Country Relations Officer (LAC)

Country Relations Officer (LAC) Job #: req37122 Organization: World Bank Sector: Environment Grade: GF Term Duration: 2 years 0 months Recruitment Type: International Recruitment Location: Washington, DC, United States Required Language(s): English Preferred Language(s): Spanish, French, Portuguese (highly desirable) Closing Date: 6/30/2026 at 11:59pm UTC The GEF Programming Division seeks a Country Relations Officer to support the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region. The officer will lead capacity‑building programs with country counterparts, conduct project reviews, monitor portfolio progress, and drive engagement strategies to advance GEF’s environmental agenda. Responsibilities Provide day‑to‑day coordination and manage strategic engagement with GEF recipient country focal points (Operational Focal Points, Political Focal Points, GEF Council Members, and Alternate Members). Contribute to the development of training/workshop materials and deliver timely information, relevant training, and updates on GEF operational policies and guidelines. Support Division‑wide efforts to engage and build effective partnerships with recipient countries per the GEF Country Engagement Strategy. Help implement the GEF Country Engagement Strategy. Maintain formal and informal communication channels with GEF focal points, Convention Focal Points, and other stakeholders; address operational issues promptly. Engage and collaborate with operational and political focal points, civil society partners, GEF Agencies, and other stakeholders; advocate GEF and key stakeholders in the Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs). Manage and direct strategic engagement and collaboration with operational and policy focal points, civil society partners, implementing agencies, and GEF Secretariat staff. Support the Division team in effective collaboration across Focal Areas, Integrated Programs, and Regional Teams. Contribute to the development of Division strategies as directed. Lead development and maintenance of relationships with focal points in designated countries. Serve as the GEF Secretariat focal point for operational and political focal points, council members, and other stakeholders. Onboard newly appointed focal points and introduce them to their roles, country portfolio, GEF policies, available funding resources, and results framework. Lead dialogue with focal points to identify training needs, requests, challenges, and opportunities to address these. Act as a focal point for GEF colleagues in resolving issues requiring focal point involvement. Lead capacity‑building activities within the region in collaboration with Regional Coordinators, Partnerships team, and partners. Prepare or contribute to country briefs and analytical products as requested. During replenishment, support the regional representative in meetings and follow up on regional coordination. Organize workshops and meetings such as GEF Constituency Workshops, National Dialogues, Constituency Meetings, Introduction Seminars, Stakeholder Engagement Series, and other workshops to build stakeholder capacity. Support Council members and constituencies in developing and maintaining good relations with their governments. Organize virtual or face‑to‑face constituency meetings and lead them, presenting decision items, preparing materials, facilitating Q&A, and fostering strong relationships. Coordinate with GEF Conventions, CEO FO, and Communication teams to facilitate participation of focal points in bilateral and high‑level events. Qualifications Master’s degree in a relevant discipline (e.g., social sciences, international relations, public policy, or related development field) and at least five years of relevant professional experience. Strong operational experience working with organizations that have governance structures similar to the GEF. Established track record of excellence in significant operational work and project management. Demonstrated ability to effectively engage and develop sound relationships with stakeholders, international organizations, development agencies, scientific and technical bodies, private sector entities, developing‑country counterparts, and NGOs. Experience working in developing countries, particularly in conservation and sustainable development. Excellent oral and written communication skills. Ability to interact effectively with countries and agencies and represent GEFSEC in delivering high‑quality, technically sound work with internal and external partners. Flexibility in adjusting to changing work‑program requirements in a dynamic and fast‑paced environment. Experience in designing and executing conservation and sustainable development projects is preferred. Experience in developing and implementing GEF projects is desirable. Excellence in written and spoken English and Spanish are essential. Knowledge of Portuguese is desirable. Understanding of the GEF's policies, procedures, and operational modalities. Willingness to frequently travel to global, regional, and national GEF‑related events. We are proud to be an equal‑opportunity and inclusive employer and do not discriminate based on gender, gender identity, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability. #J-18808-Ljbffr World Bank Group