Transport Specialist- Modelling

Job #: req37033
Organization: World Bank
Sector: Transportation
Grade: GF
Term Duration:  3 years 0 months
Recruitment Type: International Recruitment
Location: Washington, DC,United States
Required Language(s): English
Preferred Language(s):
Closing Date: 6/23/2026 (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 consists of two entities – the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA).  It is a global development cooperative owned by 189 member countries.  As the largest development bank in the world, the World Bank provides loans, guarantees, risk management products, and advisory services to middle-income and creditworthy low-income countries, and coordinates responses to regional and global challenges.  For more information, please visit www.worldbank.org.
WBG Infrastructure Knowledge Bank 
The WBG Infrastructure Vertical provides public and private solutions to operational teams and clients across the WBG to produce scalable impact. Its mandate is to deliver knowledge for impact to support the WBG to achieve its goals in support of our mission and specifically: providing guidance on creating more and better jobs by: (i) supporting foundational infrastructure and human capital, (ii) policy environment, and (iii) enabling and mobilizing private sector capital. With 60 years of experience, the WBG is poised to support the sector becoming an engine of growth and jobs through improving policies and governance, foundational infrastructure and private sector investments. The WBG’s lending in the sector is expected to grow substantially. The Infrastructure VPU’s objectives in driving outcomes include replicating and scaling effective solutions, enhancing thought leadership and innovation, and delivering timely knowledge to client teams.   For more information: https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/infrastructure
WBG Transport and Logistics Department (KIT) 
The World Bank Group (WBG) Transport and Logistics Department (KIT) is dedicated to enabling sustainable, efficient, and inclusive movement of goods and people worldwide.  As a core part of the WBG’s mission, the department focuses on developing, financing, and advising on transport infrastructure and services that are vital for economic growth, regional integration, and poverty reduction.
Our work encompasses all modes of transport—including road, rail, maritime, and aviation—and covers both urban and rural environments.  The department collaborates with public and private sector partners to design and implement innovative solutions that address emerging challenges such as climate change, rapid urbanization, technological advancements, and the need for improved supply chain resilience.
KIT Department is organized into three units: Policy and Regulations (KITPR), Solutions and Impact (KITSI), and Trust Funds for Safe and Sustainable Transport (KITEF).  
KITPR is global unit focused on shaping enabling policy and regulatory frameworks that support sustainable transport and logistics development.  It delivers knowledge services, policy advice, and model regulatory solutions across infrastructure and urban sectors, drawing on global best practices and innovation.  The unit works closely with regional teams and partners to develop scalable policy tools, support regulatory reform, and build institutional capacity.  KITPR increasingly applies geospatial analytics, remote sensing, and spatial data science to inform planning, investment prioritization, and policy dialogue across transport corridors, urban mobility systems, and rural connectivity.  A key priority is strengthening analytical models and tools to support evidence-based transport and logistics investments. 
KITPR is seeking to hire a Transport Modeling Specialist to be based at the World Bank headquarters in Washington D.C. to support its work program, including serving as the focal point for several of KIT’s transport models and tools.  He/she will report to the Manager of Policy and Regulations (KITPR).  On a day-to-day basis, he/she will work under the supervision of senior staff in the unit and the department. 
Job Duties and Responsibilities:
The Transport Modeling Specialist is expected to display leadership and excellence in transport modeling and data analytics, which is the focus of this position.  The selected candidate will join the core team of transport modelers and data scientists of KIT department. Strong hands-on experience in developing, applying and training others on using transport analytical models and tools are also required. 
The primary objectives of the assignment will be to:
• Design, build, maintain, and continuously update the WBG's suite of models and analytical tools for transport sector work.  The role spans both goods and passenger transport, encompassing the full breadth of transport infrastructure and systems, including road and rail networks and corridors, ports and maritime transport, and logistics nodes. 
• Work with complex, multi-layered datasets covering trade flows, population, and socio-economic and environmental variables, ensuring that the WBG's transport analytical capabilities remain current, robust, and fit for operational and advisory purposes.
• Maintain and update WBG transport and logistics models, which includes calibrating models for specific applications and conduct advanced analyses for transport corridor diagnostics and prioritization; urban mobility and accessibility assessments; multimodal connectivity mapping; freight movement and logistics network analysis; traffic flow and catchment analysis; and network performance and connectivity evaluation. 
• Develop accessibility models to estimate access to jobs, services, markets, and transport infrastructure. 
• Support geospatial analysis for investment prioritization and strategic planning at national, regional, and urban scales. 
• Prepare briefs, maps, dashboards, and geospatial visualizations to communicate findings to internal teams, government counterparts, and external stakeholders. 
• Support climate risk mapping of transport infrastructure and networks using hazard datasets such as flooding, landslides, sea-level rise, heat stress, or other climate exposure layers. 
• Analyze infrastructure vulnerability and criticality to inform resilience planning and adaptation interventions. 
• Integrate transport network data with climate and hazard information to identify critical assets and priority investment needs. 
• Support the development of reproducible code for country-level estimation of road conditions using low satellite imagery and the code validation using ground truth data and high-resolution imagery; process and integrate geospatial datasets, including road networks, rural population datasets, satellite imagery, land cover, elevation, and ancillary datasets. 
• Undertake country-level data collection as needed and regularly updating global parameters for electric vehicle modeling, ensuring data accuracy and consistency across all model applications.
• Support electric vehicle modelling activities by contributing to functional enhancements, including development, testing, and refinement of modelling features.
• Maintain and periodically update model user interface, ensuring functionality, usability, and overall system performance through routine maintenance.
• Develop training material and deliver training as needed, for WBG models and tools.

Selection Criteria

• A masters-level or higher degree in civil, transport engineering, economics, geospatial science, data science or related fields.
• At least five years of relevant professional experience in transport sector data modeling and analytics, development and usage of geospatial tools, with demonstrated experience architecting and leading the development of transport planning and economic analysis models and associated tools, and dissemination of their results.
• Demonstrated experience in: (a) developing and applying the World Bank’s global transport models and tools such as FlowMax and EVMax, b) advanced technical expertise in transport modeling, (c) conducting transport-related geospatial analysis; (d) programming and analytical capabilities; and (e) GIS applications in the transport sector. 
• Demonstrated research and analytical skills, specifically with experience in economic and financial analysis of transport investments. 
• Advanced knowledge of statistical software, GIS tools and working with large datasets is required
• Experience in leading/co-leading/executing analytical work in the transport sector.
• Experience in working either with the World Bank Group, or on programs financed by other development partners, multilateral or bilateral.
• Organizational skills, ability to see the big picture as well as attention to detail and ability to prioritize work among multiple competing demands and tight deadlines.
• High degree of initiative, problem-solving skills, flexibility, and ability to work independently. 
• Strong interpersonal skills; experience working effectively in large and multi-disciplinary teams of specialists; with the capacity to interact in a multi-cultural environment.
• Strong work relations and communication with WBG teams and clients, including ability to coordinate effectively between both teams, are desirable.
• Excellent written and communications skills in English, especially in communicating verbally complex data analysis results.
• Co-authoring journal and research papers in transport planning and economics topic is an added advantage. 

WBG Culture Attributes:

1. Sense of urgency: Anticipate and quickly respond to the needs of internal and external stakeholders.
2. Thoughtful risk-taking: Challenge the status quo and push boundaries to achieve greater impact.
3. Empowerment and accountability: Empower yourself and others to act and hold each other accountable for results.

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.

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