bank Group competencies, the selection criteria for this position are as follows.
Essential
• Master's degree in economics, education, public policy or a related field, with a minimum of five years of relevant professional experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. A PhD in economics, the economics of education or a related field is strongly preferred.
• Solid technical knowledge of education policy and systems in developing countries, with demonstrated expertise in secondary or basic education.
• Strong analytical skills, including the ability to synthesize research and evidence across sources and turn it into clear messages for policy and operational audiences.
• Excellent writing skills in English, with a demonstrated ability to draft concise, high-quality briefs, talking points and presentations for senior audiences under tight deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate inputs from multiple contributors and deliver a consolidated product to deadline.
• Experience working with governments, international organizations or development partners on education policy or programs.
Desirable
• Experience in World Bank operations, analytics or advisory services, or comparable experience in another multilateral or bilateral development institution.
• Experience supporting a senior manager or front office, including mission and event preparation.
• Research or operational experience on secondary education topics such as transitions and completion, curriculum and assessment reform, secondary school models, or the links between secondary education and skills for work.
• Familiarity with foundational learning policy and the evidence on what works to improve learning.
• Experience with impact evaluation or quantitative analysis of learning and education data.
• Knowledge of another World Bank official language.
Personal attributes
• Sound judgment, a high degree of discretion and political awareness in handling confidential and sensitive information.
• Ability to manage competing demands, set priorities and respond quickly while maintaining quality.
• Strong interpersonal and diplomatic skills, with the ability to work effectively with staff and managers at all levels and across regions and cultures.
• A collaborative working style and commitment to teamwork and knowledge sharing.
• Willingness to travel.

As the World Bank Group continues to evolve, we value candidates who:

• Demonstrate the ability to collaborate effectively across teams, disciplines, cultures, and institutional boundaries.
• Responsibly leverage digital and AI-enabled tools to enhance productivity, learning, and decision-making.
• Bring experience working in fragile, conflict-affected, and violent (FCV) contexts and are encouraged to highlight relevant experience in their application materials, where applicable.

WBG Culture Attributes:

1. Sense of urgency: Anticipate and quickly respond to the needs of internal and external stakeholders.
2. Thoughtful risk-taking: Challenge the status quo and push boundaries to achieve greater impact.
3. Empowerment and accountability: Empower yourself and others to act and hold each other accountable for results.

World Bank Group Core Competencies


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.

This internal requisition is open to WBG andIMF staff only (including short-term and extended term consultants/temporaries). External candidates are requested not to apply. In case anexternal candidate applies, their application will not be considered.

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.