Special Assistant, Washington, United States

World Bank Group; Washington; On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

The World Bank Group seeks a Special Assistant to provide high-level strategic, diplomatic, and operational support to the Chief Executive Officer. The role requires managing engagements, priorities, and relationships across the GEF Secretariat and wider partnership in a fast-moving, international environment.

The successful candidate will act as the trusted first contact for the CEO’s office, coordinating with senior officials, tracking commitments, and preparing concise briefing materials and

Qualifications

• Master’s degree or equivalent in international relations, economic development, public policy, business administration, diplomacy, or a closely related field.
• A minimum of eight years of relevant professional experience with progression in responsibility.
• Excellent written and spoken English; fluency in an additional relevant language is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Support the CEO’s relationships with senior government authorities, heads of GEF Agencies, leaders of multilateral organizations, and other senior stakeholders.
• Prepare briefing materials, profiles, agendas, and follow-up notes for bilateral meetings and high-level engagements.
• Accompany the CEO to selected events and coordinate with host institutions and teams.
• Coordinate and organize the CEO’s agenda, ensuring priorities and travel needs are anticipated and sequenced effectively.
• Draft and coordinate executive materials, correspondence, meeting records, and speaking points as required.
• Maintain confidentiality and build effective relationships across the Secretariat and external partners.

Skills

Diplomatic judgment

Organization

Time management

Multitasking

Written communication

Verbal communication

Education

Master's degree or equivalent

Job description

Special Assistant

Job #: req38636

Organization: World Bank

Sector: Environment

Grade: GG

Term Duration: Term Staff (TERM-TR)

Recruitment Type: International Recruitment

Location: Washington, DC, United States

Required Language(s): English

Preferred Language(s): Proficiency in one or more additional relevant languages highly desirable

Closing Date: 11/4/2026 (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 https://www.worldbank.org/en/who-we-are/ibrd

About the Global Environment Facility (GEF)

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is a multilateral financial mechanism created in 1991 to provide grant and concessional funds to recipient countries for projects and programs that address biodiversity loss, climate change mitigation and adaptation, degradation of international waters, land and forests, ozone depletion, elimination or reduction of persistent organic pollutants and mercury, all within the framework of sustainable development. The GEF unites 186 countries in partnership with international institutions, civil society organizations (CSOs), and the private sector to address global environmental issues while supporting national sustainable development initiatives. An independently operating financial organization, GEF is the designated financial mechanism for five international environmental conventions: the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Minamata Convention on Mercury. GEF is also a designated financial mechanism of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification. The GEF Secretariat is a Vice-Presidential Unit (VPU) within the World Bank with approximately 100 staff.

The Special Assistant to the CEO will provide high-level strategic, diplomatic, and operational support to the Chief Executive Officer and Chairperson. The position will help ensure that the CEO’s engagements, priorities, and relationships are prepared, coordinated, and followed through effectively across the GEF Secretariat and the wider GEF partnership. The incumbent will serve as a trusted first point of contact for the CEO’s office and will work side by side with the CEO in a fast-moving, international environment.

Duties and Accountabilities

• Support the CEO’s relationships and substantive engagement with senior government authorities, heads of GEF Agencies, heads and senior officials of multilateral environmental conventions, leaders of multilateral organizations, international NGOs, civil society, private sector institutions, and other senior stakeholders.
• Prepare the CEO for bilateral meetings, missions, Council-related engagements, conferences, and public events through concise briefing materials, stakeholder profiles, key messages, agendas, and follow-up notes.
• Accompany the CEO to selected events, missions, and high-level meetings, coordinating closely with host institutions and relevant GEF Secretariat teams.
• Coordinate and help organize the CEO’s agenda in partnership with administrative and substantive teams, ensuring that priorities, preparation requirements, travel needs, and decision points are anticipated and sequenced effectively.
• Act as the first point of contact for senior-level requests directed to the CEO’s office, exercising sound judgment in triaging, routing, and following up on issues.
• Support the CEO’s interactions with the GEF senior management team and facilitate timely information flow, alignment, and follow-through on agreed actions.
• Maintain a structured system for tracking the CEO’s commitments, correspondence, stakeholder engagements, decisions, and follow-up actions.
• Draft and coordinate high-quality correspondence, meeting records, speaking points, outreach notes, and other executive materials, as required.
• Anticipate sensitive political, diplomatic, reputational, and scheduling issues and propose practical options for the CEO’s consideration.
• Build effective working relationships across the Secretariat and with external partners, while maintaining strict confidentiality and discretion.
• Undertake other responsibilities assigned by the CEO that are consistent with the role.

Selection Criteria

Education

• Master’s degree or equivalent in international relations, economic development, public policy, business administration, diplomacy, or a closely related field.

Experience

• A minimum of eight years of relevant professional experience, with demonstrated progression in responsibility.
• Substantial experience in international relations at the government level, a multilateral organization, an international financial institution, or an international NGO.
• Demonstrated experience supporting or engaging senior public officials, heads of institutions, or comparable senior stakeholders in multilateral or diplomatic settings.
• Experience preparing executive briefings, coordinating high-level engagements, and managing multiple time-sensitive priorities is highly desirable.

Languages

• Excellent written and spoken English is required.
• Fluency in at least one additional language relevant to the GEF partnership is required.

Skills and Attributes

• Outstanding diplomatic judgment, political awareness, discretion, and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent organization, time management, prioritization, and multitasking skills, with close attention to detail.
• Ability to work at pace, remain composed under pressure, and adjust to changing priorities and schedules.
• Strong writing, synthesis, and verbal communication skills for senior audiences.
• Collaborative, service-oriented, and team-based working style.
• Ability and willingness to travel internationally and work flexibly alongside the CEO, including outside standard working hours when required by official duties.

Core Competencies at GG Level

• Delivers results by understanding client and institutional needs, developing practical solutions, and taking accountability for risk management and outcomes.
• Initiates collaboration across organizational boundaries, engages differing viewpoints constructively, and sets priorities from an institution-wide perspective.
• Develops solutions with others, adapts to changing circumstances, and helps colleagues understand problems, stakeholder needs, and context.
• Creates, applies, and shares knowledge from across and outside the institution, builds professional networks, and supports the development of colleagues.
• Applies critical thinking, evaluates risks and short- and long-term implications, recommends a clear course of action, and follows through decisively.

Working Arrangements

The position requires close, trusted, and highly responsive collaboration with the CEO and relevant Secretariat teams. The selected candidate will be expected to exercise sound judgment, discretion, accountability, and respect for the multicultural and multilateral character of the GEF partnership.

Institutional Statement

The GEF is committed to attracting qualified candidates from diverse professional, geographic, and cultural backgrounds. Appointment will be subject to applicable World Bank Group and GEF policies, procedures, and terms of employment.

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 World Bank and IFC including our values and inspiring stories.