Finance Officer
Description
Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? Working at the World Bank provides a unique opportunity for you to help our clients solve their greatest development challenges. The World Bank consists of two entities – the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA). It is a global development cooperative owned by 189 member countries. As the largest development bank in the world, the World Bank provides loans, guarantees, risk management products, and advisory services to middle-income and creditworthy low-income countries, and coordinates responses to regional and global challenges. Visit www.worldbank.org.
Vice-Presidency Context
The Budget, Performance Review, and Strategic Planning Vice Presidency (BPS) is organized into four departments under a Vice President: (1) BPS Corporate Units (BPSCU) - supporting Institutional, Governance and Administrative Units, Capital Budget and providing BPS systems, knowledge, data governance and the service center; (2) BPS Operations Units (BPSOU) – supporting Vertical VPUs and Regions (3) BPS Strategic Planning (BPSSP) – supporting the corporate strategic business and budget planning process; and (4) BPS Corporate Procurement (BPSCP) with teams responsible for coordinating and overseeing the sourcing strategy, selection, contract execution, and vendor management across the globe.
BPS’ 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).
Hiring Unit Context:
BPS is now seeking to fill the position of Finance Officer for the following unit(s):
BPSHE– supports the work program of 2 VPUs – East Asia and Pacific Regional Office (EAPVP) and People Vertical VPU (GGHVP). The position will work with the EAP VPU, which is the most decentralized region, organized around 5 Regional Practice Directors, 7 Division Directors, and the VP Front Office departments. Like all BPS staff, Finance Officers are expected to be fungible and able to work across different assignments over time, depending on business needs and professional development objectives, and with the IFC as needed. Specific work assignments are articulated in annual goals prior to the start of each fiscal year.
Note that additional GF vacancies from across the VPU may be added to this requisition should the business need arise in the short term. All qualified, eligible, and interested parties are encouraged to apply.
Duties and Responsibilities
The Finance Officer is responsible for the comprehensive management of budgetary and administrative processes, including developing, implementing and monitoring the department's budget of the Pacific departments and the Australia office. They provide critical analysis and recommendations to optimize financial performance and ensure alignment with strategic goals. This role also involves liaising with management to facilitate accurate budget forecasting and reporting, while ensuring compliance with financial regulations and internal controls. The Finance Officer will lead a team of about 5 staff and travel a few times a year to visit the country offices.
The selected candidate is expected to be an excellent team player, comfortable working with large datasets, preferably with data modeling skills, experience in budgeting, with strong analytical skills, and knowledge in one or more of the key functional areas that BPS supports.
NOTE: Applicants should regularly check emails from [email protected], as this is the official channel for requesting or sending additional information during the recruitment process. Please note that applications sent to this account are not accepted.
Selection Criteria
- Minimum Education consisting of a master’s degree in accounting, Business, Finance, or other relevant discipline required to fulfill position-specific requirements (e.g., Economics, Finance, Public Administration, Information Systems, etc.); or Non-Finance Bachelor’s Degree plus an internationally recognized completed professional accounting qualification (e.g., CPA, CA, ACCA, CGMA, CMA).
- 5 years’ relevant experience, if internal, experience across two units or moving to a new unit.
- Applicants need to have a work permit for Australia.
- Strong understanding of financial and/or management accounting and budgeting principles and administrative processes.
- Experience ensuring effective budget management, performance review, and strategic planning to align resources according to the business needs.
- Compiles and analyzes costs at the country office, measuring efficiency/effectiveness and proposing enhancement solutions.
- Experience in quantitative modeling skills appropriate for supporting decisions on resource allocation and utilization.
- Ability to write well and present complex data/analyses in a concise and clear manner.
- Experience developing and implementing financial policies and procedures.
- Working knowledge of enterprise budget/finance systems and reports, particularly SAP, BW/AO, and BPC, and/or experience with major systems for financial/budget management.
- Excellent communication, teamwork, interpersonal and collaboration skills
Proficiency in Finance Officer competencies (listed below): BPS’s competency framework defines the essential skillsets for VPU staff. In addition to core technical competencies, applicants should also be proficient in Business, Digital, People, and Leadership skills. For more details, please click here. BPS Competency Framework_final_March2025
Technical Competencies:
Cost and Financial Accounting: Demonstrate advanced level understanding of accounting standards and financial reports, implement efficient process changes consistent with best practices; create a corporate culture of compliance and shared accountability, manage cost challenge processes and work closely with the business to ensure key performance indicators are measuring the right metrics.
Evaluation, Reporting and Financial Analysis: Optimize management information delivery to multi-functional teams, lead the development of functional reporting systems, address root causes of reporting quality issues.
Business Planning: Interpret and make effective management decisions using benchmarking, trends, and other planning and forecasting methods, develop and implement improvements to the planning processes.
Risk Management and Internal Controls: Develop innovative approaches to managing significant business risks effectively and efficiently, lead implementation, execution and monitoring activities, significantly improve and monitor risk-based system of financial control; develop solutions for the effectiveness of existing controls to manage the business risks.
WBG Culture Attributes:
1. Sense of Urgency – Anticipating and quickly reacting to the needs of internal and external stakeholders.
2. Thoughtful Risk Taking – Taking informed and thoughtful risks and making courageous decisions to push boundaries for greater impact.
3. Empowerment and Accountability – Engaging with others in an empowered and accountable manner for impactful 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.
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.
