Lead Innovation Officer (Carbon Markets)
Apply NowCompany: The World Bank Group
Location: Washington, DC 20011
Description:
Lead Innovation Officer (Carbon Markets)
Job #:
req32394
Organization:
World Bank
Sector:
Investment
Grade:
GH
Term Duration:
3 years 0 months
Recruitment Type:
International Recruitment
Location:
Washington, DC,United States
Required Language(s):
Preferred Language(s):
Closing Date:
4/3/2025 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC
Description
Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? Working at the World Bank provides a unique opportunity for you to help our clients solve their greatest development challenges. The World Bank 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. For more information, visit www.worldbank.org.
Office of the Senior Managing Director for Development Policy and Partnerships
The Senior Managing Director's (SMD) key mandate includes overseeing the Bank's knowledge and partnership programs and ensuring that the Bank's analytical work continues to address the pressing development challenges facing client countries and global partners. The office is responsible for the Evolution Roadmap, G20 and G7 engagements, the implementation of the Knowledge Compact, as well as the replenishment of IDA, the Bank's concessional lending arm for the poorest countries. It provides strategic guidance on the WB's global knowledge and IDA corporate commitments; oversees key partnerships with shareholders, development agencies, other multilateral development banks (MDBs) and academia; helps shape and drive the Bank's strategic directions; and through the Trust Fund portfolio in Global Practices, mobilizes support and financial resources across the international community to bring concessionally to our work.
Building on the progress of past efforts, the WBG Knowledge Compact for Action aims to empower clients, public and private, by systematically making the latest knowledge available to respond more effectively to increasingly complex development challenges. This includes knowledge embedded in policy advice, expertise and know-how, including from financing operations, as well as the latest research, data and tools to formulate robust development policies and programs. The Compact will deliver this knowledge to clients under the four pillars of enhanced products, partnerships, learning and systems. To advance the knowledge agenda, the practice groups will be organized into five vertical vice presidencies aligned with the new mission (People, Prosperity, Planet, Infrastructure and Digital). In addition, three new departments are being created to enhance coordination, integration and outcome orientation across the WBG.
Department for Innovation
The Department for Innovation was established to drive forward-thinking approaches to address complex development challenges facing the world today. It has three pillars to its work program: i) lead innovation initiatives -in collaboration with the verticals, regions, corporate units, IFC and MIGA-, that help strengthen the implementation of the evolution agenda and find new solutions for development challenges; (ii) build a collaborative and experimental innovation ecosystem within the institution; and, (iii) evaluate innovation initiatives to measure their effectiveness, efficiency, and impact for potential scaling in the Bank's interventions
Under the first pillar of the work program, with input from across the WBG, and senior management guidance, the Department has selected three initial priority innovation initiatives on which it will collaborate with relevant business and corporate units.
Department for Innovation and Carbon Markets Initiative
Catalyzing carbon markets, with focus on the energy sector. Carbon markets have the potential to generate material volumes of private finance to respond to the climate emergency and to finance green and equitable growth in middle- and low- income countries. However, they are facing significant challenges in taking off, primarily due to lack of trust in the integrity of credits. This initiative will design and implement a comprehensive wrap-around support for WB client countries interested in selling high impact, high integrity, emissions reductions credits generated through WBG operations to high-integrity buyers. The goal will be to generate interest from both supply and demand side for investing in high integrity carbon credit generation and purchase. The initiative is expected to focus on emissions reductions credits with digital Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) systems as a key element to generate trust and include operations in the energy sector where there is large potential for scaling. The initiative will start with focus on the ASCENT program/Mission 300 projects that are anticipated to generate digital credits. There may be additional regions interested in participating in the pilot and this will be assessed as part of the initiative.
The Director of Innovation is seeking a Lead Innovation Officer with advanced technical skills and who is highly motivated to lead the innovation initiative. The Lead Innovation Officer will work in collaboration with colleagues from CCG and AFE and with 1-2 staff within the Department for Innovation. The initiative will be overseen by the Director of Innovation, the Director of the Climate Change Group and the Regional Director for Infrastructure, AFE. (If programs beyond ASCENT become pilots, additional RDs may be added).
