APPLY NOW for a 1 year fellowship and help us work to eradicate poverty. The World Bank
Group continues its commitment to hire Sub-Saharan Africans and is NOW
recruiting professionals to support increased investments in early
childhood development.
For further information and to apply by Oct. 20
To apply, please submit a completed application form and resume by October 20, 2016. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. Fellows will be selected by December 2016 and will start work in early 2017.
WASHINGTON, September 19, 2016 – The World Bank
Group’s Early Learning Partnership (ELP) is launching the Africa Early
Years Fellowship to recruit a cadre of young African professionals to
support governments and World Bank teams to scale up investments in the
early years. This new initiative is complementary to the
WBG Africa Fellowship Program,
which is targeting Ph.D. students from Sub-Saharan Africa who are
interested in starting careers with the World Bank Group. The Africa
Early Years Fellowship will recruit promising young professional who
will work in their home countries to build capacity in countries to
ensure Africa’s children reach their full potential. In Sub-Saharan
Africa, 80 percent of children under five years of age are not enrolled
in pre-primary programs and malnutrition still prevails. ELP works
closely with country governments and World Bank country teams to promote
investments in the early years and support early learning and early
childhood development (ECD).
“Africa’s youth is Africa’s biggest asset and investing in young
children is the smartest investment countries can make,” says Makhtar
Diop, World Bank Vice President for Africa. “The World Bank Group is
committed to help African governments improve basic learning outcomes
for young children and prevent malnutrition which can impair cognitive
development.”
Demand for expertise in the area of early childhood development is
increasing and exceeds current capacity, especially in the Africa
region. The Fellowship will build capacity within countries in the
Africa region by developing a cohort of young professionals with
technical and operational skills to support increased investments in
early childhood.
“We are launching this Fellowship to develop a sustainable and
skilled workforce to scale-up investments in the early years in Africa.
The Fellowship is designed to respond to the increasing demand for
expertise in this area, both from client countries and within the World
Bank Group,” said Amanda Devercelli, ELP Program Manager.
About the Fellowship
Approximately 10 fellows will be selected and hired as short-term
consultants for one year beginning early 2017, with the possibility of
being renewed for a second year.
Fellows will receive ongoing training and work experience across
relevant sectors, including education, health, nutrition and social
protection. The Fellowship will include a brief orientation at the
World Bank’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., and fellows will also
benefit from ongoing professional development and mentoring from WBG
staff. Fellows will be based in select countries in Africa, with the
expectation that Fellows continue working in-country after the
Fellowship conclusion.
Specific duties may include:
- Support World Bank teams to design or implement operations in ECD/early learning or a related field
- Support country and core teams in activities associated with the World Bank’s Investing in the Early Years initiative
- Support countries’ early learning research agenda associated with the World Bank’s Early Learning Systems Research Program
- Contribute to analytical work in ECD/early learning or related fields
- Coordinate initiatives to strengthen the capacity of local academic institutions in early learning and ECD
Each Fellow will have a work program focused on one or two countries,
and will be based in one of the following priority countries: Burkina
Faso, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar,
Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone
and Tanzania.
Who Should Apply
Interested candidates should be based in-country, or willing to relocate with minimum or no compensation.
- African nationals 25-40 years of age
- Educational and professional experience in ECD/early learning
- Graduate degree in a relevant field (including education, economics,
statistics, health and nutrition, and social service) AND at least 3
years of professional experience in education, health and nutrition or
social protection, with preference for previous work in ECD/early
learning; OR
- Undergraduate degree in a relevant field (including education,
economics, statistics, health and nutrition, and social service) AND at
least 5 years of professional experience in education, health and
nutrition or social protection, with preference for previous work in
ECD/early learning
- Functional experience in economics, evaluation, project design and operations, policy dialogue, or advocacy desired
- Experience in the public sector, civil society, or multilateral organization preferred
- Demonstrated interest in ECD/early learning
- Demonstrated high potential and commitment to ECD and/or human development in Africa
- Strong analytical skills
- Strong written communication skills and ability to work well in teams, including with senior officials
- Ability to work effectively remotely
- Fluency in English required of all candidates; fluency in French or
Portuguese required of candidates interested in working in
francophone/lusophone countries
Selection Process
To apply, please submit a
completed application form and resume by
October 20, 2016. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. Fellows will be selected by December 2016 and will start work in early 2017.
