Senior Finance Officer

Description

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 and promoting shared prosperity. With 189 member countries and more than 120 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.

VPU Context:

The Budget and Procurement Vice Presidency (WBP) is organized into five departments under a Vice President: (1) WBPCU- WBG, Budget Partners, Corporate and Knowledge Units: Providing strategic and operational leadership in finance planning and budget oversight to WBG executive, compliance, corporate, finance, and knowledge VPUs; (2) WBPRU- IBRD/IDA Budget Partners, Regional Units: Providing strategic and operational leadership in finance planning and budget oversight to regional VPUs and Country Office Accounting management and oversight, globally; (3) WBPCE- WBG Center of Excellence: Leading planning, reporting, shared services, and budget solutions; (4) WBPCP- WBG Corporate Procurement: Overseeing sourcing, supplier management, and operational support; and (5) CBADR- IFC & MIGA Budget Partners: Providing strategic and operational leadership in finance planning and budget oversight to IFC and MIGA clients, globally.

WBP’ service delivery model has three core roles: (1) Business Partners (serving clients directly with focus on decision support and performance oversight); (2) Centers of Expertise (providing thought-leadership and analytics, designing business finance policies, practices and systems, and coordinating knowledge management); and (3) Service Center (managing delivery of high volume and transactional and reporting services across Bank, including help desk support to clients).

Unit Context:

The unified WBG BPS VPU provides the structural framework to enable faster, simpler, and more impactful solutions for our clients all rising to the challenges of the ‘bigger and better bank’. Specifically, the Country Office (CO) Accountant role responds to the need to be where our stakeholders need us most, providing timely relevant expert advice while harmonizing and leveraging best practice solutions at speed and scale, across all country offices. In order to ensure adequate governance and oversight support for this function. WBP is seeking to recruit four Senior Finance Officers (SFOs) to help drive, support, and implement the BPS Service Delivery model. As with all WBP staff, Senior Finance Officers are expected to be fungible and able to work across different assignments over time depending on business needs and professional development objectives. Specific work assignments are articulated in annual objectives prior to the start of each fiscal year. Note: additional SFO vacancies may be included should the business need arise in the short term.

Duties and accountabilities:

The Senior Finance Officer is a senior technical leader and trusted advisor responsible for advancing country office accounting (COA) practices across the World Bank Group through subject matter expertise, standard setting, and strategic initiatives. The role may include staff supervision, leadership of cross-regional initiatives, engagement with senior management, and representation of the country office accounting function in governance and decision-making forums.

Key accountabilities are:

• Lead a designated COA theme globally, establishing standards, guidance, training, and best practices to support consistent application of accounting policies, internal controls, and risk management requirements.
• Serve as the senior technical advisor on complex country office accounting, banking, payments, reconciliations, administrative finance, and internal control matters.
• Drive process harmonization, modernization, automation, and continuous improvement initiatives, including implementation of the assigned COA theme in at least one region.
• Identify emerging risks, control gaps, and operational challenges, and lead development of solutions to strengthen governance, compliance, and control effectiveness.
• Lead or contribute to cross-regional and institution-wide projects, representing the accounting function in governance forums, audits, reviews, and strategic transformation efforts.
• Partner with WFA, ITS, and other stakeholders on systems, tools, reporting, and process enhancements that improve efficiency, service delivery, and control outcomes.
• Strengthen technical capability across the network through coaching, knowledge sharing, training, and, where applicable, direct supervision of staff and project teams.

Note: This internal requisition is open to WBG and IMF staff only (including short-term and extended term consultants/temporaries). External candidates are requested not to apply. In case an external candidate applies, their application will not be considered.

Selection Criteria

• Minimum Education consisting of a Master's Degree in Accounting, Business, Finance, Management, or other relevant discipline required to fulfill position-specific requirements, OR Non-Finance Master’s Degree plus an internationally recognized completed professional accounting qualification (e.g., CPA, CA, ACCA, CGMA, CMA)
• Minimum eight years relevant experience across two units or moving to an assignment in a different unit (relevant country office, non-BPS, or external experiences would fu