Senior Transport Specialist at World Bank Group

Duties and Responsibilities

The Senior Transport Specialist will be based in Nairobi and will report to the Transport Practice Manager. S/he is expected to work predominantly on engagements in Somalia, with selected support to projects in other countries across other transport modes (land transport, rail, maritime, and/or aviation). The World Bank has just approved its first transport engagement in Somalia which will form the basis for subsequent engagements in the country, both on the lending side and with additional analytical studies and technical assistance to support policy reform and institution building in urban transport. The transport team collaborates closely with other sectors in Somalia focusing on disaster risk management, energy and digital development to enhance integrated development in the country.

The primary objectives of the assignment will be to:

• Lead and/or support task teams in the preparation and implementation of projects in Somalia, covering the core elements (planning, financial and economic analysis, engineering, maintenance, and operations) and also incorporating key cross-cutting issues such as gender, climate change, road safety, and private sector participation;
• Support the design, preparation and implementation of new lending and non-lending activities on selected projects in other Eastern African countries;
• Lead and manage advisory and analytical activities on international best practices for the planning and provision of transport infrastructure and services in FCS environments such as Somalia, including economic evaluation, cost efficiency, technical and financial feasibility, implementation planning and sustainability;
• Lead and/or participate in the policy dialogue under the guidance of the Practice Manager, the Country Director, Country Manager and/or Operations Manager, with external stakeholders/development partners in the country and region;
• Advise government counterparts on technical matters associated with transport projects, including engineering aspects, the formulation of policy, and measures to strengthen capacity and institutional arrangements;
• Supervise the work of consultants and technical specialists to ensure quality and consistency with World Bank standards;
• Provide procurement and contract management support and advice to the project implementing agencies;
• Participate in cross-sectoral teams responsible for preparation of policy notes, Systematic Country Diagnostics and Country Partnership Frameworks, public expenditures reviews, sectoral studies, and research and policy development activities on the topics/sections pertaining to transport;
• Support the World Bank-wide professional community of staff engaged in the transport practice by participating actively in the Global Solutions Group on FCS situations and drafting of technical notes, and supporting cutting-edge work in collaboration with other global practices to enhance knowledge creation and dissemination, and expanding the existing knowledge base;
• Stay abreast of recent developments in the transport sector world-wide, and on cross-cutting issues, identifying knowledge gaps and disseminating relevant knowledge to clients; and
• Represent the World Bank as designated by the Practice Manager, the Country Director, Country Manager and/or Operations Manager at public events relevant to the sector.

Selection Criteria

The position calls for a highly motivated individual who is able to lead teams and work with little supervision. Candidates for the position will be selected based on the following considerations:

• Master’s degree or higher in civil/transport engineering, planning, economics, environment, public policy, finance or other related disciplines;
• Minimum 8 years proven experience in the transport sector or in a related infrastructure field (either with a government’s transport authority, contractor(s), design or supervision consultant(s), or development institutions), with demonstrated ability to work on developing and implementing transport master plans and sector capacity building plans;
• Experience of working with programs in FCS countries financed by development partners, multilateral or bilateral;
• Work experience in developing countries, including in at least one fragile country;
• Experience in analytical work, such as on international and national transport policy, strategy, institutions and regulation related to the transport sector;
• Knowledge of key developments in related sectors and on cross-cutting issues affecting the performance of the transport sector, such as private sector engagement, environmental and social impacts including gender-based violence, road safety, operational health and safety issues, and climate change;
• Strong client and communications skills, with proven experience in providing quality policy and project advice to national and sub-national government clients on transport issues, and interest in transferring knowledge;
• High degree of dynamism and self-motivation, as well as the ability to work with minimal supervision;
• Ability to identify and develop potential areas for future World Bank transport sector initiatives based on client consultation and analysis;
• Willingness to travel to and work in challenging country environments;
• Excellent written and communications skills in English.