Executive Assistant
Job #: req31646
Organization: World Bank
Sector: Administration/Office Support
Grade: GC
Term Duration: 2 years 0 months
Recruitment Type: Local Recruitment
Location: Amman,Jordan
Required Language(s): English & Arabic
Preferred Language(s)
Closing Date: 2/24/2025 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC
Description
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. Visit www.worldbank.org .
Regional Context
Countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region confront a vast array of development challenges, from an uncertain and uneven recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic to the implications of decelerating global economy, deepening geopolitical divisions, protracted regional conflicts, and climate change. These overlapping crises are amplified by longstanding structural relating to economic governance that contribute to an outsized presence of the state in the economy, high unemployment rates among women and youth, and limited intraregional trade and investment.
Overcoming these challenges will allow MENA countries to realize their vast development potential, endowed as the region is with a rapidly growing and highly educated population, geo-strategic location, and abundance of renewable energy potential. To unlock this potential, the World Bank is advancing inclusive, sustainable, and resilient development through a two-pronged strategy that seeks to respond to sudden and severe crises while supporting reforms that spur structural transformation and job creation, advance gender equity, strengthen regional cooperation, and accelerate green transitions. This strategy is operationalized through a differentiated approach that reflects the distinct circumstances of the World Bank’s clients in the region, comprising 20 countries that range from active IBRD borrowers and IDA recipients to recipients of reimbursable advisory services and non-active countries with whom the Bank maintains a policy dialogue. For more on the World Bank in MENA, visit www.worldbank.org/en/region/mena .
The Mashreq Department
The World Bank Mashreq Department (MNC02) is situated at the center of the MNA Region, serving four Middle Income Countries (Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon) and 1 IDA country (Syria) which comprise a total population of approximately 160 million. Since the establishment of the department, the Country Management Unit (CMU) has been keen on devising projects to cater for the specific development needs of the aforementioned countries through lending, grants, as well as Advisory Services and Analytics.
The World Bank’s Country Partnership Framework (CPF) for Jordan (2024-2029) outlines the key pillars of the World Bank’s partnership with Jordan to: 1) create more and better private sector jobs by focusing on high-priority investment-enabling reforms and high-potential sectors; 2) improve human capital outcomes—targeting education reforms linked to future jobs, the health sector, and more sustainable social protection support; and 3) increase resilience and sustainability, including in the water, energy and urban development sectors. The CPF also includes people-centric governance, digitalization, and support for Jordan as a refugee host as focus themes across the country program. As of January 2024, IBRD’s active portfolio in Jordan comprised 16 projects valued at US$3.9 billion in loans, concessional financing, and grants. The World Bank’s programs in Jordan are complemented by Advisory Services and Analytics designed to provide important economic and social evidence-based diagnostics, which serve as a public good available to all stakeholders. The World Bank Office in Jordan includes 36 staff working across diverse sectors and functions.
Duties
The primary responsibility of the Executive Assistant will be to provide comprehensive administrative and proactive executive support to the Head of Office for the World Bank in Jordan. S/he will also work closely as part of the MNCO2 Executive Management Team overseeing the World Bank Mashreq Department (CMU). Specifically, s/he will be responsible for, but may not be limited to, the following duties:
- Executive assistance: Provide with the highest level of discretion, a wide range of executive assistance and administrative support to the Head of Office, including: managing calendars and workflow; arranging appointments and missions; independently resolving scheduling conflicts; screening and prioritizing correspondence, including printing as needed; and monitoring activities and deliverables to ensure appropriate and timely follow-up.
- Communication with clients: Serve as first point of contact and liaison with an extensive network of internal and external clients at all levels, including the most senior levels within the World Bank Group, with client counterparts in the Government of Jordan, and broader country-level stakeholders - handling sensitive matters with finesse and discretion.
- Calendar management: Keep the Head of Office on schedule within a manageable day, managing appointments, and ensuring adequate time between meetings, in communication with senior officials, international partners, and other stakeholders in Jordan.
- Correspondence management: Proactively handle incoming emails. Delegate these to the relevant staff members and following up to make sure that they are handled on time. Independently prepare answers to queries and follow up to ensure that management decisions and assignments are properly carried out. Routinely prepare correspondence on a range of topics on behalf of the Head of Office and prepare minutes of meetings. Maintain a strong overview of the Jordan Office work program, ensuring timely delivery of tasks needed by the Head of Office and that the CMU action list is consistently current.
- Office management: Oversee and support all administrative duties in the office and ensure that Jordan Office is operating smoothly, including liaising with facilities and security. Provide logistical support for Jordan Office’s ongoing real estate project and expansion.
- Support to high-level visits and events: Take administrative leadership for high-level visits to Jordan by WBG Senior Management, including preparing briefing books, in hard copy and/or One drive, and in Outlook for all meetings, including the relevant briefs, reports, documents and information. Ensure these are properly filed in well-structured folders (in paper and/or electronic format) for easy access. Lead logistical planning for meetings or equivalent events held in the office or sponsored by the office at the Head of Office request.
- Document management: Exercise quality enhancement for projects and documents ensuring adherence to departmental, VPU and institutional guidelines.
- Travel coordination: Coordinate travel arrangements, logistics, and travel briefing books for the Head of Office.
- Teamwork: Support and work collaboratively with members of the MNCO2 Executive Management Team, and with other Program Assistants in the Jordan Office, as well as with others in diverse work groups across the WBG. Serve as the HR Proxy for Jordan Office and coordinate closely with HR and other colleagues in the unit, on a range of issues, including internal/external recruitment of ACS staff, STC and STT hiring as necessary. Help to establish an environment where collaboration among team members is promoted and participate in knowledge sharing and dissemination.
- Undertake other duties and ad hoc assignments that may be assigned, including during absence of other staff and/or heavy work periods.
Selection Criteria
- Minimum education: Preferred Bachelor’s degree with minimum 3 years of relevant office administration experience, preferably with international development organizations.
- Energetic and efficient, comfortable working in a front office team, with ability to provide the full range of executive office support work at the highest level.
- Outstanding skills in organizing, prioritizing, scheduling, planning, and coordinating work and other activities internally and externally.
- Prior experience working in a Senior Management front office in the World Bank Group, and/or in another international organization, is highly desirable.
- Superior interpersonal and diplomacy skills including demonstrated ability to work in a team-oriented and multi-cultural environment; maturity and ability to interact with staff at all levels and to build strong working relationships with counterparts across the WBG.
- High degree of judgment, tact and diplomacy in handling effectively diverse and complex situations and client engagement. Proven track record in managing confidentiality. Sound judgment and ability to interact with clients with discretion and diplomacy.
- Excellent knowledge of Microsoft Office applications and proficiency of technology or/and systems relevant to functional area.
- High degree of resourcefulness with the ability to anticipate and solve problems and demonstrated willingness to go the extra mile.
- Ability to influence others, excellent team building, collaboration and partnering skills in high-pressure environments. Demonstrated ability to coach and mentor support staff.
- Language skills written and oral in English and Arabic.
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.
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.
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