Deadline: July 28, 2017
On June 14, applications will open for the World Bank Young Professionals Program 2018. The Young Professionals Program (YPP) is a starting point for an exciting career at the World Bank Group. It is a unique opportunity for younger talent who have both a passion for international development and the leadership potential to grow in fascinating top technical and managerial roles in the World Bank Group (WBG). The program is designed for highly qualified and motivated individuals skilled in areas relevant to WBG technical/operations such as economics, finance, education, public health, social sciences, engineering, urban planning, agriculture, natural resources and others.
Every year, around 40 applicants are accepted into the program. Young Professionals are offered a five-year renewable term contract, spend 24 months in a structured development program, and enjoy a variety of benefits and opportunities.
Benefits
- Salary: Young Professionals are offered an internationally competitive salary, based on their education and professional experience.
- Health, Life, Accident, and Other Insurance Programs: Young Professionals and their families (including declared domestic partners) may choose from three comprehensive medical/dental benefit plans. The WBG also provides basic life and accident insurance to all staff at no cost, and staff can elect optional life and accident insurance plans. The WBG provides disability and workers’ compensation coverage to staff at no cost.
- Pension Plan: The WBG sponsors a comprehensive pension plan for eligible staff. Upon separation from the WBG, either a lump sum or a pension will become payable to the staff based on eligibility.
- Relocation Benefits: These benefits are only applicable to staff who are not residents of the greater Washington-Baltimore metropolitan area at the time of appointment.
- Relocation Travel: The World Bank will bear the cost of one-way transportation of staff and immediate dependent family from the staff member’s residence.
- Relocation Shipment: You may choose to have the World Bank handle your shipping arrangements or you may elect the Optional Shipment Grant.
- Relocation Grant: A one-time grant is included in the first paycheck to cover the cost of relocation.
- Mobility Premium: A financial benefit is provided for a fixed period to cover expenses associated with being an expatriate staff member, based on family size and nationality. This benefit is not available for U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents who are based in Washington, DC.
- Tax Allowance: U.S. staff receive an additional quarterly payment to cover the federal, state, and local income tax liabilities on their World Bank Group income.
- Financial Assistance: The World Bank Group offers several financial assistance programs, including a two-year interest-free settling-in loan to those who relocate upon appointment.
Eligibility
Minimum Requirements:
The following are the minimum requirements to be eligible for the Young Professionals Program.
- Citizenship of a member country of the World Bank Group
- Be born on or after October 1, 1985
- A PhD or Master’s degree and relevant work experience
- Fluency in English
- Full proficiency in one or more of the WBG’s working languages: Arabic, Chinese, French, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish is desired but not required
- Specialization in a field relevant to the WBG Technical/Operations such as economics, finance, education, public health, social sciences, engineering, urban planning, agriculture, natural resources, and others
- At least three years of relevant professional experience related to development or continued academic study at the doctoral level
Additional Qualifications:
To be competitive for the limited number of positions, a combination of the following credentials is highly desirable:
- Display a commitment and passion for international development
- Possess outstanding academic credentials
- Exhibit excellent client engagement and team leadership skills
- Have international development country experience
- Be motivated to relocate and undertake country assignments
How to Apply
The application for the 2018 Selection Process for the Young Professionals Program at the World Bank will be opened from June 14 – July 28, 2017.
Before You Apply, please ensure that:
- You meet the minimum requirements for eligibility for the Young Professionals Program and,
- You have all the information at hand including key dates, an updated Curriculum Vitae (CV), Education Certificates/Transcripts, PhD Dissertation/Master’s Thesis topics (short summary), if applicable, and the Application Essay ready to be uploaded
Application Essay for the 2018 Selection Process
“Ending extreme poverty by 2030 and boosting shared prosperity in a sustainable manner are the driving missions for the World Bank Group. While the goals are simple to grasp, the efforts it will take to meet them are not. Just as there are many interconnected and overlapping causes behind extreme poverty, the solutions required are just as complex and unique to each country’s individual circumstances. The fundamentals, however, remain true: countries must grow their economies inclusively, so that everyone benefits; they must invest in their people; and they must ensure that those who have left poverty do not fall back into it.
Yet, the world today is much different than it was even just a few years ago. The global community is facing challenges that are diverse in nature—economic, humanitarian, environmental—but that share key features. First, they threaten the hard-won development gains of recent decades; and second, they will not be contained within any one country’s borders. Millions of people have been forcibly displaced by conflict and live in ever-more fragile areas; the risks of pandemics can devastate the health of individuals, but also undermine countries’ economies; and the threats of climate change are becoming ever more apparent.
Everyone will be affected. Yet the poorest and most vulnerable will be affected most. To address these challenges, the World Bank Group is working to become a more agile partner in addressing the world’s most pressing problems. It aims to leverage and apply its unique capabilities to provide the innovative financing and creative solutions that support countries in dealing with these challenges at the local, regional, and global levels. As the world works to confront these challenges,
the World Bank Group will continue to play an essential role in supporting global development and working to safeguard the progress toward the 2030 sustainable development agenda.” (Extract from the 2016 WBG Annual Report)
Describe in fewer than 1,000 words your own contribution and the potential role of World Bank in resolving some of the above challenges. Focus on your area of expertise to describe your proposal.
Applicants will be informed of their status as the process moves along.
For more information, visit WBG Young Professionals Program.