Duties and accountabilities:
Develop the strategy and implementation plan for the innovation initiative jointly with relevant business unit co-leaders.
a) Define the objective and duration of each phase of the innovation process (focus, discover, conceive/ideate, prototype/test, implement).
b) Define key results/outcomes at the end of each phase and critical milestones.
Lead the cross-unit team through the innovation process, including facilitating all virtual and in-person working sessions.
Conduct critical work in each phase of the process and ensure timely execution. This may include leading primary research with target clients, managing the working relationship and deliverables with external team members, and defining the prototyping and testing plans.
Review and guide work by all members of the initiative team.
Lead reporting for the initiative. This includes preparing updates for the Director, Innovation and the business unit directors, leading the preparation for meetings with the relevant VPs.
Provide ongoing updates for communications and storytelling on innovation (for internal and external use) and for the creation of an institution-wide learning program on innovation.
In the implementation phase, begin planning and coordinating across relevant WBG teams, including country teams, to prepare for potential acceleration, scaling, and integration.
Selection Criteria
Advanced degree (PhD or Masters) in environmental science, engineering, energy studies, economics, finance, law or related field.
Minimum 12 years of experience leading innovation and transformative projects, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Technical expertise in climate/carbon markets, ideally in the energy sector, but environment sector may also work.
Deep experience in WBG operations, processes and client engagement
Proven ability in facilitating/leading cross-functional collaborations with internal and external partners. You should be a "connector"!
Experience establishing new teams, defining priorities and achieving challenging goals.
Strategic and systems thinker, able to see the big picture and connect the dots.
Empathic, collaborative, high EQ and people skills. High-level of integrity and discretion, sound business judgment, and inter-personal skills.
Credible and trusted, strong communicator, able to lead with courage of conviction.
Passionate about driving innovation and solving complex global challenges.
Experience in leading a human/user-centered innovation process (Design Thinking) is desirable.
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.
Job #:
req32394
Organization:
World Bank
Sector:
Investment
Grade:
GH
Term Duration:
3 years 0 months
Recruitment Type:
International Recruitment
Location:
Washington, DC,United States
Required Language(s):
Preferred Language(s):
Closing Date:
4/3/2025 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC
Description
Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? Working at the World Bank provides a unique opportunity for you to help our clients solve their greatest development challenges. The World Bank 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. For more information, visit www.worldbank.org.
Office of the Senior Managing Director for Development Policy and Partnerships
The Senior Managing Director's (SMD) key mandate includes overseeing the Bank's knowledge and partnership programs and ensuring that the Bank's analytical work continues to address the pressing development challenges facing client countries and global partners. The office is responsible for the Evolution Roadmap, G20 and G7 engagements, the implementation of the Knowledge Compact, as well as the replenishment of IDA, the Bank's concessional lending arm for the poorest countries. It provides strategic guidance on the WB's global knowledge and IDA corporate commitments; oversees key partnerships with shareholders, development agencies, other multilateral development banks (MDBs) and academia; helps shape and drive the Bank's strategic directions; and through the Trust Fund portfolio in Global Practices, mobilizes support and financial resources across the international community to bring concessionally to our work.
Building on the progress of past efforts, the WBG Knowledge Compact for Action aims to empower clients, public and private, by systematically making the latest knowledge available to respond more effectively to increasingly complex development challenges. This includes knowledge embedded in policy advice, expertise and know-how, including from financing operations, as well as the latest research, data and tools to formulate robust development policies and programs. The Compact will deliver this knowledge to clients under the four pillars of enhanced products, partnerships, learning and systems. To advance the knowledge agenda, the practice groups will be organized into five vertical vice presidencies aligned with the new mission (People, Prosperity, Planet, Infrastructure and Digital). In addition, three new departments are being created to enhance coordination, integration and outcome orientation across the WBG.
