External Affairs Officer

External Affairs Officer

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 www.worldbank.org.

Background

The Communications and External Relations’ Global Engagement (CERGE) Department serves as the World Bank Group's central coordination hub for engagement with external stakeholders, including thought leaders from think tanks, academic institutions, researchers, and influential policy networks. CERGE supports the World Bank Group's evolution as a Knowledge Bank by strengthening relationships with leading centers of policy research and intellectual leadership worldwide. CERGE also provides strategic advisory services, stakeholder intelligence, and coordination mechanisms that enable effective engagement across the institution.

Within CERGE, the Stakeholder Engagement team leads engagement with external stakeholders to strengthen dialogue, bring stakeholder perspectives and intelligence into the institution, and support informed engagement on World Bank Group priorities. Its areas of work include thought leadership; engagement with civil society, faith-based organizations and youth; stakeholder engagement strategy and systems; and engagement with emerging stakeholders and business associations. Across these areas, the team manages strategic relationships, advises leadership and operational teams, coordinates engagement across the World Bank Group, and supports sustained follow-up.

Within the team’s thought leadership work, CERGE seeks an External Affairs Officer to lead engagement with think tanks and academia. The position will support the development and implementation of the World Bank Group’s thought leadership engagement strategy, strengthen strategic relationships and partnerships, provide stakeholder intelligence, and expand opportunities for policy dialogue and knowledge collaboration.

Duties and Accountabilities

The External Affairs Officer will serve as the focal point for engagement with think tanks and academic institutions within the Stakeholder Engagement team’s Thought Leadership pillar. The role will lead relationship management and strategic engagement with priority institutions, while working across the team’s other pillars and with relevant World Bank Group counterparts to ensure coordinated outreach, strong institutional visibility, and systematic follow-up.

A. Strategic Engagement and Relationship Management 

The selected candidate will:

•  Develop and implement engagement strategies and annual workplans for priority think tanks, academic institutions, and policy research networks.

•  Manage relationships with high-priority institutions and identify opportunities for deeper collaboration around World Bank Group priorities.

•  Coordinate outreach and engagement activities involving senior World Bank Group leadership and external thought leaders.

•  Support the expansion of CERGE's global network of partners, including increased engagement with institutions in emerging and developing economies.

•  Maintain and continuously update stakeholder profiles, engagement plans, and institutional intelligence.

Expected Outputs

•  Annual engagement plans for priority institutions.

•  Stakeholder mapping and relationship management products.

•  Engagement reports and follow-up action plans.

•  Recommendations on strategic partnership opportunities.

B. Strategic Advisory and Intelligence

The selected candidate will:

•  Monitor developments across the global think tank and academic landscape and identify trends relevant to World Bank Group priorities.

•  Produce stakeholder analyses, institutional profiles, briefing materials, and strategic assessments.

•  Conduct due diligence and background research on prospective partners.

•  Provide intelligence and analysis to support leadership decision-making and external engagement.

•  Identify reputational risks and engagement opportunities emerging from thought leadership communities.

Expected Outputs

•  Strategic intelligence briefs and monitoring reports.

•  Stakeholder assessments and due diligence products.

•  Briefings for think tanks and academia.

•  Briefing notes and leadership talking points.

•  Trend analyses and opportunity assessments.

C. Policy Dialogue and Thought Leadership Engagement

The selected candidate will:

•  Design and coordinate policy dialogues, roundtables, seminars, and other engagement opportunities with think tanks and academic institutions.

•  Support CERGE engagement around major institutional moments, including Spring meetings, Annual Meetings, and other priority convenings.

•  Develop concepts and engagement models that strengthen policy dialogue between World Bank Group experts and external thought leaders.

•  Facilitate connections between external researchers and relevant World Bank Group teams.

•  Promote dissemination and exchange of research, evidence, and analytical insights relevant to World Bank Group priorities.

Expected Outputs

•  Policy dialogue and roundtable programs.

•  Event concepts and engagement plans.

•  Meeting summaries and follow-up recommendations.

•  Stakeholder engagement materials and communications products.

D. Coordination and Knowledge Management

The selected candidate will:

•  Support implementation of CERGE's coordination role for thought leadership engagement across the World Bank Group.

•  Develop and maintain relationship management tools, stakeholder databases, and knowledge repositories.

•  Coordinate with regional, Global Practice, IFC, and MIGA counterparts to ensure visibility on external engagement activities.

•  Contribute to institutional reporting and tracking related to think tank and academic engagement.

Expected Outputs

•  Stakeholder tracking systems and reports.

•  Institutional knowledge products.

•  Partnership and engagement dashboards.

•  Coordination mechanisms and operating procedures.

Selection Criteria

•  Master's degree in international relations, public policy, economics, political science, communications, development studies, or a related field with 5 years of relevant professional experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.

•  Demonstrated experience working with think tanks, academic institutions, policy networks, or research organizations.

•  Strong analytical, research, and writing skills.

•  Experience preparing briefing materials and strategic communications for senior leadership.

•  Ability to organize and manage briefing events featuring senior leadership.

•  Strong stakeholder management and relationship-building skills.

•  Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

•  Familiarity with international development issues and World Bank Group priorities is highly desirable.

•  Excellent written and spoken English.

Reporting Relationships

The External Affairs Officer will report to the Senior External Affairs Officer who leads the Thought Leadership portfolio. As part of the Stakeholder Engagement team, the position will collaborate with the Stakeholder Engagement Manager colleagues across the team’s areas of work, and regional teams, Global Practices, IFC, MIGA, and other internal stakeholders involved in thought leadership engagement.

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.

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.