E T Consultant- Urban Planning Specialist

E T Consultant- Urban Planning Specialist

Description

At the World Bank, a member of the World Bank Group (WBG), you’ll join a diverse, global community working across cultures, disciplines, and borders to address the world’s most pressing development challenges. With 1.2 billion young people reaching working age in the decade ahead, the challenge of job creation has never been greater. Through partnerships across 145 countries and more than 182 offices worldwide, we work with governments, private sector, development partners and other stakeholders to invest in people, strengthen markets, and deliver scalable, data-driven solutions that generate more and better jobs and improve lives. For more information, visit https://www.worldbank.org/en/who-we-are/ibrd

The Infrastructure Vice Presidency (INF) supports countries in developing sustainable, inclusive, and resilient infrastructure that promotes economic growth, improves service delivery, and enhances quality of life. Through financing, technical assistance, innovation, and partnerships, INF helps clients address complex development challenges across infrastructure sectors.

The Urban, Resilience and Land Global Department (URL), within the Infrastructure Vice Presidency (INF), supports client countries in building sustainable, inclusive, resilient, and productive cities and territories. Through financing, analytics, advisory services, technical assistance, knowledge exchange, and partnerships, URL works with national and local governments to strengthen institutions, improve service delivery, promote economic development, enhance resilience, and address pressing climate and development challenges.

The Policy and Regulation Unit (KIUPR) provides strategic leadership, policy guidance, global analytics, partnerships, standards, and operational support across urban development, subnational finance, land, tourism, and disaster risk management. The unit helps translate global priorities into actionable policies, operational guidance, and scalable solutions that support client countries in addressing development and climate challenges.

Within KIUPR, the City Planning Labs (CPL) program supports cities and regions in developing countries to strengthen Municipal Spatial Data Infrastructure (MSDI) and promote data-driven urban planning and decision-making. The MSDI approach focuses on strengthening the institutions, people, data, and systems that enable cities to use data as infrastructure for better urban management. CPL provides technical assistance, analytical support, innovation, research and development, and peer-to-peer learning to help cities establish modern urban data ecosystems. The program also develops innovative methodologies and analytical tools, including the Capital High Impact Prioritization (CHIP) initiative, to strengthen evidence-based capital investment planning and prioritization.

The Urban Planning Specialist will serve as an integral member of the City Planning Labs team, supporting implementation of the CPL program through technical, operational, analytical, and coordination activities while contributing to program management, results monitoring, donor reporting, stakeholder engagement, and innovation initiatives.

Duties and Accountabilities

The Urban Planning Specialist will work closely with the City Planning Labs (CPL) program team, beneficiary task teams, technical specialists, consultants, government counterparts, and development partners to support implementation of the CPL program and related initiatives.

The selected candidate will:

• Support the day-to-day operation and management of City Planning Labs (CPL) activities, including planning, implementation, coordination, work planning, monitoring progress, and engagement with task teams, consultants, government counterparts, and development partners. 
• Support planning and implementation of the CPL annual work program, coordinating activities across regional task teams, monitoring implementation progress, and helping ensure timely delivery of program objectives and key milestones. 
• Lead tasks on results monitoring and donor reporting, including developing and maintaining results monitoring frameworks, tracking portfolio performance, preparing donor reports, annual reports, progress reports, presentations, and documenting program achievements, lessons learned, and program impact. 
• Serve as a core member of the Capital High Impact Prioritization (CHIP) initiative, supporting the development, testing, implementation, and continuous improvement of the CHIP methodology, toolkits, analytical tools, digital platform, and related operational activities. 
• Support engagement with CPL beneficiary Task Teams and related communications work, including preparing presentations, briefing materials, communication products, knowledge products, organizing workshops, technical exchanges, peer-to-peer learning activities, and stakeholder engagement across participating cities, regional teams, and development partners. 
• Conduct technical and analytical work related to Municipal Spatial Data Infrastructure (MSDI), urban planning, geospatial systems, urban analytics, econometric analysis, capital investment prioritization, and private sector market assessments that support evidence-based planning and investment decisions. 
• Prepare technical notes, analytical reports, policy recommendations, operational guidance, and other knowledge products while contributing to research, innovation, and cross-unit collaboration that strengthens data-driven urban planning approaches and supports implementation of the CPL work program. 

Selection Criteria

• Master's degree or higher in Urban Planning, Urban Economics, Public Policy, Geography, Regional Planning, Geospatial Sciences, Data Science, or another relevant discipline. 
• Minimum five years of relevant professional experience in urban development, urban planning, municipal governance, geospatial analysis, spatial planning, economics, or related fields. 
• Demonstrated experience supporting complex technical assistance programs, multi-stakeholder initiatives, donor-funded operations, or international development programs. 
• Strong analytical and quantitative skills, including experience conducting urban analytics, econometric analysis, policy analysis, spatial analysis, or related research. 
• Demonstrated knowledge of Municipal Spatial Data Infrastructure (MSDI), urban planning frameworks, geospatial technologies, evidence-based planning approaches, and capital investment prioritization. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience preparing high-quality technical, operational, knowledge, and donor-facing products. 
• Proven ability to work independently and collaboratively in multidisciplinary and multicultural teams, effectively manage multiple priorities, and deliver high-quality results in a fast-paced environment. 

Reporting Arrangement
The Urban Planning Specialist will report to Angelica Nunez del Campo, Practice Manager.

Funding
This position will be financed through trust fund resources supporting the City Planning Labs (CPL) program, including CPL trust fund allocations and other related program financing sources, as applicable.

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

As per WBG policy, an Extended Term (ET) appointment is subject to a lifetime maximum of three (3) years. Former and current ET staff who have completed or are in the process of completing their third-year ET appointment are not eligible for future ET appointments.

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.