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 http://www.worldbank.org
ITS Vice Presidency Context:
Information and Technology Solutions (ITS) enables the WBG to achieve its mission of ending extreme poverty and promote shared prosperity in a sustainable way by delivering transformative information and technologies to its staff working in over 150 locations.
Our vision is to transform how the Bank Group accomplishes its mission through information and technology. In this fast-paced, ever-changing world, the formulation and implementation of the ITS strategy is an ongoing, iterative process of learning and adaptation developed through extensive consultations with business partners throughout the World Bank Group.
ITS shapes its strategy in response to changing business priorities and leverages new technologies to achieve three high-level business outcomes: business enablement, by providing Bank Group units with innovative digital tools and technologies to transform how they deliver value for their clients; empowerment & effectiveness, by ensuring that all Bank Group staff are connected, able to find information, and productive to accelerate the delivery of development solutions globally; and resilience, by equipping the Bank Group to provide risk-based cybersecurity and robust data protection for a global network and a growing cloud platform.
Implementation of the strategy is guided by three core principles. The first is to deliver solutions for business partners that are customer-centric, innovative, and transformative. The second is to provide the Bank Group with value for money with selective and standard technologies. The third principle is to excel at the basics by providing a high performing, robust, and resilient IT environment for the organization.
ITS Technology & Innovation Lab Context:
The ITS Technology and Innovation provides a collaboration platform, knowledge hub and accelerator for the experimentation, prototyping and mainstreaming of cutting-edge technologies and innovative business models at the WBG. ITSTI collaborates with internal and external stakeholders to explore and scale new capabilities that will enable the Bank Group to fully harness the Digital Age to achieve its mission. ITSTI also leads enterprise efforts to speed the adoption of transformative and innovative technologies. Finally, ITSTI provides the know-how, experimentation space, convening power and guidance to deliver improved business solutions using new and emerging technologies such as Cybersecurity, Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, IoT, 5G, Robotics, Drones and other emerging technologies.
The ITSTI Lab started exploring Blockchain and distributed ledger technologies in June 2017 and has since expanded to AI, IoT, and other emerging technologies. The ITSTI Lab is an internal platform/incubator for learning, experimenting, and knowledge-sharing in the space of emerging/disruptive technologies to support the WBG mission. The ITSTI Lab works with partners around the world to learn, provide guidance, and experiment with emerging technology so that the WBG can influence the global impact for its clients. Together with its business partners, the Lab explores and develops an extensive number of use cases in a variety of areas and disciplines, such as land administration, agriculture, supply chain, financial markets, and health, etc.
The incumbent will report to the Manager of the Technology & Innovation Unit.
Duties and Accountabilities:
•This position provides for a professional with comprehensive and deep knowledge and expertise of disruptive technologies like but not limited to AI, Cognitive Computing, Internet of Things, Blockchain, Robotics, Big Data and Analytics, etc. The candidate should demonstrate strong analytical skills and understanding of the technology landscape and market trends, and ability to determine potential impact on the enterprise, both from the IT and business operations perspectives.
•The candidate will support the Technology track as part of the Blockchain Lab/ITSTI and lead ITSTI efforts to engage with the WBG tech community and ensure its participation in innovation initiatives and projects across WBG. •The candidate will support the ITSTI efforts to evaluate innovative technology fit for addressing development problems and issues faced by the WBG business units and its clients. The candidate will participate or co-lead joint efforts to support use cases with disruptive/innovative technologies from a technical perspective. The candidate may also lead or co-lead technical exploration initiatives on disruptive technologies.
•The candidate will promote collaboration with ITS/WBG application, infrastructure and security and Enterprise Architecture teams to develop a cohesive technology and innovation architecture approach to fast-track the adoption of innovative technologies in the overall WBG technology landscape and operations.
Specific Duties:
•Support the develop and deliver phases as part of the Innovation Lab and lead efforts to engage with the WBG tech community and ensure its participation in innovation initiatives and projects across WBG.
•Work and partner with ITS and WBG Lines of Business and provide innovation insights and advice in conceptualizing technology strategies and solutions, roadmaps and plans which are specific to their business needs.
•Serve as lead in exploring potential growth and development of Blockchain, AI and Machine Learning, Internet of Things (IoT), AR/VR, 3D printing, quantum computing and other emerging technologies offering which could be implemented across WBG.
•Understanding of the application of Blockchain, AI and Machine Learning, AR/VR, IoT, quantum computing, Industrial 4.0 and Big Data Analytics contributing to operation business improvement and cost saving.
•Collaborate with WBG enterprise and solution architects to integrate the Technology and Innovation findings, know-how and lessons learned in the overall WBG/ITS Technology lifecycle.
