Job #: req38165 Organization: World Bank Group Sector: Operations Grade: GI Term Duration: 4 years 0 months Recruitment Type: International Recruitment Location: Washington, DC,United States Required Language(s): English Preferred Language(s): Closing Date: 9/15/2026 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC
Description
The World Bank Group is a unique global partnership of five institutions driven by a bold vision to create a world free of poverty on a livable planet. As one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries, we help solve the world’s greatest development challenges. When you join the World Bank Group, you become part of a dynamic, diverse organization with 189 member countries and 182 offices worldwide. We work with public and private sector partners, invest in groundbreaking projects, and use data, research, and technology to bring tangible and transformative change around the globe. For more information, visit www.worldbank.org
The WBG is in the midst of a significant institutional transformation. The Bank unified its knowledge and financial systems to accelerate impact, boost efficiency, and deliver greater value to clients, bringing together experts from across the institution to supercharge thought leadership and to replicate and scale what works with public and private sector clients. This transformation came into effect on January 1, 2026, advancing the WBG Knowledge Bank as an institution-wide agenda to which all staff contribute, supported by an integrated platform spanning the World Bank, IFC, and MIGA that is designed to systematically capture, curate, and deliver the latest development insights, research, and innovations to clients.
Innovation supports and enables this Knowledge Bank agenda by helping connect ideas, evidence, partnerships, capital, and strategic resources needed to take promising approaches to scale. Positioning the Director for Innovation within the Partnerships, Innovation and Mobilization (PIM) Vice Presidency reflects the value of linking the WBG's innovation pipeline — including flagship mechanisms such as the WBG Innovation Awards and the Department for Innovation's accelerator function — with the Vice Presidency's work to mobilize donor resources, private capital, and strategic partnerships in support of WBG priorities.
This positioning ensures that innovation is not a standalone or peripheral activity, but an enabling capability for the Knowledge Bank agenda, helping translate global knowledge into client-facing, scalable, and investable solutions — reinforcing the WBG's ambition to operate as a unified, "One-WBG" institution across the World Bank, IFC, and MIGA.
The Director for Innovation provides senior strategic leadership for the WBG's innovation approach, helping establish innovation as a core capability of the Knowledge and Solutions Bank and as an enabling driver of partnerships, resource mobilization, and institutional transformation efforts.
The Director helps shape and coordinate a One-WBG strategic approach to innovation, working with the World Bank, IFC, MIGA, Regions, Global Practices, and corporate units to embed innovation in relevant strategy, operations, and investments.
The Director also supports the WBG's innovation portfolio intelligence capability and promotes the responsible application of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies within the innovation portfolio and its applications, in partnership with relevant corporate and technology units.
Responsible for shaping, coordinating, and stewarding a One-WBG strategic approach to innovation across the World Bank, IFC, and MIGA. Supports collaborative governance arrangements that guide prioritization, learning, transparency, and accountability for innovation-related investments, in partnership with Regions, Global Practices, IFC, MIGA, ITS, and relevant corporate units. Serves as a senior adviser to Management on innovation, including the application of emerging technologies and institutional transformation efforts that support innovation objectives. Convenes internal and external partners and represents the WBG in relevant global innovation-for-development fora. Promotes a culture of experimentation, responsible risk-taking, and continuous learning.
Responsible for supporting the health and performance of the institutional innovation pipeline, from early-stage ideation through experimentation, evidence generation, and operational scale-up or exit. Builds coalitions across Regions, Global Practices, IFC, MIGA, and corporate functions to generate demand for innovation and identify opportunities where innovation can strengthen client engagement, operational delivery, and investment outcomes. Works with relevant institutional partners to identify and help address barriers to experimentation and scaling, and to mobilize executive sponsorship and strategic resources for high-potential innovations.
Provides leadership for developing and applying One-WBG Innovation Portfolio Intelligence, producing evidence, analysis, and insight on the innovation portfolio that are available to, and can be drawn on by, corporate strategy, results measurement, partnership, and resource planning processes at the request of their owners. Promotes the responsible use of artificial intelligence, advanced analytics, and emerging technologies within the innovation portfolio and its applications, working in close partnership with ITS, corporate, Knowledge, Regional, IFC, and MIGA teams. Helps position the WBG as a recognized contributor to AI-enabled and technology-enabled innovation for development, while supporting institutional mandates of other specialized units.
Responsible for translating the innovation approach into tangible resource mobilization and partnership opportunities in support of the WBG's development finance objectives. Develops the innovation narrative and evidence base, including flagship examples, beneficiary outcomes, and measurable results, so that innovation is a recognized and quantifiable contributor to World Bank Group engagement with donors and partners. Engages with governments, donors, philanthropy, academia, and the private sector to strengthen the WBG's innovation ecosystem and mobilize resources for experimentation, replication, and scale. Works with partnership counterparts to ensure that innovation is effectively served by existing trust fund and partnership instruments, and contributes to their design where reform processes are underway.
Works with institutional partners to integrate innovation into relevant corporate strategies, operational models, investment priorities, and reform efforts, while recognizing the mandates and accountabilities of other corporate and technology units. Positions innovation as a cross-cutting capability that strengthens operational excellence, client outcomes, knowledge-to-implementation pathways, and private capital mobilization in support of the Knowledge Bank agenda. Ensures that lessons generated through innovation activities are captured, shared, and used to inform continuous improvement, donor and partner engagement, and thought leadership on innovation for development.
Accountable for the overall leadership and management of a high-performing, multidisciplinary department, including the department's work program, budget, and resource allocation. Provides leadership that empowers staff, builds future leaders, and fosters an inclusive, collaborative, and high-performance culture consistent with WBG values.
Selection Criteria
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.
The World Bank is a vital source of financial and technical assistance to developing countries around the world. Our vision is to create a world free of poverty on a livable planet.
We are not a bank in the common sense; we are made up of two unique development institutions owned by 189 member countries: the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA).
Each institution plays a different but collaborative role in advancing the vision of inclusive and sustainable globalization. The IBRD aims to reduce poverty in middle-income and creditworthy poorer countries, while IDA focuses on the world's poorest countries.
Their work is complemented by that of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) and the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID).
Together, we provide low-interest loans, interest-free credits and grants to developing countries for a wide array of purposes that include investments in education, health, public administration, infrastructure, financial and private sector development, agriculture and environmental and natural resource management.
