Senior Partnership Specialist

World Bank Group; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

The World Bank Group in Washington, DC seeks a Senior Partnerships Specialist to strengthen GIF’s donor relations, governance, and resource mobilization. You will report to GIF leadership and work with the Management Unit, Partners, and Advisory Council to advance funding and strategic partnerships.

Responsibilities include developing engagement strategies with sovereign and non‑sovereign partners, overseeing governance documents, and preparing high‑level briefing materials for senior management

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in international relations, public policy, international development, law, economics, finance, business administration, or a related field.
• 8+ years of experience in donor relations, strategic partnerships, governance, resource mobilization, or stakeholder engagement in a multilateral development context.

Responsibilities

• Lead donor engagement with GIF Funding Partners and priority financing partners.
• Governance: plan, prepare, and execute GIF governance processes and advisory activities.
• Prepare high‑level briefing materials, speaking notes, and strategic communications for senior management.
• Coordinate across World Bank Group units on governance, partnership, and donor engagement matters.
• Represent the GIF in high‑level internal and external meetings and forums.

Skills

Strategic donor relations

Partnership development

Governance

Resource mobilization

Stakeholder engagement

Senior-level briefing

Education

Master’s degree in international relations or related field

Job description

Senior Partnership Specialist

• Job #: req38578
• Organization: World Bank
• Sector: Other
• Grade: GG
• Term Duration: Term Staff (TERM-TR)
• Recruitment Type: International Recruitment
• Location: Washington, DC, United States
• Required Language(s): English
• Preferred Language(s): Spanish or Arabic
• Closing Date: 10/23/2026 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC

Description

At 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 www.worldbank.org

The GIF Management Unit resides within the WBG Infrastructure VPU. The World Bank Group Infrastructure VPU helps developing countries build smart infrastructure that supports inclusive and sustainable growth, expands markets, creates job opportunities, promotes competition, and contributes to a cleaner future. Infrastructure improves lives by connecting people to opportunity.

To learn more, visit the World Bank Group Infrastructure VPU website

Global Infrastructure Facility (GIF)

Despite infrastructure’s vital role in driving economic growth, job creation, and sustainable development, emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs) face a persistent and widening infrastructure investment gap. Public balance sheets are stretched; while private investment into infrastructure in EMDEs has stagnated, constrained by the limited supply of well-structured, bankable projects. Fewer than 10% of government-initiated infrastructure projects in EMDEs reach commercial or financial close.

GIF was established in 2014 as a G20 initiative to address this critical challenge to private investment in infrastructure, namely, the shortage of bankable pipelines of investment opportunities that are attractive to private capital. GIF does this by providing funding and technical support to its MDB partners to help client governments prepare infrastructure programs that crowd-in private investment. Over the longer term, GIF aims to help expand the market for private infrastructure finance in EMDEs; that is, to help increase the number of structurally sound, sustainable, quality, and bankable projects seeking finance, and broaden the range of private investors that are willing to risk capital in those projects. Since inception, GIF has approved over US$ 160 million in support for project preparation and transaction advisory services, for 219 project activities across 83 countries. As of June 30, 2026, a total of 51 projects have reached commercial close, 31 of which have subsequently reached financial close. The expected private sector mobilization of these projects is estimated to be US$ 28.1 billion.

Delivering bankable investment pipelines at scale requires the systematic collaboration of EMDE governments, development partners and private investors at global and country level. As the only global MDB‑led project preparation platform, a key part of GIF’s mission is to foster continuous public‑private dialogue around enhancing commercial infrastructure investment and other relevant topics through its private sector Advisory Council and its extensive network spanning governments, MDBs/DFIs, other development partners and the private sector (developers, banks, investors). Leveraging its platform approach enables GIF to act as a convener for knowledge exchange on relevant topics for sustainable infrastructure finance, and, as an honest broker to make the upstream‑midstream‑downstream eco‑system work for bringing infrastructure PPPs to market. The GIF is also engaged at the global level, maintaining an independent seat at the G20 Infrastructure Working Group (IWG), where it provides technical support and thought leadership to successive G20 Presidencies upon request. Its global positioning is further strengthened by the growing recognition of project preparation as a cornerstone of the private capital mobilization (PCM) agenda. In addition, the GIF actively contributes to other global initiatives across the infrastructure finance landscape, reinforcing its role as a trusted platform for advancing sustainable and bankable infrastructure.