Department for Innovation
The Department for Innovation was established to drive forward-thinking approaches to address complex development challenges facing the world today. It has three pillars to its work program: i) lead innovation initiatives -in collaboration with the verticals, regions, corporate units, IFC and MIGA-, that help strengthen the implementation of the evolution agenda and find new solutions for development challenges; (ii) build a collaborative and experimental innovation ecosystem within the institution; and, (iii) evaluate innovation initiatives to measure their effectiveness, efficiency, and impact for potential scaling in the Bank's interventions
Under the first pillar of the work program, with input from across the WBG, and senior management guidance, the Department has selected three initial priority innovation initiatives on which it will collaborate with relevant business and corporate units.
Department for Innovation and Carbon Markets Initiative
Catalyzing carbon markets, with focus on the energy sector. Carbon markets have the potential to generate material volumes of private finance to respond to the climate emergency and to finance green and equitable growth in middle- and low- income countries. However, they are facing significant challenges in taking off, primarily due to lack of trust in the integrity of credits. This initiative will design and implement a comprehensive wrap-around support for WB client countries interested in selling high impact, high integrity, emissions reductions credits generated through WBG operations to high-integrity buyers. The goal will be to generate interest from both supply and demand side for investing in high integrity carbon credit generation and purchase. The initiative is expected to focus on emissions reductions credits with digital Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) systems as a key element to generate trust and include operations in the energy sector where there is large potential for scaling. The initiative will start with focus on the ASCENT program/Mission 300 projects that are anticipated to generate digital credits. There may be additional regions interested in participating in the pilot and this will be assessed as part of the initiative.
The Director of Innovation is seeking a Lead Innovation Officer with advanced technical skills and who is highly motivated to lead the innovation initiative. The Lead Innovation Officer will work in collaboration with colleagues from CCG and AFE and with 1-2 staff within the Department for Innovation. The initiative will be overseen by the Director of Innovation, the Director of the Climate Change Group and the Regional Director for Infrastructure, AFE. (If programs beyond ASCENT become pilots, additional RDs may be added).
Duties and accountabilities:
Develop the strategy and implementation plan for the innovation initiative jointly with relevant business unit co-leaders.
a) Define the objective and duration of each phase of the innovation process (focus, discover, conceive/ideate, prototype/test, implement).
b) Define key results/outcomes at the end of each phase and critical milestones.
Lead the cross-unit team through the innovation process, including facilitating all virtual and in-person working sessions.
Conduct critical work in each phase of the process and ensure timely execution. This may include leading primary research with target clients, managing the working relationship and deliverables with external team members, and defining the prototyping and testing plans.
Review and guide work by all members of the initiative team.
Lead reporting for the initiative. This includes preparing updates for the Director, Innovation and the business unit directors, leading the preparation for meetings with the relevant VPs.
Provide ongoing updates for communications and storytelling on innovation (for internal and external use) and for the creation of an institution-wide learning program on innovation.
In the implementation phase, begin planning and coordinating across relevant WBG teams, including country teams, to prepare for potential acceleration, scaling, and integration.
Selection Criteria
Advanced degree (PhD or Masters) in environmental science, engineering, energy studies, economics, finance, law or related field.
Minimum 12 years of experience leading innovation and transformative projects, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Technical expertise in climate/carbon markets, ideally in the energy sector, but environment sector may also work.
Deep experience in WBG operations, processes and client engagement
Proven ability in facilitating/leading cross-functional collaborations with internal and external partners. You should be a "connector"!
Experience establishing new teams, defining priorities and achieving challenging goals.
Strategic and systems thinker, able to see the big picture and connect the dots.
Empathic, collaborative, high EQ and people skills. High-level of integrity and discretion, sound business judgment, and inter-personal skills.
Credible and trusted, strong communicator, able to lead with courage of conviction.
Passionate about driving innovation and solving complex global challenges.
Experience in leading a human/user-centered innovation process (Design Thinking) is desirable.
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.