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
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.