GIF is structured as a Financial Intermediary Fund (FIF) hosted by the World Bank. Funding for the GIF is provided by GIF’s Funding Partners1, which currently includes sovereign donors and the World Bank, who also provide strategic direction to the GIF. GIF activities are implemented by its MDB Technical Partners, as implementing entities that have been accredited to receive funding from the GIF. Currently, GIF collaborates with 11 accredited MDB technical partners. Additionally, the GIF is distinctive through its engagement of the private sector, as Advisory Partners. Among the GIF’s 50+ Advisory Partners are pension funds, insurers, asset managers, and investment and commercial banks, together representing more than US$18 trillion in assets under management. These Advisory Partners are called upon throughout the structuring process and during market soundings on GIF‑supported infrastructure programs and projects to maximize attractiveness to private capital when investment opportunities are brought to market.

For more information about GIF please visit: http://www.globalinfrafacility.org/

This role provides support to a Financial Intermediary Fund (FIF). Roles funded by a FIF are subject to the WBG Staff Directives and Procedures. Additionally, the FIF's governance framework and funding are also relevant to this role.

Duties and Responsibilities

GIF is seeking an experienced, strategic, and highly motivated Senior Partnerships Specialist to support and strengthen GIF’s donor relations, strategic partnerships, governance, and institutional engagement agenda. The selected candidate will report to the Head of GIF and work closely with the GIF Management Unit, World Bank senior management, Funding Partners, Technical Partners, Advisory Partners, the Trustee, Legal, and other internal and external stakeholders.

The role requires strong judgment, political sensitivity, excellent drafting and briefing skills, and the ability to operate effectively in a complex multi‑stakeholder environment. The Senior Partnerships Specialist will serve as a trusted advisor to GIF leadership on donor engagement, governance processes, stakeholder management, strategic positioning, and resource mobilization.

Strategic Sovereign Donor Relations

• Lead and support strategic engagement with GIF Funding Partners, including sovereign donors, prospective contributors, and other priority financing partners.
• Develop and implement tailored donor engagement strategies informed by donor priorities, political economy dynamics, budget cycles, institutional processes, decision‑making frameworks, and evolving policy objectives.
• Monitor and analyze political, budgetary, legislative, and policy developments across priority donor countries, providing strategic intelligence, risk assessments, and briefing materials to support GIF leadership, resource mobilization, and partnership engagement.
• Lead stakeholder mapping and engagement planning for priority sovereign and non‑sovereign partners, identifying opportunities to strengthen existing relationships, cultivate new contributors, and expand the GIF's funding base.
• Support resource mobilization efforts through the preparation of donor outreach materials, funding proposals, contribution negotiations, senior management briefing packages, talking points, and other strategic communications.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with ministries, development agencies, permanent missions, executive offices, MDBs, foundations, private‑sector partners, and other key stakeholders, serving as a trusted focal point for strategic engagement.
• Plan and coordinate high‑level engagement with ministers, deputy ministers, executive directors, and other senior officials, including bilateral meetings, strategic missions, and major international events, to advance GIF priorities and partnerships.

Governance and Governing Council Operations

• Lead the strategic planning, preparation, and execution of the GIF's governance processes, including meetings of the Governing Council, Funding Partners, Advisory Council, and other governance bodies, ensuring effective decision‑making and stakeholder engagement.
• Advise the Head of GIF and senior management on governance policies, operating procedures, institutional requirements, stakeholder considerations, and governance‑related risks to support informed strategic decision‑making.
• Lead the periodic review, interpretation, and implementation of the GIF's governance framework, including the Operating Guidelines, Partnership Framework, Accreditation Framework, governance policies, and related institutional arrangements, recommending amendments and improvements as appropriate.
• Prepare and oversee high‑quality governance documentation, including agendas, annotated agendas, decision papers, briefing notes, presentations, meeting records, and formal governance communications for senior stakeholders.
• Coordinate governance processes across the GIF Management Unit, World Bank Infrastructure, Legal, Development Finance (DFI), the Trustee, Funding Partners, Technical Partners, Advisory Council members, and other stakeholders to facilitate timely and effective governance outcomes.
• Lead the accreditation and onboarding of new GIF Technical Partners, Funding Partners, Beneficiary Partners, Advisory Council members, and other strategic stakeholders, ensuring compliance with governance requirements and supporting successful institutional integration.
• Maintain and strengthen institutional governance systems, including records of governance decisions, partnership commitments, accreditation processes, and strategic follow‑up actions, ensuring continuity, transparency, and institutional memory.

