External Affairs Officer

Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? 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 poverty on a livable planet. 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

Established in 1944, the World Bank Group (WBG) is one of the world’s largest sources of funding and knowledge for development solutions. In fiscal year 2023, the World Bank committed $72.8 billion in 94 countries. It is governed by 189-member countries and delivers services out of 120 offices with nearly 15,000 staff located globally. 

The WBG consists of five specialized institutions: the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), the International Development Association (IDA), the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), and the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). The World Bank is organized into seven client-facing Regional Vice-Presidencies, several corporate functions, and Global Practices to bring best-in-class knowledge and solutions to regional and country clients.

The mandate of the External and Corporate Relations (ECR) Vice Presidency is to strengthen the WBG’s development impact by increasing public support for, and awareness of, the mission and work of the WBG. ECR colleagues provide trusted advice, stakeholder engagement and communications strategies in support of our advocacy goals, while enhancing and protecting the reputation of the institution. ECR manages global engagement with key stakeholders, including media, civil society, private sector, donor countries, and multilateral and international organizations (including the EU, OECD, and UN agencies); and manages corporate communications, including online and social media; issues and reputational risk management; and employee engagement.

External and Corporate Affairs – Western Europe 

ECR Western Europe manages relationships with key stakeholders, including government counterparts, parliament, civil society, private sector, media, academia and international organizations in the traditional European development partner and donor countries. As part of the World Bank’s External and Corporate Relations function in Western Europe, the World Bank’s Rome Office (the Rome Office) is responsible for leading the dialogue between the World Bank and Southern European countries (Italy, Portugal, Spain, Cyprus and Greece), the Vatican, and support the dialogue with United Nations organizations based in Rome (FAO- Food and Agriculture Organization, IFAD-International Fund for Agricultural Development, and WFP-World Food Program).

ECRWE – Italy and the Rome Office

The ECRWE team in Rome is led by the Special Representative to Southern Europe, based in Rome. The overall objective of the External Affairs Officer is to support the World Bank Group’s stakeholder relationships in Southern Europe and raise the visibility of the expanded operational footprint of the Rome Office.

The External Affairs Officer is responsible for providing analysis and advice to ECR Western Europe leadership and WBG Senior Management on policy dialogue, development priorities and overall authorizing environment relative to the WBG mission and activities in Southern Europe. This includes maintaining a strong dialogue with Southern Europe authorities and stakeholders, staying abreast of political and economic developments, and implementing multi-constituency outreach programs in said countries.

S/he reports to ECR Special Representative to Southern Europe, who is also based in Rome.

Country Dialogue with Southern Europe

The External Affairs Officer is part of the ECR Western Europe team of Country Counselors, who advance the development agenda of the World Bank and of the international community across the Western European capitals. Each member of the team works on one specific country or country cluster and, at the same time, contributes to the broader analysis of the partner landscape. This means that, in addition to the primary country responsibility, each team member will have secondary tasks that advance European policy dialogues, business intelligence gathering and resource mobilization.

Specifically, the country dialogue with Southern European countries aims to:

• Maintain a strong dialogue with and enhance the cooperation between the WBG and Southern European countries.
• Strengthen the financial, political, institutional and knowledge partnerships with national institutions and stakeholders.
• Foster communication and outreach with key constituencies, including parliaments, civil society, think tanks, private sector, foundations, and academia.
• Increase the practical collaboration between WBG units, including the Global Practices (GPs) and Operational teams.

European Media Team. 

The media team coordinates with ECR Western Europe’s Country Counselors on the overall outreach to the media in Western Europe. The External Affairs Officer works closely with the World Bank’s corporate media team in Europe.

Duties & Accountabilities:

Country Dialogue with Southern European Countries. 

The External Affairs Officer is expected to play a key role in supporting the Country Dialogue with the Southern European countries, including:

• Planning, coordinating, and implementing outreach activities of the World Bank in the Southern European countries, as agreed with the ECR Special Representative to Southern Europe.
• Preparing regular or on-demand briefs on political and economic issues concerning the Southern European countries.
• Provide donor intelligence on the Southern European countries.

Specifically, the External Affairs Officer is expected to handle the following tasks:

Planning and Program:

• Identify counterparts, partners, priorities, and thematic foci for the World Bank’s outreach in the Southern European countries and support the preparation of a comprehensive outreach strategy.
• Support the implementation of the outreach strategy, focusing on key constituencies in the Southern European countries, including governments and parliaments, civil society, academia and think tanks.

Research, Analysis and Briefing:

• Prepare in-depth political and economic analyses, taking into consideration the impact of national policies, trends, and attitudes on a country’s bilateral and multilateral development cooperation.
• Prepare briefings for meetings between World Bank management/staff and counterparts, including for the World Bank Spring and Annual Meetings, World Bank staff visits, and other briefing requests.
• Tracking developments in the authorizing environment of Southern Europe and flagging risks and opportunities for stakeholder engagement for senior management and Rome Office staff, as agreed with the ECR Special Representative to Southern Europe.

Networking:

• Liaise, manage, and maintain relationships with key development cooperation partners.
• Identify and establish relationships with auxiliary partners in the broader authorizing environment.

Visits and Events:

• Organize events, seminars, and conferences and/or, if applicable, WBG staff participation in events, seminars, or conferences in the Southern European countries.
• Organize and manage logistics and schedules of visits of WBG Senior Management.

Rome Office Teams Coordination 

• Support the World Bank Special Representative to Southern Europe in overseeing and coordinating the activities of various teams within the Rome Office, which include multiple World Bank Group (WBG) units. Ensure seamless collaboration and communication among these teams to enhance the operational efficiency of the office.
• Plan and organize regular meetings between the different units within the Rome Office. Prepare agendas, coordinate schedules, and ensure that follow-up actions are documented and tracked to completion.
• Assist in the development and implementation of strategic initiatives that require cross-unit cooperation. Provide support in planning, execution, and monitoring of these initiatives to ensure alignment with the overall objectives of the WBG.

Read Full Description