Practice Manager, Governance (Public Sector & Financial Management)
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Job #: |
req35478 |
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Organization: |
World Bank |
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Sector: |
Governance |
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Grade: |
GH |
| Term Duration: | 5 years 0 months |
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Recruitment Type: |
International Recruitment |
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Location: |
Pretoria,South Africa |
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Required Language(s): |
English |
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Preferred Language(s): |
French, Portuguese |
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Closing Date: |
2/11/2026 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC |
Description
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 and promoting shared prosperity. 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. For more information, visit www.worldbank.org.
Eastern and Southern Africa (AFE) Region:
Home to about 700 million of Africa’s people, Eastern and Southern Africa is a geographically, culturally and economically diverse region of 26 countries stretching from the Red Sea in the North to the Cape of Good Hope in the South.
The Region has been helping countries realize their considerable development potential by focusing on priorities detailed in the World Bank Africa strategy, including responding to the pandemic, reducing their debt burden, addressing climate change, and promoting jobs with economic transformation. Towards that end, the Region has prioritized macroeconomic stability, expanding access to power, digital development, food insecurity, water and sanitation, and human capital. Policy and institutional reforms are integral to promoting growth and supporting the sectoral priorities with a view to private capital, mobilization, and jobs. The strategy also prioritizes regional integration, especially in the context of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement.
The multiplicity of crises has set back the gains of the past several years, pushing millions into poverty, accentuating inequalities, and deepening vulnerabilities. The Bank has responded to the urgent needs through scaled up support, innovative financing, and timely interventions in close collaboration with other development partners. This is a huge agenda, to not only reverse the development losses but to seek new drivers of sustainable growth and job creation.
The Region is looking for dedicated professionals to join our dynamic and diverse team. We need the best and brightest talent, to bring innovative ideas, global solutions and strong partnerships to harness the potential of the people in our client countries.
EAEDR-Departmental context:
The Prosperity Africa East department (EAE) consists of 270+ staff of which over two-thirds are decentralized in country offices. Prosperity AFE is led by the Regional Practice Director (RPD) who is supported by the management team including 9 Practice Managers from all 4 Prosperity GPs (FCI, Governance, Economic Policy, and Poverty and Equity) covering the 6 Country Management Units (CMUs) in the AFE region. The department has a strong and growing lending pipeline. EAE teams also work on delivering a rich program of strategic ASAs. A hallmark of the staff’s work is their collaboration across PGs, GPs, and organizational units to provide integrated solutions for our clients.
The major focus of the department’s work is on inclusive growth and resilience through addressing economic policy distortions, promoting private sector development, strengthening governance, and ensuring equity. The department is at the forefront of innovation in many areas of development including economic empowerment, drivers of growth and jobs, and economic and social resilience.
The department’s work program has grown, with about $5 billion delivered in FY25. Prosperity staff also contributed to many operations led by other Verticals. The department continues to improve upon key portfolio indicators such as the disbursement ratio and on corporate priorities such as climate co-benefits, gender tagging, and private capital enabling and mobilization. In addition, the fiduciary teams within EAEDR are providing critical support across the extraordinary volume of AFE operations. Notably, in response to economic shocks, EAEDR responded through DPOs as well as P4Rs and IPFs.
Prosperity is composed of four Global Practices (GPs):
• Economic Policy (EP) - consist of country economists and trade, fiscal and debt specialists that support macroeconomic and structural reforms.
• Governance GP – consists of public sector, financial management and procurement specialists to support institutional and governance reforms and provide fiduciary support to all Bank operations.
• Poverty and Equity GP – consists of micro, labor and development economists to build the evidence base, provide advice and operational support to ensure country policies and WBG interventions are inclusive.
• The FCI GP is comprised of two directorates: the Finance directorate, and the Trade, Investment and Competitiveness (TIC) directorate. The GP aims to support client countries to create an enabling environment in which financial stability, efficiency and firm-level solutions are provided in an integrated way to crowd in the private sector, support the creation of markets, and accelerate equitable growth.
The Prosperity Vertical is seeking a Practice Manager for the EAEG2 unit in the Governance Global Practice.