Senior Advisory and Institutional Strategy

• Serve as a trusted strategic advisor to the Head of GIF and senior management on donor relations, governance, institutional strategy, political economy developments, stakeholder engagement, and organizational priorities.
• Lead and support strategic initiatives related to the GIF's institutional positioning, governance evolution, partnership model, stakeholder consultations, and long‑term organizational development within the World Bank Group and broader development finance architecture.
• Provide strategic analysis and advice on emerging risks and opportunities affecting the GIF's donor base, governance framework, external partnerships, institutional positioning, and operating environment.
• Shape and advance the GIF's external positioning as the leading global MDB platform for infrastructure project preparation and private capital mobilization through strategic engagement with governments, MDBs, development finance institutions, foundations, investors, and other key stakeholders.
• Lead the development of strategic partnership opportunities with sovereign and non‑sovereign contributors, ensuring alignment with the GIF's governance framework, strategic priorities, and applicable World Bank policies.
• Prepare high‑quality, politically sensitive briefing materials, strategic advice, and key messages for senior management engagements with ministers, executive directors, vice presidents, directors, donor principals, MDB leadership, and private‑sector representatives.
• Lead strategic coordination across relevant World Bank Group units—including Infrastructure, Legal, Development Finance (DFI), other Financial Intermediary Funds (FIFs), and corporate functions—on governance, partnership, and institutional matters affecting the GIF.
• Represent the GIF Management Unit in high‑level internal and external meetings and working groups, as delegated by senior management.

Communications, Briefings, and Knowledge Products

• Draft and edit high‑quality written products, including donor briefings, governance papers, talking points, correspondence, concept notes, meeting summaries, Board/Governing Council materials, and strategic presentations.
• Translate complex governance, donor, and institutional issues into clear, actionable advice for leadership.
• Develop messaging that effectively communicates GIF’s role, results, comparative advantages, and strategic priorities to diverse audiences.
• Lead on delivery of external engagement materials for high‑level meetings, donor consultations, replenishment discussions, partnership events, and global forums.
• Lead on development of revamped GIF website.
• Lead delivery of continuous improvement of GIF’s partnership, governance, and donor engagement practices.

Selection Criteria

Master’s degree in international relations, public policy, international development, law, economics, finance, business administration, or a related field, with at least 8 years of relevant experience.
Demonstrated experience working on donor relations, strategic partnerships, governance, resource mobilization, or stakeholder engagement in a multilateral development, trust fund, FIF, MDB, infrastructure finance, or international development context.
Strong understanding of the international development architecture, political economy, donor decision‑making processes, multilateral governance, and the role of blended finance, project preparation, PPPs, and private capital mobilization in infrastructure.
Demonstrated ability to engage effectively with senior representatives of governments, MDBs, foundations, private‑sector partners, executive offices, and internal corporate units.
Experience supporting governance bodies, boards, councils, committees, or multi‑stakeholder decision‑making processes.
Strong political judgment and ability to navigate sensitive institutional, donor, and stakeholder dynamics with discretion and professionalism.
Excellent analytical skills, including the ability to synthesize complex information quickly and provide practical, strategic advice.
Exceptional written and oral communication skills in English, including ability to draft clear, concise, persuasive, and senior‑level briefing materials.
Demonstrated ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, and lead complex workstreams with minimal supervision.
Proven ability to manage multiple workstreams, meet tight deadlines, and deliver high‑quality products in a fast‑moving environment.
Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work collaboratively across teams, cultures, institutions, and seniority levels.
Knowledge of World Bank Group operations, Financial Intermediary Funds, trust fund governance, MDB partnerships, or infrastructure finance would be a strong advantage.
Proficiency in another World Bank Group official language, such as Spanish or Arabic would be an advantage.
Strategic donor and stakeholder engagement
Governance and institutional advisory support
Political economy and donor intelligence
Resource mobilization and partnership strategy
Senior‑level drafting, briefing, and communication
Multi‑stakeholder coordination and relationship management
Judgment, discretion, and problem‑solving in complex environments
Results orientation and ability to deliver under pressure

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

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.

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.

Learn more about working at World Bank and IFC including our values and inspiring stories.