T Officer – Engineering I
| Job #: |
req31427 |
| Organization: |
World Bank |
| Sector: |
Information Technology |
| Grade: |
GF |
| Term Duration: |
3 years 0 months |
| Recruitment Type: |
Local Recruitment |
| Location: |
South Korea |
| Required Language(s): |
English/Korean [Essential] |
| Preferred Language(s): |
|
| Closing Date: |
2/14/2025 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC |
Description
Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? Working at the World Bank Group provides a unique opportunity for you to help our clients solve their greatest development challenges. The World Bank Group is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries; a unique global partnership of five institutions dedicated to ending extreme poverty, increasing shared prosperity and promoting sustainable development. With 189 member countries and more than 130 offices worldwide, we work with public and private sector partners, investing in groundbreaking projects and using data, research, and technology to develop solutions to the most urgent global challenges. For more information, visit www.worldbank.org
ITS Vice Presidency Context:
The Information and Technology Solutions (ITS) Vice Presidential Unit (VPU) enables the World Bank Group to achieve its mission of ending extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity on a livable planet by delivering transformative information and technologies to its staff working in over 150+ locations. For more information on ITS, see this video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=VTFGffa1Y7w
Our vision is to transform how the Bank Group accomplishes its mission through information and technology. In this fast-paced, ever-changing world, the formulation and implementation of the ITS strategy is an ongoing, iterative process of learning and adaptation developed through extensive consultations with business partners throughout the World Bank Group.
ITS shapes its strategy in response to changing business priorities and leverages new technologies to achieve three high-level business outcomes: business enablement, by providing Bank Group units with innovative digital tools and technologies to transform how they deliver value for their clients; empowerment & effectiveness, by ensuring that all Bank Group staff are connected, able to find information, and productive to accelerate the delivery of development solutions globally; and resilience, by equipping the Bank Group to provide risk-based cybersecurity and robust data protection for a global network and a growing cloud platform.
Implementation of the strategy is guided by three core principles. The first is to deliver solutions for business partners that are customer-centric, innovative, and transformative. The second is to provide the Bank Group with value for money with selective and standard technologies. The third principle is to excel at the basics by providing a high performing, robust, and resilient IT environment for the organization.
ITS Technology Innovation Office (ITSTI) Context:
The ITSTI Office provides a collaboration platform, knowledge hub and accelerator for the experimentation, prototyping and mainstreaming of cutting-edge technologies and innovative business models at the WBG. ITSTI collaborates with internal and external stakeholders to explore and scale new capabilities that will enable the Bank Group to fully harness the Digital Age to achieve its mission. ITSTI also leads enterprise efforts to speed the adoption of transformative and innovative technologies. Finally, ITSTI provides the know-how, experimentation space, convening power and guidance to deliver improved business solutions using new and emerging technologies such as Cybersecurity, Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, IoT, 5G, Robotics, Drones and other emerging technologies.
The incumbent will report to the Manager of the Technology Innovation Office and will work closely with and support the World Bank Korea Country Office Special Representative and IT Officer, Business Solution staff in the Korea Regional Technology and Innovation Hub in WB Korea Office.
Role and Responsibilities:
The Opportunity – ITSTI serves as an internal World Bank Group learning and exploration lab around innovative practices and emerging technologies for development impact. The ITSTI also provides insights into business and policy models transformation, operationalization of disruptive technologies by applying design thinking, agile and lean start-up methodologies, and approaches.
The Korea-based, engineering solutions officer will help design and lead comprehensive and actionable strategies that will elevate the current operating model of ITSTI to provide technical insight and innovation services as a part of the Korea Regional Technology and Innovation Hub within the Korea Country Office. The candidate should contribute to and lead the creation of critical innovative & operational projects in collaboration with the Korea Country office teams including partners from the Digital Development (DD) Global Practice and the Financial, Competitiveness, and Innovation (FCI) Global Practice. The candidate will support with exploration, incubation and scaling of digital transformation programs leveraging experience and expertise within the EAP Region for the benefit of both regional challenges, as well as challenges around the world. It will also be critical for this team member to work closely with ITSTI to support WBG teams and client countries in their efforts to operationalize disruptive and emerging technologies to solve development challenges.
This candidate will be an integral ITSTI team member, reporting back on the initiatives, levels of success, and challenges faced while looking for support as needed from the ITSTI team to support the Korea Innovation and Technology Hub. The candidate will promote collaboration from the ITS standpoint to support the Korea Regional Technology and Innovation Hub to develop a cohesive technology and innovation architecture approach to fast-track the adoption of innovative technologies for WBG client countries.
Specific Duties
•This position requires a professional with deep expertise in disruptive technologies, including but not limited to AI, Cognitive Computing, Internet of Things (IoT), Blockchain, Robotics, Big Data, and Analytics. The candidate should demonstrate strong analytical skills and a comprehensive understanding of the technology landscape and market trends, with the ability to assess their potential impact on both IT and business operations.
•Work closely with the ITSTI Office at HQ, the Korea Regional Technology and Innovation Hub team, and various internal and external stakeholders to ensure seamless and effective coordination of day-to-day activities.
•Develop and deliver prototypes (Such as Data analysis via AI/ML models, interactive dashboards, data visualization, etc.), providing engineering support to country-level projects, ensuring alignment with operational goals and client needs.
•Conduct advanced AI modeling and data analysis to extract actionable insights, optimize project outcomes, and inform strategic decision-making.
•Create technical documentation, reports, and communication materials to showcase outcomes, while researching emerging technologies and industry trends to stay current.