Within the Africa East Vice Presidency, Prosperity is seeking to recruit an outstanding Governance (Public Sector & Financial Management) Practice Manager based in Pretoria, South Africa. The EAEG2 unit covers three Country Management Units, namely: AECS1 (South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, and Namibia), AECS2 (Mozambique, Madagascar, Mauritius, Comoros, and Seychelles), and AECC2 (DRC, Angola, Burundi, Sao Tome).It is also responsible for Regional aspects, specifically FM oversight of the Regional Integration portfolio and for an AUC operation based in Addis and Accra.
The unit has strong focus on strengthening governance through promoting inclusive institutions, openness and transparency, and citizens voice and participation. The program includes strengthening public sector institutions including decentralization, SOE reforms and effective public financial management. The unit also provides fiduciary support on financial management to the entire EAEG2 project portfolio.
Duties and Accountabilities
The PM will collaborate across technical, geographic and institutional boundaries to help design and deliver governance solutions through lending, ASA and strengthening fiduciary systems for a diverse range of clients, while supporting global knowledge flows that share knowledge and practical development experience with other countries, assuring that lessons from outside the region are reflecting in the Bank-supported programs. The PM is a member of the Prosperity Africa East Leadership Team and coordinates closely with the other Practice Managers of the Prosperity Department, and the Regional Management Team. The PM is also a member of the Governance Global Practice Leadership Team which sets the strategic global direction of the GP, which includes membership in the Governance Talent Board to oversee the strategic staffing, career development and deployment of GP staff across the Bank.
Note: This internal requisition is open to WB and IMF staff only (including short-term and extended term consultants/ temporaries). External candidates are requested not to apply. In case an external candidate applies, their application will not be considered.
Selection Criteria
The PM is responsible for the following areas:
• Leading the public sector and financial management team to deliver the region’s and GP’s key strategic priorities in governance and fiduciary assurance.
• Working in collaboration with Division Directors, ensuring alignment with the WBG Strategy and Country Partnership Framework, in delivering strategic engagement, lending, ASA, and fiduciary assurance.
• Working in partnership with the other Governance PM in the region and with PMs in other GPs, as well as public and private stakeholders, in order to find tailored and holistic solutions to complex development challenges.
• Inspiring and driving technical excellence within the team and the GP by creating an environment of learning, innovation and empowerment that attracts, develops and supports high level talent reflective of the diversity of our clients.
• Supporting GP management in developing and implementing appropriate strategies for global staffing, deployment, talent and performance management.
• Effectively communicating to various audiences, including key stakeholders, clients, beneficiaries, general public, internal and external partners.
• Has a Master’s degree (Ph.D. preferred) in economics, finance, public finance, accounting, laws and public policy in line with our core competencies with at least twelve (12) years of relevant professional experience.
• Has excellent leadership and supervisory skills with established track record managing multi-location and virtual teams.
• Has strong operational and development experience and track record, including experience in more than one VPU (including IBRD, MIGA, and IFC), and in more than one world region of those relevant to these positions.
• Has technical knowledge and experience in the areas described above is desirable, though solid managerial and influencing skills are at a premium for these positions.
• Has demonstrated in-depth experience and track record of results and successfully working across practices, disciplinary and institutional boundaries.
• Has strong sense of strategy, including development of tailored country engagement and ability to prioritize and exit some activities; track record in streamlining and rationalizing product offerings.
• Has strong partnership experience, including involving multiple stakeholders – governmental and non-governmental- in building collaborative alliances for results.
• Has experience in applying best practice know-how and effective policy dialogue to achieve development results.
• Has strong written and oral communication skills with proven experience in dealing with the media, external constituencies and expert groups.
• French and/or Portuguese language skills will be an advantage.
WBG Leadership Values and Managerial Behaviors:
• Leadership of Self: Role model the change and values for WBG; Demonstrate courage of convictions, ownership and self-mastery within the organization in accordance to our values
• People Leadership: Lead and inspire staff to perform and deliver for better results; Help others achieve their fullest potential through coaching and mentorship
• Collaborative Leadership: Be mutually accountable for entire WBG’s corporate targets and success; Work across WBG and with clients and partners to achieve better results
• Client Solutions Leadership: Be the leading provider of development solutions for country clients; Provide leadership in both knowledge generation and knowledge sharing
• Decisive Leadership: Take informed risks and make decisions in a transparent manner resulting in transformative impact for clients; Commit to decisions once they have been made.
WBG 5 Managerial Competencies: Courage of your convictions; Leading Teams for impact; Influencing across boundaries; Fostering openness to new ideas; and Building talent for the future
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.
