E T Consultant - req39341

The World Bank Group; McLean (VA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

World Bank is seeking an E.T. Consultant to provide high‑level procurement‑related legal advice under LEGOP, contributing to the Bank's procurement framework and country‑level implementation.

The role requires independent work, cross‑unit collaboration, and strong drafting skills in support of operational projects. Based in Washington, DC, the consultant will advise on complex matters, participate in policy initiatives, and help build knowledge through training and published guidance, with a

Qualifications

• Advanced law degree and admission to practice in at least one jurisdiction.
• 8+ years of post‑qualification experience providing legal counsel.
• Experience advising on procurement matters for multilateral development banks is a plus.
• Strong legal research and drafting of agreements, memos and guidance.
• Excellent problem‑solving, written and oral communication skills.
• Teamwork, mentoring potential and collaboration across organizational boundaries.
• Fluency in English; French or Spanish is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide complex procurement‑related legal advice and guidance.
• Draft, review and advise on contract provisions and procurement documents.
• Contribute to policy reforms and updates of standard procurement templates.
• Carry out country legal assessments and deliver capacity‑building for government counterparts.
• Develop knowledge products and training on legal procurement topics.
• Engage with external partners including other IFIs and client counterparts.

Skills

Legal advice

Procurement

Contract drafting

Policy reform

Capacity building

Education

JD/LLM or equivalent

Job description

E T Consultant

Job #: req39341
Organization: World Bank
Sector: Legal
Grade: EC3
Term Duration: 2 years 0 months
Recruitment Type: Local Recruitment
Location: Washington, DC,United States
Required Language(s): English
Preferred Language(s): French, Spanish
Closing Date: 11/25/2026 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC

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 International Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

The World Bank Group is one of the world's largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries. It uses financial resources and extensive experience to help our client countries to reduce poverty, increase economic growth, and improve quality of life. To ensure that countries can access the best global expertise and help generate cutting-edge knowledge, the World Bank Group is constantly seeking to improve the way it works. Key priorities include delivering measurable results, promoting openness and transparency in development, and improving access to development information and data.

In the context of the World Bank's broad development agenda, the Legal Vice Presidency (LEG), under the Senior Vice President and Group General Counsel, is responsible for providing legal advice and support to internal and external Bank clients on operational, advisory, financial, administration, and institutional matters. LEG provides legal services required by the World Bank Group and plays an active role in all the World Bank's activities. In addition, the Legal Vice Presidency helps to ensure that all World Bank activities comply with the Institution’s Articles of Agreement, policies and procedures.

LEG’s Operations Policy Unit (LEGOP) provides legal services, support, guidance and advice on operational policy formulation and interpretation, legal risk management, law and policy in fragility, conflict and violence settings, procurement and integrity matters, and operational partnerships. LEGOP is the direct counterpart to the Operations Policy and Country Services (OPCS) Vice Presidency and the Global Themes Department – FCV and works closely with them and other corporate and operational units to advance strategic priorities.

Within LEGOP, the Procurement team plays a critical institutional role in delivering legal advice to OPCS, regional procurement teams, country lawyers and other relevant Bank staff on operational procurement matters across the Bank's portfolio. LEGOP is responsible for providing legal advice to relevant Bank staff on (i) procurement processes and contracts related to IPF operations; (ii) responses to procurement-related complaints, including attending debriefings where procurement-related complaints raise legal issues; (iii) matters of procurement-related noncompliance, including misprocurement; (iv) country-level legal and institutional assessments and delivering capacity-building activities in public procurement; and (v) other Bank project-specific matters as set forth in the Procurement ADM Framework, the Procurement Procedure and other Bank rules. LEGOP also advises OPCS on procurement policy issues and other associated matters, including the development and updating of standard procurement documents and other procurement documents, and represents the Legal VPU in the Operational Procurement Review Committee, providing legal advice to the Chief Procurement Officer (CPO). In coordination with the CPO, LEGOP participates in the Bank’s dialogues with the legal procurement community, professional associations and international organizations on legal procurement aspects of Bank procurement policy and international procurement standards.

Responsibilities And Accountabilities

The selected candidate will work under the general supervision of the LEGOP Chief Counsel. The Consultant operates independently advising on complex procurement-related legal, operational, and policy matters and collaborates with colleagues across LEGOP and the Legal VPU to deliver timely, high-quality legal services. The Consultant provides advice to operational teams working in assigned regions and contributes to cross‑cutting matters, ensuring consistent application and interpretation of the Bank’s Procurement Framework, Procurement Procedure, and other related Bank rules.

As Part Of Their Duties, The Consultant Will

• Advise on project-specific procurement legal issues, including, inter alia, drafting or reviewing legal provisions, providing input on procurement complaints and disputes, and advising on contract management issues.
• Contribute to procurement institutional initiatives and policy reforms, as well as updates of standard procurement documents, model clauses, and guidance.
• Participate in country legal and institutional assessments of procurement systems; design and deliver technical assistance and capacity‑building for government counterparts and other stakeholders.
• Contribute to strengthening LEGOP's knowledge management function with an emphasis on emerging areas by developing and disseminating legal procurement knowledge products and delivering internal training, and building knowledge partnerships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Engage with external partners—including other international financial institutions, professional associations, and client counterparts.

Selection Criteria

Academic Qualifications And Experience

• Advanced law degree (JD, LLM, or equivalent) and admission/qualification to practice law in at least one jurisdiction.
• At least eight (8) years of post-qualification experience providing legal advice and counsel on matters within the scope of these Terms of Reference (ToRs).
• Prior experience advising on procurement matters as they apply to multilateral development banks will be an asset.
• Proven legal research and analysis skills, and demonstrated ability to draft and review legal agreements, memoranda, guidance/technical briefing notes, and analytical reports.
• Excellent problem‑solving abilities and clear, persuasive written and oral communication skills.
• Strong teamwork and interpersonal skills, with a demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively across organizational boundaries.
• Experience mentoring junior counsels.
• Demonstrated intellectual leadership and ability to work independently on complex project components under limited supervision.
• Fluency in English, both written and oral, is required. Proficiency in French or Spanish is preferred.

WBG Culture Attributes

• Sense of urgency: Anticipate and quickly respond to the needs of internal and external stakeholders.
• Thoughtful risk‑taking: Challenge the status quo and push boundaries to achieve greater impact.
• 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.