•Apply innovative methodologies and approaches—such as Design Thinking, Agile, Foresight, and Systems Thinking/Design—to explore, iterate, and support the operationalization of innovative business practices and emerging technologies, aiming for development impact in World Bank client countries.
•Lead engagements and knowledge-sharing sessions with university innovation labs, tech and entrepreneurial communities, and public, private, and technology sector partners. Explore, experiment, and co-create innovative technology-enabled solutions for development impact through Proof of Value (PoVs), technical prototypes, hackathons, innovation challenges, etc.
•Serve as a lead in exploring the potential growth and development of technologies such as Blockchain, AI and Machine Learning, IoT, AR/VR, and quantum computing, identifying opportunities to implement these across the World Bank Group (WBG).
•Contribute to developing the knowledge and learning for WBG staff in EAP and beyond, facilitating the adoption of innovative technologies into WBG operations.
•Lead the identification of emerging market technology trends, identifying opportunities for the WBG to leverage or accelerate the use of innovative digital platforms and hosting solutions.
•Develop and/or coordinate complex, multi-disciplinary proof-of-concept (PoC) projects by coding and implementing disruptive technologies. Drive the fast adoption of innovations and provide technical guidance to WBG counterparts and clients in EAP on integrating these solutions.
•Participate in technical evaluations, providing expert advice to shape the design, project preparation, and management of Korea Innovation & Technology engagements.
•Contribute to the formulation of strategic priorities and the development of the Korea Regional Technology and Innovation portfolio.
Selection Criteria
•Master’s degree in a relevant field with 5+ years of experience, OR Bachelor's degree with 7+ years of experience, including hands-on work with innovative technologies such as AI, Machine Learning, and others.
•Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, and/or a related field with a focus on innovation, technology, ICT, or analytical work.
Technology & Innovation Expertise
•Strong technology knowledge, expertise and skills, with focus on both conventional and emerging technologies.
•Strong programming skills with the ability to conduct AI/ML modeling, develop interactive dashboards, and perform data analysis on country-level datasets.
•Knowledge and experience in software application development, architecture design to support operationalization of emerging technologies.
•Knowledge and proven experience in Design thinking, Agile, Foresight, & Systems Thinking, Systems Design methodologies, frameworks and tools.
•Knowledge and Technical Architecture skills to research and design new architectural components
•Knowledge and understanding of the developing countries and emerging economies development context and priorities.
•Prior experience in working on technology and innovation projects/initiatives in public, private, start-up sectors, with the focus on exploring innovative business models and emerging technologies for development impact, from experimentation to incubation/scaling and operationalization.
•Strong awareness and understanding of technology driven innovation and new economic models & paradigms and the innovation ecosystem development paradigm
•Proven ability to lead and work independently, seeking guidance on complex issues from leadership.
•Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to define technology roadmaps and evaluate the solutions.
•Excellent interpersonal skills, proven team orientation, proven ability to work effectively and collaboratively within and across institutional boundaries.
•Strong partnership building skills to connect with various stakeholders to create opportunities to collaborate, co-create and innovate.
•Ability to operate effectively and efficiently in sensitively in multi-cultural environments, experience in working in developing countries.
•Fluency in both written and spoken English and Korean is essential.
Required Competencies & Skills
Technical Competencies:
•Advanced coding expertise with strong technical proficiency in key programming languages and frameworks, enabling the development of prototype with robust and scalable solutions.
•Proven ability to design and architect technology solutions, utilizing best practices and design patterns to deliver effective business outcomes.
•Proven technical skills and proficiency in Python programming is a strong plus, with hands-on experience in Python-based libraries and frameworks including NumPy, Pandas, Django, Flask, and scikit-learn or any related programming languages and frameworks.
•Familiarity with the Linux command line operations and proficiency in executing commands and navigating the Linux environment.
•Ability to develop prototype such as AI models, data visualizations, and interactive dashboards to support country-level projects
•Systems Engineering experience with a proven track record working on diverse computing protocols, high-performance systems, and distributed technologies is a plus
Knowledge of emerging technology processes and practices, including how to evaluate new technologies and their potential value to the business.
Project & Client Management Competencies
•Client Understanding and Advising - Advises clients and helps them think proactively about how to best meet their current and future needs, considering the underlying issues that the client may not be aware of.
•Experience managing programs and/or multiple projects, including simultaneous task assignments.
•Learning Orientation - Stays abreast of new trends and developments in the industry and draws on this knowledge to introduce others to emerging trends and new approaches.
•Strategic Technology Planning: Research and benchmarks against best-practice architecture/technology needs for significant, integrated work processes.
•Systems Thinking - Plans improvements that consider the critical, underlying and less apparent relationships between business, technology and systems platforms.
•Broad Business Thinking - Maintains a deep understanding of key business issues and ensures consistency across the business and clients. Engages business leaders in the identification of medium-term business solutions.
•Business Function Knowledge - Sets the direction for and steers medium-term enhancements of integrated standards and significant business performance drivers.
Innovation and Collaboration Competencies
•Lead and Innovate - Develop innovative solutions with others.
•Creativity, passion, and initiative to deliver outcomes and the know-how to get things done. Explores ways to get more impactful results and sets challenging stretch goals for oneself.
•Collaborate Within Teams and Across Boundaries - Initiates collaboration across boundaries and broadly across WBG and brings differing ideas into the forefront.
•Create, Apply and Share Knowledge - Creates, applies and shares knowledge from across and outside WBG to strengthen internal and/or external client solutions.
•Deliver Results for Clients - Achieves results and identifies mission-driven solutions.
•Strong interpersonal skills and proven ability to work effectively and collaboratively within and across institutional boundaries.
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 the World Bank and IFC, including our values and inspiring stories.
