Senior Health Specialist - Health Services

Job #:
req38280

Organization:
World Bank Group

Sector:
Health/Nutrition/Population

Grade:
GG

Term Duration:
Open-Ended Staff (OPEN-OP)

Recruitment Type:
International Recruitment

Location:
Washington, DC,United States

Required Language(s):
English

Preferred Language(s):
Spanish, French

Closing Date:
10/14/2026 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC

Description

Role Overview

The Global Health Unit is seeking a Senior Health Specialist, with a strong understanding of how mixed health systems (public and private) work and rich operational experience in private health services in developing countries.

The Senior Health Specialist will be a key technical resource within the Solutions and Impact Team, providing specialized health-sector expertise throughout IFC's investment cycle. The Specialist will also serve as a bridge health-system policy and private-sector delivery by translating government priorities and system constraints into viable private-sector solutions and bringing industry evidence and operational insights into policy dialogue, regulatory reform, country strategies, and WBG operations.

• IFC Investment and Advisory
• Provide due diligence support and input to investment documents and meetings as a technical specialist on IFC's health services projects, including hospitals, diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, health technology, and health insurance.
• Assess how a proposed investment fits within country service-delivery networks, referral pathways, workforce capacity, financing arrangements, and regulatory frameworks; evaluate both firm-level viability and potential system effects, including access, affordability, quality, equity, fragmentation, supplier-induced demand, and market concentration;
• Identify complementary public policy, institutional, or advisory actions needed to achieve development impact; and
• Conduct regular portfolio reviews and field visits to assess project health outcomes and compliance with sector-specific good practice standards.
• Identify opportunities and provide support for Advisory and WBG collaboration, where appropriate, to increase the impact of the projects at a system level

• Strategy, Knowledge Management and Thought Leadership
• Contribute to the development and refinement of WBG's health sector strategy, including identification of priority thematic areas and geographies for private sector investment and public private partnership with a specific focus on the replicable solutions under the Health Implementation Plan.
• Lead or contribute to analytical work on private sector health market dynamics, investment trends, and regulatory environments in emerging markets.
• Represent WBG in external forums, conferences, and working groups related to private sector health investment and global health financing.
• Author or co-author sector notes, working papers, and policy briefs that position WBG as a leading voice in global health.
• Develop and maintain knowledge products, including sector toolkits, investment guides, good practice notes, and case studies for use by WBG teams and clients.
• Contribute to internal learning events, training sessions, and communities of practice related to health sector investing.

• Contributing to the Health Public Policy & Regulation
• Contribute private-sector and implementation perspectives to health-sector diagnostics, policy dialogue, country strategies, Health Compacts, and upstream engagement.
• Advise on how health financing, purchasing and reimbursement, licensing, accreditation, competition, taxation, workforce, data governance, and quality regulation affect private-sector participation and health outcomes.
• Advise on enabling frameworks for mixed health systems, including strategic purchasing, contracting, public-private collaboration, provider regulation, referral arrangements, and accountability mechanisms.
• Translate policy and regulatory reforms into viable investment and advisory opportunities, while identifying affordability, equity, quality, market-concentration, and fiscal risks.
• Bring lessons from IFC clients and industry operations into policy design, and help private providers understand and respond to public-policy objectives.

Selection Criteria
• Master's or advanced Degree in Healthcare management or related field
• Minimum of 8 years (15+ years strongly preferred) of international operational/managerial/consultancy experience with health services companies and familiarity with the regulatory, quality and operational aspects of health services businesses;
• Deep executive or operational experience in private health services, with demonstrated responsibility for business models, clinical quality, growth, investment, operational performance, or market entry in emerging economies.
• Demonstrated experience working at the interface of private health-sector operations and health-system policy, including direct engagement with ministries of health, finance ministries, regulators, public purchasers, social health insurance agencies, or development institutions.
• Knowledge of health systems in areas of health financing and strategic purchasing; provider payment and reimbursement models; licensing, accreditation, quality assurance, and patient safety; market and competition dynamics; workforce and service-delivery planning; digital health and data governance; and equity, affordability, and financial protection.
• Understanding and/ or experience in quality and ethical practices issues in the sector;
• Familiarity with WBG strategy, operations and toolkit for the health services
• Strong leadership track record, ability to manage and drive change with internal and external stakeholders at all levels of the organization
• Qualifications must include computer literacy in relevant scientific/technical software,
• Excellent communication skills both written and verbal in English.
• Spanish and French language proficiency is highly preferred

WBG Culture Attributes & Competencies

The Senior Health Specialist Specialist is expected to embody and model the World Bank Group's core leadership values and culture attributes:
• Sense of Urgency: Proactively responding to stakeholder needs, driving momentum on strategic priorities, and removing bottlenecks to delivery without sacrificing quality.
• Thoughtful Risk-Taking: Challenging the status quo, testing new approaches, and supporting innovation within a framework of sound institutional judgment and accountability.
• Empowerment & Accountability: Holding oneself and the team to high standards of delivery, empowering staff to take initiative, and maintaining transparency with senior management on progress and challenges.

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.