Job Description

E T Consultant (Senior Trade Facilitation & Border Management Specialist)

Job #: req39262 Organization: World Bank Sector: Private Sector Development Grade: EC3 Term Duration: 1 year 0 months Recruitment Type: International Recruitment Location: Pretoria,South Africa Required Language(s): English Preferred Language(s): Closing Date: 11/7/2026 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC

Description

At the World Bank, a member of the World Bank Group (WBG), you’ll join a diverse, global community working across cultures, disciplines, and borders to address the world’s most pressing development challenges. With 1.2 billion young people reaching working age in the decade ahead, the challenge of job creation has never been greater. Through partnerships across 145 countries and more than 182 offices worldwide, we work with governments, private sector, development partners and other stakeholders to invest in people, strengthen markets, and deliver scalable, data-driven solutions that generate more and better jobs and improve lives. For more information, visit https://www.worldbank.org/en/who-we-are/ibrd

The Finance, Competitiveness, and Innovation (FCI) unit for East and Southern Africa 2 (EAEF2) serves the Eastern and Southern Africa Region (AFE) of the World Bank and sits within the Equitable Growth, Finance, and Institutions (EFI) Practice Group. EAEF2 provides strategic, technical and operational leadership to design and implement the FCI program across the region, delivering tailored financial and private sector development solutions to client countries. The unit partners closely with Country Directors, Country Management Units (CMUs) and other Global Practices to deliver integrated country work programs. Its work covers financial sector development and inclusion; financial stability and crisis management; disaster risk financing and insurance; private sector development and competitiveness, including the investment climate, entrepreneurship, digital economy strategies and tourism; and financial integrity, including AML/CFT. The unit conducts analytical work and advisory services to support policy reforms at national and sub-regional levels, and designs and supervises lending operations that target financial sector stability, private sector growth and market competitiveness.

Trade facilitation and border management are central to the unit's competitiveness and private sector development agenda. Faster, more predictable and lower-cost border processes reduce the cost of doing business, help firms and MSMEs integrate into regional and global value chains, support export diversification and strengthen the investment climate. The work of this position therefore directly supports the FCI program's objectives of private sector growth and market competitiveness across Eastern and Southern Africa.

FCI EAEF2 is hiring a Senior Trade Facilitation & Border Management Specialist (Extended Consultant) to deliver technical assistance and advisory services in Africa. The consultant will support the design, implementation and evaluation of World Bank lending operations and technical assistance engagements on trade facilitation, customs reform and border management in low- and middle-income countries across the continent. The consultant will be based in South Africa and will report to the Practice Manager.

Duties and Accountabilities

The successful candidate will work to broaden and deepen the Bank Group's trade facilitation and border management reform program in Africa including, but not limited to:

• Deliver technical assistance and advisory services to client governments and agencies in Africa on trade facilitation, customs reform and modernization, and border management.
• Support the strategic development and implementation of the Bank Group's trade facilitation and border management reform and modernization program in the region.
• Support country teams in the design, implementation and supervision of IDA/IBRD lending operations and trade facilitation components, and lead and/or participate in the quality review of the reforms they support.
• Support the regions by participating in the policy dialogue on trade-related matters with client countries and in lending projects initiated by country teams.
• Support the implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement and regional integration and corridor initiatives in client countries.
• Research and develop new knowledge tools for dissemination, internally and externally, to relevant constituencies.
• Contribute to the Bank's trade facilitation and border management knowledge and learning program, including the conduct of targeted learning events.
• Represent the WBG at relevant regional and international fora, and support the Bank Group's advocacy initiatives, including developing effective partnerships with key international organizations.
• Supervise consultants engaged to support WBG technical assistance and IDA/IBRD lending operations.
• Mentor junior staff.
• Lead and/or participate in the corporate review of internal WBG products when concerned with trade-related dimensions.
• Prepare briefs on trade-related matters for Senior WBG management.

Selection Criteria

• Master's degree in public policy, international relations, economics, law, business administration or other relevant field, along with relevant professional experience (minimum of 8 years) in implementing trade facilitation, customs reform and/or border management reform projects.
• Extensive knowledge in all facets of the trade facilitation and border management agenda, including significant practical experience in a customs administration or other border management agency, preferably with significant experience in managing relevant projects in developing countries.
• Demonstrated experience and expertise in effectively implementing digital solutions and change management strategies, such as National Single Windows (NSW), Trade Information Portals (TIP), electronic Phytosanitary certificates (e-Phyto), Port Community Systems (PCS), among others.
• Extensive high-level project design and management experience.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a team environment with multiple priorities and tight deadlines. Strong analytical and organizational skills.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English. Other languages, including French in particular, would be desirable.
• Demonstrated ability to take leadership and communicate ideas effectively under pressure.
• Prior experience in contributing to World Bank Group advisory services and analytics, country engagement products and/or lending operations would be a plus; experience in Southern and Eastern Africa would be an advantage.

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

As per WBG policy, an Extended Term (ET) appointment is subject to a lifetime maximum of three (3) years. Former and current ET staff who have completed or are in the process of completing their third-year ET appointment are not eligible for future ET appointments.

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.

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