Financial Officer

Financial Officer

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 Pension and Endowments Department (PEN) is responsible for the financial management and administration of the World Bank Group's funded benefit plans, including the retirement scheme - the Staff Retirement Plan, the retiree medical and life insurance programs - the Retired Staff Benefits Plan, and other ancillary benefits. Financial management includes asset management responsibilities and actuarial support. PEN manages about $48 billion invested across a range of asset classes, from fixed income to public equities to private equity, real assets and absolute return strategies. The Pension Finance Committee, appointed by the Bank Group President and chaired by the Chief Financial Officer, has oversight responsibility for the financial management of the plans.
The Pension Middle Office team (PENMO) under PEN is responsible for providing a full range of functions supporting these investment activities, including the following:  i) pension plan operational activities, ii) preparation of pension plans financial statements, iii) pension investment performance and attribution, iv) monitoring asset class exposures, v) all investment asset pricing and valuation, and vi) third-party clients’ reporting.

Duties and Accountabilities:
• Serve as the primary business counterpart to ITS and technology vendors for PENMO digital transformation, AI, automation, reporting, and data initiatives.
• Develop and maintain PENMO business technology roadmap aligned with strategic and operational objectives.
• Provide technical inputs and support for the implementation and enhancement of the Portfolio Management System and Private Book of Record, ensuring the platforms support consolidated holdings, exposure monitoring, performance measurement, liquidity management, and private markets administration across all investment portfolios. 
• Act as the bridge between business stakeholders and technical teams by translating operational requirements into technology solutions and implementation plans.
• Lead discovery and assessment of business processes to identify opportunities for automation, AI enablement, workflow optimization, and enhanced decision support.
• Define business requirements, functional specifications, use cases, success criteria, and benefit realization metrics.
• Partner with ITS to design and deliver solutions that meet business needs while adhering to organizational standards and governance requirements.
• Prioritize, manage and support the implementation of a portfolio of technology initiatives supporting investment operations, accounting, performance measurement, valuation, and reporting.
• Oversee user acceptance testing, change management, training, adoption, and post-implementation reviews.
• Evaluate emerging technologies, AI capabilities, and industry practices, and recommend practical applications that improve business outcomes.
• Establish governance processes for business-owned AI and automation solutions and ensure compliance with responsible AI, data management, and information security policies.
• Advise management on technology investment decisions, process improvements, and opportunities for operational efficiency and risk mitigation.
• Mentor staff and promote innovation, digital literacy, and continuous improvement across the department.
• Keep abreast of industry’s best practices and technological improvements pertaining to the team’s functions.

Selection Criteria

• Master’s degree in either Business Information Systems, Finance, Computer Science, Data Analytics, Business Administration, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. 
• Professional certification such as CFA, CPA, Chartered Accountant is desired.
• At least 5 years of post-qualification experience with majority in progressively responsible experience leading business technology, digital transformation, business analysis, or investment operations initiatives.
• Strong understanding of investment management operations, middle-office processes, private market administration, performance measurement, accounting, valuation, and reporting.
• Experience acting as a liaison between business functions and technology organizations.
• Proven ability to define business requirements and manage technology-enabled business changes.
• Strong understanding of AI, automation, analytics, Microsoft Copilot, Power Platform, Fabric, and related productivity technologies.
• Seasoned finance professional with experience managing Data lakes, developing solutions using python, SQL or any other programming languages, and building analytics using data visualization to support business decision making and risk identification.
• Knowledge of data governance, operational controls, risk management, and information management practices.
• Experience with Agile, product ownership, project delivery, and stakeholder management.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, presentation, facilitation, and executive briefing skills.
• Experience in pension funds, treasury, asset management, or financial services preferred.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills – both verbal and written.
• High level of initiative, self-confidence and self-direction; ability to apply a practical mature approach to problem-solving with minimum supervision.
• Commitment to working in a respectful, team-oriented, and multicultural environment.
• Highest ethical standards.

Competencies:
• Financial Market Literacy - Can understand financial market processes; read and analyze financial reports and data such as holdings, valuation, performance, compliance, account reconciliations, margin, and settlement and risk reports.
• Business Technology Strategic Thinking – demonstrates the ability to align technology initiatives with business objectives and operational requirements.
• Stakeholder management and cooperation – builds effective partnerships across business and technology teams to achieve shared objectives.
• Good knowledge of the Bank’s IT infrastructure, applications, policy and procedures, and able to troubleshoot and resolve issues.
• Digital and automation problem solving – demonstrates proficiency in leveraging digital tools, automation, AI, and data solutions to improve efficiency and business outcomes.
• Client Services – effectively supports client needs related to data, reporting, technology solutions and operational processes.
• Process and Infrastructure Development - Makes recommendations to improve the efficiency of the PENMO and PEN processes.
• Operational Risk and Control - Understands the basic concepts of risk management and internal control frameworks.

As the World Bank Group continues to evolve, we value candidates who:

• Demonstrate the ability to collaborate effectively across teams, disciplines, cultures, and institutional boundaries.
• Responsibly leverage digital and AI-enabled tools to enhance productivity, learning, and decision-making.
• Bring experience working in fragile, conflict-affected, and violent (FCV) contexts and are encouraged to highlight relevant experience in their application materials, where 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

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.