Adviser

ImpactAlpha; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive retirement plan

Medical, life, and disability coverage

Paid leave including parental leave

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

World Bank Group is seeking a senior Adviser for the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) Secretariat to support the Executive Director with strategic, governance, and partnership work.

Work will be at the intersection of climate finance, international development, and institutional strategy, engaging with Board members and senior stakeholders globally. The role requires deep policy analysis and discretion in high-stakes settings.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree required in public policy, economics, finance, climate/change, or development.
• 8+ years in climate finance, development finance, governance, or senior strategic advisory roles.
• Proven ability to advise senior executives and governing bodies on complex matters.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic advice and decision support to the Executive Director on priority matters arising from the mandate.
• Support Board and governance matters, including communications and strategic positioning.
• Contribute to institutional development initiatives for the Fund and its objectives.
• Assist with resource mobilization and development of strategic partnerships.
• Engage with governments, multilateral institutions, and development partners at high levels.

Skills

Strategic advisory

Governance

Stakeholder engagement

Climate finance

International development

Policy analysis

Education

Advanced university degree in public policy, economics, finance, climate change, international development, or related field

Job description

About World Bank Group

The World Bank Group is an international financial institution that provides loans, grants, and technical assistance to developing countries for capital programs, including investments in education, health, infrastructure, and public administration. The organization operates as a global partnership of five institutions working together to end extreme poverty and promote shared prosperity in a sustainable manner. With operations across 145 countries and more than 182 offices worldwide, the World Bank Group collaborates with governments, the private sector, development partners, and other stakeholders to deliver scalable, data-driven solutions. The organization addresses critical global challenges, including job creation, climate change adaptation, and sustainable development. With 1.2 billion young people reaching working age in the coming decade, the World Bank Group recognizes that the challenge of job creation has never been greater and works strategically to invest in people and strengthen markets to generate more and better jobs while improving lives globally. The Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD), served by the World Bank, was established to assist developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change in responding to associated economic and non-economic loss and damage, including from extreme weather events and slow-onset events. The Fund is governed by its Board and is served by an independent Secretariat hosted by the World Bank on an interim basis. This role is funded as part of a Financial Intermediary Fund (FIF) under the World Bank Group’s governance framework.

About this Role

The World Bank Group brings together a diverse, global community working across cultures, disciplines, and borders to address the world’s most pressing development challenges. At the World Bank, you will join an organization committed to ending extreme poverty and promoting sustainable development through strategic partnerships and innovative solutions. The Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) Secretariat, led by the Executive Director, requires dedicated senior-level advisory capacity to support the effective execution of the ED’s mandate. As the Fund develops and the breadth, complexity, and intensity of the Executive Director’s responsibilities increase, this Adviser position has been created to provide strategic support. The Secretariat is served by an independent body hosted by the World Bank on an interim basis and is governed by its Board. The Adviser will support the Executive Director in selected aspects of the Board-approved mandate, with the precise scope and priority of assignments determined by the ED and evolving according to the needs of the Fund. The role complements rather than duplicates or substitutes for responsibilities assigned within the Secretariat’s organizational structure. Where assignments touch upon the responsibilities of another Secretariat function, the Adviser will work in coordination with the relevant lead as directed by the ED. Advice provided is for the consideration of the ED, who retains responsibility and accountability for decisions falling within the ED’s mandate. This position offers the opportunity to work at the intersection of climate finance, international development, and institutional strategy, supporting high-level decision-making on matters of significant global importance. The successful candidate will engage with Board members, government representatives, multilateral institution leaders, and other senior stakeholders on complex strategic matters related to climate change and loss and damage response.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic advice and decision support to the Executive Director on priority matters arising from the ED’s mandate and responsibilities


• Support the Executive Director in Board and governance matters, including Board-related communications and strategic positioning


• Contribute to strategic and institutional development initiatives for the Fund


• Support resource mobilization and the development of strategic partnerships to advance Fund objectives


• Assist with external representation and high-level engagement with governments, multilateral institutions, and development partners


• Support Secretariat leadership and organizational effectiveness initiatives


• Undertake special assignments as assigned by the Executive Director


• Work in coordination with other Secretariat functions to ensure coherent and integrated support to the ED


• Analyze complex institutional, political, financial, and organizational issues and translate them into concise, decision-ready advice


• Maintain the highest standards of integrity, independence, professionalism, and confidentiality in all work

Requirements

• Advanced university degree in public policy, economics, finance, climate change, international development, environmental studies, international relations, or a related field


• At least 8 years of progressively responsible experience in areas relevant to the Fund’s mandate, including climate finance, development finance, international institutions, governance, institutional strategy, resource mobilization, or senior strategic advisory work


• Significant experience advising senior executives, governing bodies, governments, multilateral institutions, or comparable organizations on complex strategic matters


• Strong understanding of the international climate finance architecture and the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement processes


• Demonstrated ability to analyze complex institutional, political, financial, and organizational issues and translate them into concise and decision-ready advice


• Excellent judgment, political awareness, diplomacy, and discretion


• Ability to operate effectively across institutional and functional boundaries without creating duplication or ambiguity of roles


• Outstanding written and oral communication skills


• Experience working in complex multilateral or international environments


• Fluency in English


• Knowledge of French or another relevant international language (advantageous)


• Ability to collaborate effectively across teams, disciplines, cultures, and institutional boundaries


• Ability to responsibly leverage digital and AI-enabled tools to enhance productivity, learning, and decision-making


• Experience working in fragile, conflict-affected, and violent (FCV) contexts (advantageous)


• Maintain the highest standards of integrity, independence, professionalism, and confidentiality


• Compliance with applicable World Bank and FRLD policies and requirements


• Ability to protect confidential and non-public information obtained through the assignment


• Prompt disclosure of actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest


• Exercise particular discretion given the direct advisory relationship with the Executive Director

Benefits

• Comprehensive retirement plan


• Medical, life, and disability insurance coverage


• Paid leave, including parental leave


• Reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities


• Opportunity to work on global development challenges with significant impact


• Access to professional development and learning opportunities


• Collaborative work environment with diverse, global teams