WBG Pioneer - B-READY Internship

Job #: req37627
Organization: World Bank
Grade: T4 (no-fee)
Location: Washington, DC,United States
Hiring Manager: Valeria Perotti
Required Language(s): English
Preferred Language(s): Arabic, French, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, or Chinese
Closing Date: 8/12/2026 (11:59pm UTC)

Description

WBG Pioneers, the World Bank Group’s Internship Program, offers undergraduate and postgraduate students a high impact learning experience at the heart of global development. Participants gain hands on experience in a diverse and dynamic environment, contribute fresh perspectives and innovative ideas, and connect with international professionals working to end poverty on a livable planet.

The Development Economics Vice Presidency (DEC) seeks to increase understanding of development policies and programs by providing intellectual leadership and analytical services to the World Bank Group and the development community. DEC is the research and data arm of the World Bank Group. The Business Ready (B-READY) (https://www.worldbank.org/en/businessready) project provides a quantitative assessment of the business environment for private sector development, published with annual frequency and covering most economies worldwide. Topics covered by the B-READY report include business entry, business location, utility services, labor, financial services, international trade, taxation, dispute resolution, market competition, and business insolvency. The B-READY data and summary report aim to advocate for policy reform, inform specific policy advice and provide data for development policy research. Through its focus on private sector development, B-READY effectively contributes to meeting the WBG twin goals of eliminating poverty and boosting shared prosperity. 
Highly motivated interns are invited to join this dynamic unit, requiring a mix of operational and research skills, as well as good knowledge of law, economics, and/or international affairs. 
Duties and Responsibilities
  • Assist with topic literature review and relevant legal research on topic-specific laws and regulations.
  • Assist with administering the assigned topic questionnaire(s) to external experts under the guidance of experienced team members.
  • Assist with downloading, preparing, and merging raw Stata datasets for data analysis.
  • Support topic teams’ data validation efforts by conducting preliminary comparison of experts’ responses against each other and against other sources of information, as per B-READY internal protocols.
  • Help with building and maintaining an assigned set of indicators for a specified subset of countries. 
  • Support the team with dissemination of the report findings through presentations, blogs, infographics and other knowledge products.
  • Follow all the applicable B-READY protocols outlined in the B-READY Manual and Guide.
  • Provide general support to the project, as required, related to communications, report writing and communications and analytics.

Selection Criteria

  • Candidates must be currently enrolled in, or in the final year of, a postgraduate (master’s/PhD) program 
  • 1-6 years of relevant professional experience
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills in English are essential. Professional fluency in one or more languages (Arabic, French, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, or Chinese) is preferred. Language skills indicated in CVs will be tested during the interviews
  • Excellent command of Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint; experience in data analysis using Stata, R, Python, or other statistical software is a plus
  • Ability to operate in a multicultural environment and build effective working relations with local and external counterparts. Well-developed interpersonal and team building skills
  • High level of energy, initiative, persistence, positive attitude, and drive for results given the agreed objectives and deadlines. Must also be organized, patient and detail oriented. 
No-Fee Internship Eligibility
This position is offered under the WBG Pioneers No-Fee Internship Track. Students may be offered a no-fee STT appointment provided that they either: (a) are enrolled in a Master's, PhD, or similar graduate program during the entire internship (or are in the fifth year or higher of a degree program in countries where higher education is not divided into undergraduate and graduate stages) and provide an official letter from their university confirming that the internship fulfills academic requirements for at least one term of study; or (b) are enrolled in undergraduate or graduate studies and receive a stipend from their university at least equivalent to the minimum STT T1 fee level in effect at the start of the assignment, as confirmed by an official university letter.
Note: Please limit your applications to a maximum of three positions. Applications exceeding this limit will not be considered.

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.

The World Bank Group values diversity and encourages all qualified candidates who are nationals of World Bank Group member countries to apply, regardless of gender, gender identity, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability.  Sub-Saharan African nationals, Caribbean nationals, and female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
At Impactpool we do our best to provide you the most accurate info, but closing dates may be wrong on our site. Please check on the recruiting organization's page for the exact info. Candidates are responsible for complying with deadlines and are encouraged to submit applications well ahead.
Before applying, please make sure that you have read the requirements for the position and that you qualify. Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.