Executive Assistant

Job Description

Description

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 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

Regional Context

The World Bank Group serves 30 client countries in the Latin America and the Caribbean Region (LCR). Clients range from large rapidly growing sophisticated middle-income clients to IDA countries to small Caribbean states to one fragile state. Despite immense resources, deep inequalities persist in most LCR countries, with nearly a quarter of the Region’s people living in poverty. The Bank’s strategy in LCR is focused on five pillars: (a) stimulating growth and improving competitiveness; (b) reducing poverty and inequality; (c) making governments and institutions work for people; (d) providing a platform for tackling global issues (climate change, trade, disease, migration); and (e) reducing risk, whether from extreme weather events, climate change, crime and violence, or other. During the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, LCR’s strategy is being adjusted to help counties respond to unprecedented health and economic crisis by saving lives; protecting poor and vulnerable people; ensuring sustainable business growth and job creation; and strengthening policies, institutions, and investments. The Bank will support countries in pursuing a green, inclusive, and resilient recovery.

CMU and Country Office Context

The LC1 Country Management Unit (CMU) is comprised of Mexico, Colombia and Venezuela. The Country Director (CD) is based in a decentralized office in Mexico City, supported by the Operations Manager, also based in Mexico City and an office in Bogota, Colombia, headed by a Country Manager. The LCCCO CMU is searching for an Executive Assistant (EA) to provide high quality administrative support to the Colombia Country Office, particularly in supporting the CMU activities in managing the country program implementation as well as other tasks detailed in this TOR. The Executive Assistant reports directly to the Country Manager.

Roles & Responsibilities:

The primary responsibilities of the Executive Assistant will be to provide comprehensive administrative and proactive executive support to the Country Manager and other members of the CMU based in Bogota. Demonstrated maturity, excellent communication skills, and ability to work independently are paramount pre-requisites for the position, given the high visibility of the Country Program and the substantial interaction required of the team with internal interlocutors (including WB Senior Management) and external interlocutors (including Government, other Development Partners, Civil society).

Specifically, s/he will be responsible for the following:

Time Management and Executive Assistant Support:

Work with a high level of discretion in providing wide-ranging executive assistance in setting and managing priorities and the workflow of the Country Manager.
Coordinate the Country Manager’s schedule of meetings and appointments to ensure effective time management; screen, track, prioritize and follow-up all incoming email and documents, preparing responses as requested.
Ensure relevant background documents and papers are available for meetings, deadlines are met, and documents requiring signature are of high quality and adhere to administrative and operational guidelines.
Prioritize and channel telephone calls and mail; monitor and follow-up on issues and priorities, ensuring that appropriate consultations take place.
Attend meetings as necessary and ensure appropriate follow-up.Drafts correspondence and prepares and ensures adherence to administrative guidelines and overall quality of outputs requiring the Country Manager’s signature.
Responsible for minute taking at Office Management Team meetings, Crisis Management Team and other meetings, as necessary
Provide administrative support for the Country Manager’s travel, including arranging travel, accommodation, handling expenses reports, etc.
Provide executive assistant support to the Country Director and/or VIP officials, when visiting Haiti.

Representation Contacts and Liaison:

As the first line contact with an extensive network of officials and dignitaries at the most senior level (both internal and external), the Executive Assistant will be expected to exercise judgment, tact and discretion in answering and or redirecting inquiries to appropriate sources; and in appropriately dealing with sensitive or highly confidential matters.
Establish and maintain a database of an effective network of contacts both inside and outside the LCCHT Front Office to ensure effective liaison in support of office needs.
Acts as a conduit between management and other staff and ensures flow of communications within the office.
Helps build and maintain a database with an effective network of contacts with government officials, donors, civil society, academia, business, HQ, and other country offices.

Overall Coordination of Administrative and Client Support (ACS) staff workflow:

Responsible for maintaining overview of the Administrative and Client Service (ACS) staff work program and workload by collaborating and coordinating with task team members on scheduling and resolving work priorities and coordinating ACS back-up and leave plans.
Oversees ACS staff including coaching, training and mentoring.
Provides overall guidance and feedback to ACS staff as part of the Performance Management process.
Coordinates with Management and ACS Regional Learning Coordinator on available learning resources.

Support to Country Office HR Administration:

Under the guidance of the HQ HR team, support the timely implementation of HR processes in the Country Office, including time recording, leave requests, etc.
Coordinates logistics for recruitment and appointment of all local hires.
Participates in the ACS staffing discussions and in the recruitment and selection of ACS, including organizing short listing and interview panels.
Provides orientation and guidance for new locally recruited staff.
Coordinates logistics for the Performance Management process for the Country Office.
Coordinates the Relocation and onboarding of International Staff (working in partnership with Global Mobility Center).This includes providing necessary information orientation on office organization. Orients new staff regarding the Country Office’s work guidelines.
Provides logistical support for staff leaving the office, in accordance with exit procedures.

Institutional and Regional responsibilities:

Actively participates as a member of the ACS Regional Leadership Team in implementing regional ACS initiatives.
Organizes and/or coordinates major events and learning programs (conferences, workshops, donor meetings, retreats and training programs).
Participates in the LCR ACS cross-regional initiatives.
Participates in applicable institutional/corporate activities outside the Country Office.
Other duties as applicable.

Selection Criteria

Undergraduate or Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of seven years of relevant experience with the proven ability to provide superior executive assistance to a manager level staff
Excellent command of English and Spanish language skills (verbal and written), including ability to draft and or/translate a variety of correspondence and edit materials using proper grammar, punctuation and style.
Strong team player with ability to interact tactfully and effectively with staff at all levels.
Extensive knowledge and understanding of Bank Group administrative/operational procedures.
Thorough knowledge of and proficiency in advanced functions of standard Bank technology packages.
Good knowledge of and demonstrated experience in specialized administrative/operational support functions (e.g., database management, knowledge management, task management, major event/course planning, etc.) and ability to apply relevant procedures, processes and systems.
Extensive knowledge of unit’s business processes and procedures.
Sound knowledge of the unit’s work program.
Analytical ability, practical problem-solving skills and resourcefulness in performing varied tasks in the area(s) of functional specialty.
Strong inter-personal skills and commitment to work in a team-oriented, multi-cultural environment.
Demonstrated skills in retrieving, gathering and obtaining information from various sources (Internet, etc.) and pulling them together in a usable format.
Ability to prepare presentation materials using various software packages with minimum guidance.
Ability to provide guidance, train and mentor less experienced staff. Excellent organizational, analytical, and logistical skills, with keen attention to detail and ability to follow up systematically on a broad set of initiatives and decisions.