Social Protection Specialist/Economist

Description

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The Social Protection and Jobs Global Practice:

WBG is the largest provider of development finance and solutions for social protection and jobs, working with high-income, middle-income, and low-income countries to develop country-tailored solutions for specific social protection and labor challenges. These range from increasing the efficiency with which social resources are spent (where well-designed social safety net programs, effective pension programs, and integrated social protection systems are proven solutions) to improving employment outcomes through employability programs and associated policy reforms, often most effective when targeted to the poor or the young.

The Social Protection & Jobs Global Practice (SPJ GP) delivers operational approaches and evidence-based solutions to help individuals and families manage risk, cope with chronic or transitional poverty, and access better livelihoods and jobs. These include:

• Strategy, analysis and financing of programs delivering social safety nets social assistance in the form of cash transfers, public works programs, social services, and fee waivers.

• Advisory and analytical services on design and delivery of social insurance programs, contributory transfers, including old-age pensions, unemployment insurance, disability and survivor benefits, and their fiscal sustainability (including budget support for transitions).

• Analysis, design and delivery of Labor market and youth employment programs, with a focus on supply side interventions and intermediation policies, as well as policy advice on labor market regulations and interventions.

• Strategy, analysis, financing and design of integrating social protection delivery systems (e.g., payments, identification, registries, systems assessments) as underpinnings of effective social programs that can help cope with climate shocks or underpin fiscal reforms.

HCSLP, the regional SPJ unit for the Latin America and Caribbean Region (LAC), manages operations and analytical work across the region. In recent years, the Social Protection and Jobs GP has developed an important work program across LCR. The total portfolio of some eleven projects amount to over US$ 2.8 billion in net commitments across Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and South America. In addition, the GP manages analytical work, reimbursable advisory support (RAS) and Trust Funds. As a result of COVID 19, the GP has seen as important additional number of project requests and project restructurings to support country response to the effects of the crisis. Operations include safety net systems and transfers, labor and jobs specific operations, support to restructure unemployment insurance, and operations to support productive inclusion initiatives across many countries in the region. Additionally, the unit maintains an ongoing program of analytical and advisory work at both country and regional level spanning the full range of SPJ thematic areas.

SPJ in Brazil. Brazil, the largest country in Latin America and the nineth largest country in the world, is at a critical juncture to enter into a sustained path of sustained growth with opportunities for all. After two devastating crises (a domestic crisis and the COVID-19 triggered global crisis), Brazil is committing substantial efforts to develop a strong policy package to support the poor and the vulnerable, decrease unemployment and informality, improve early childhood development outcomes, eliminate hunger, adapt to climate change across the board, among other objectives. These policy packages need to be designed to be fiscally sustainable, as Brazil spending is already above the fiscal ceiling" and tackle at all government levels.

The SPJ engagement in Brazil has been expanding rapidly in recent years, both through non-lending technical assistance and lending operations. On the lending side, this has covered the area of social assistance and SP delivery systems at the Federal, state, and municipal level. SPJ is also an integral part of the HD policy dialogue and is expected to continue to play a prominent role contributing to priority multisectoral agendas with health and education. In addition, the SPJ team regularly engages with government counterparts to provide policy inputs and support capacity building needs through technical assistance and analytical and advisory services.

The LCR SPJ unit is now seeking a Social Protection Specialist/Economist with solid technical and operational background in social assistance to be based in Brasilia. The selected candidate will be an integral member of a dynamic LCR SPJ team and a significant share of her/his work program will be related to supporting the analytical and operational programs in Brazil on issues related to social assistance, delivery systems, labor, pensions and migration. The position will report to the SPJ Practice Manager for the Latin America and Caribbean Region.

Duties and Accountability:

The World Bank is seeking for a Social Protection Specialist/Economist to join the Social Protection and Jobs (SPJ) team for Latin America and the Caribbean, based in Brasilia, Brazil.

S/he will contribute to the delivery of SPJ sector policy dialogue, operations, and analytical and advisory tasks by working jointly with other team members in the World Bank, clients, development partners and academia that actively support the development and reform of social protection, labor, and pension systems. S/he will work across the range of World Bank instruments, including Investment Project Financing (IPF), Development Policy Financing (DPF) and Advisory Services and Analytics (ASA), and engage in client dialogue. The overall role of the incumbent would be to support the SPJ team in advancing on its objective of supporting the Brazilian government at the national and subnational levels in developing social protection, labor and pension policies and programs through technical assistance, analysis, and financing. Specifically, her/his main responsibilities include:

Work with task teams, including government and World Bank country project teams in Brazil, to identify, develop, and test social assistance policies and programs at the national, state, and municipal level to minimize poverty and inequality.

Develop analytical work leading to evidence-based and operationalizable recommendations, including but not limited to their operationalization through WB lending operations.

Oversee the collection of new data and the management of administrative data shared by the government or other third parties.

Carry out project preparation and supervision of lending operations in the areas of social assistance, labor and/or pensions.

Manage a portfolio of trust funds grants to deliver quality outputs in a timely manner.

Identify innovations introduced by the government of Brazil and good practices to disseminate to other teams in the unit and the GP overall.

Support the coordination with other development partners working in Brazil, as well as local think tanks and research centers.

Contribute to a strong team collaboration within the overall SPJ team in Brazil, participating in team discussions and planning on a regular basis;

Lead the efforts to gather and check quality of administrative data and household survey data for the Atlas of Social Protection (ASPIRE) Data in Brazil; and contribute to the global knowledge base on the SPJ Global Practice.

Work across boundaries to support other GPs to leverage synergies between social assistance and labor, Education, Health, Disaster Risk Management, Poverty, MTI to name the most prominent collaborations.

The successful candidate will report to the Practice Manager of Social Protection and Labor Global Practice for LAC. S/he will be part of the Social Protection and Jobs Global Practice in the Latin America and Caribbean Region and will work closely with the Human Development teams and Program Leads for Haiti and the Caribbean.

Selection Criteria

– Master's degree in a related social science field (for example, international development, economics, social policy, sociology, or related sector).

– Minimum of five years of directly relevant experience in social protection and jobs. Experience and substantive skills in social sector policy.

– Experience with large scale, multi-sectoral social protection, labor programs, and pension systems.

– Demonstrated international experience, including in Latin America and across the range of World Bank lending instruments.

– Experience working with clients to build capacity and engage in dialogue on social protection and jobs, social protection delivery systems, labor markets, migration, and pensions.

– Excellent analytical skills and proven ability to conduct independent policy-relevant research, translate theory into practical applications, and adapt professional knowledge and technical skills to analyze, diagnose, and propose solutions to policy issues and challenges.

– Excellent writing and communication skills in both English and Portuguese required.

– Experience in World Bank operations as demonstrated through task team leadership and/or being core team member for lending operations and ASA preferred.

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.

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