•Contribute to developing the knowledge and learning, and talent development agenda for the overall ITS community to facilitate the adoption of innovative technologies into the ITS/WBG operating model.
•Contribute to identifying market technology trends which create the potential for the World Bank to leverage/accelerate the use of innovative digital platforms and/or hosting solutions.
•Lead or co-lead complex multi-disciplinary proof of concepts and projects to fast-tract the learning and adoption of disruptive/innovative technologies and provide advice to business and technology leaders across WBG.
•Some familiarity with sectors related to WBG Global practices – Supply Chain, Identity, Carbon Markets, etc.
Selection Criteria
•Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Information Management or Information Systems with 2 years of experience in providing innovating solutions with one or several of the innovative technologies like Cloud, Distributed Ledger Technologies/Blockchain, AI and Machine Learning, AR/VR, IoT, quantum computing, Industrial 4.0 and Big Data Analytics, etc OR equivalent combination of education and experience.
Required Competencies
•Deep understanding of BAAS and other Azure blockchain solutions such as STRATO, Chain Core Developer, Ethereum Studio, Emercoin, etc.
•Proven technical skills and knowledge of: Java, Python, Solidity, Go, Shell scripting (Bash, ssh), Javascript, and/or Typescript
•Experience in emerging technology industry trends, including design, agile, cloud solutions, process automation, big data, DevOps, networking
•In depth knowledge and expertise in one or several areas of disruptive technologies like: AI, Distribute Ledger Technology and Blockchain platforms, Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data (Data Sources, Integration, Data Stores, Data Models & Analytics, Visualization & reporting);
•Expertise in designing architecture and technology designs & patterns for business solutions based on DLT/Blockchain, AI, IoT, Big Data, etc.
•Understanding and proven technical experience with Ethereum, Hyperledger Fabric, Quorum and other platform is expected
•Experience with Machine Learning algorithms
•Systems Engineering experience and has worked on diverse computing protocols, high performance systems, and distributed technologies.
•Familiarity with implementing microservices and container-based architectures and deployments in cloud environments (e.g. Docker, Cloud Foundry, Kubernetes).
•Client Understanding and Advising – Advises the client and helps them think proactively about how to best meet their current and future needs, taking into consideration the real underlying issues that the client may not be aware of.
•Learning Orientation – Stays abreast of broad new trends and developments in the industry and. draws on learning to introduce others to emerging trends and new approaches to address current and future issues and opportunities.
•Broad Business Thinking – Maintains a deep understanding of key business issues and the broader VPU-wide ramifications of decisions to ensure consistency across the VPU and client’s business. Engages business leaders in the identification of medium-term business solutions.
•Business Function Knowledge – Sets the direction for and steers medium-term enhancements of integrated standards and significant business performance drivers.
•Foundation Architecture Knowledge – Researches the design of new architectural components.
•Knowledge of Emerging Technology – Defines the processes and practices for evaluating new technologies and their potential value to the business.
•Risk Management – Assesses the probability associated with varying degrees of risk in complex situations that have wide ranging impact.
•Strategic Technology Planning – Researches and benchmarks against best-practice architecture/technology needs for significant, integrated work processes.
•Systems Thinking – Plans improvements that take into account the critical, underlying and less apparent relationships between business, technology and systems platforms.
•Lead and Innovate – Develops innovative solutions with others.
•Deliver Results for Clients – Achieves results and identifies mission-driven solutions for the client.
•Collaborate Within Teams and Across Boundaries – Initiates collaboration across boundaries and broadly across WBG, and brings differing ideas into the forefront.
•Create, Apply and Share Knowledge – Creates, applies and shares knowledge from across and outside WBG to strengthen internal and/or external client solutions.
•Make Smart Decisions – Recommends and takes decisive action.
Other Selection Criteria:
•In depth understanding of Cloud solutions, approaches and principles, and exposure to other emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Blockchain.
•Experience in IT Application Development or Architecture to support an organization’s application services requirements.
•Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to define technology roadmaps and evaluate total-cost-of-ownership of solutions.
•Experience managing programs and/or multiple projects, including simultaneous task assignments.
•Strong teamwork and interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate with all management levels and ability to coach/mentor more junior staff.
World Bank Group Core Competencies
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.
Note: The selected candidate will be offered a one-year appointment, renewable at the discretion of the World Bank Group, and subject to a lifetime maximum ET appointment of three years. If an ET appointment ends before a full year, it is considered as a full year toward the lifetime maximum. Former and current ET staff who have completed all or any portion of their third-year ET appointment are not eligible for future ET appointments.