Innovative Finance Analyst, GPE

Innovative Finance Analyst, GPE

Job #: req32790
Organization: World Bank
Sector: Financial Sector
Grade: GE
Term Duration: 3 years 0 months
Recruitment Type: Local Recruitment
Location: Paris, France
Required Language(s): English
Preferred Language(s): French
Closing Date: 4/30/2025 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC

Description

Are you a very passionate advocate for education? Do you want to make a difference in the lives of children? The Global Partnership for Education Secretariat (GPE) would like to hear from you.

Who We Are

GPE is a shared commitment to end the world’s learning crisis. It is the only global partnership and fund dedicated entirely to helping children in lower-income countries get a quality education, so they can unlock their potential and contribute to building a better world. We bring together governments, teachers, civil society, donors, United Nations agencies, development banks, businesses and private foundations to transform education systems so that every girl and boy can have hope, opportunity and agency.

What We Do

GPE helps low- and lower-middle-income countries to build stronger education systems so that all children can get the education they need to thrive. We currently support nearly 90 countries where the needs are greatest and focus on reaching the children who are the most vulnerable, including girls, children with disabilities and those affected by extreme poverty or conflict. Our unique approach works. Since 2002, 160 million more children in GPE partner countries have set foot in classrooms for the first time, more than half of them girls. GPE is also the largest provider of education grants in the global COVID-19 response, providing partner countries with vital resources to ensure that learning can safely continue.

How We Work

Now, GPE is working to help governments transform their education systems to get the most vulnerable children in school, improve teaching and learning, and build equitable, inclusive and resilient education systems fit for the 21st century. Between 2020-2025, GPE will support transformative change in up to 90 countries and territories, which are home to 1 billion children. Transforming education is about creating lasting changes and achieving impact at scale. GPE sets out to deliver this transformative change by convening partners, mobilizing funds and catalyzing reforms to help partner countries accelerate access, learning outcomes and gender equality.

Raise Your Hand

In July 2021, the Global Education Summit put GPE firmly on the path to be fully funded by 2025, by raising a record US $4 billion from donors for GPE’s Raise Your Hand campaign. At the Summit, Heads of State and Government from partner countries made historic commitments to education financing and GPE also mobilized an unprecedented number of pledges from businesses, private foundations and development banks.

A fully funded GPE would support transformed education systems in up to 90 countries and territories, enable up to 175 million children to learn and help get 88 million more girls and boys in school by 2025. In the longer term, this investment could add $164 billion to economies in GPE partner countries, lift 18 million people out of poverty, and protect 2 million girls from early marriage.

Governance And Organizational Arrangements

The GPE Board of Directors includes ministerial-level board members and alternates representing 20 constituencies that reflect the Partnership’s breadth. The Board Chair is HE President Jakaya Kikwete and the Board Vice Chair is Ms. Christine Hogan. The Board of Directors, with its three standing committees, provides policy and strategic oversight and approves or delegates funding decisions.

The GPE Secretariat, with 160 employees and hosted by the World Bank, is responsible for translating the policies and strategies set by the Board into practical support for partner countries, coordinating with diverse stakeholders and galvanizing global support for SDG4. The Secretariat’s headquarters are in the World Bank’s offices in Washington, D.C., with a European office in Paris, an Africa office in Nairobi, a satellite office in Brussels, and a support office in Chennai.

GPE is one of the largest donors for basic education in low and lower-middle-income countries. It offers several financial instruments (i.e. grants) to support programs to transform education systems in its partner countries. As of 2024, the volume of its active grant portfolio amounts to US$3 billion.

GPE grants finance programs implemented by partner country governments and grant agents, who are ultimately responsible for delivering these programs. GPE Secretariat monitors the performance of these programs during the implementation and at the completion. The purpose of the grant monitoring by the Secretariat is threefold: i) to support partner countries and grant agents in delivering results, by detecting the issues faced during the implementation and by ensuring that these issues are being handled appropriately, ii) to learn lessons from program implementation and to provide information to adapt GPE’s standards, policies and operating model, and iii) to be accountable to GPE Board, donors and stakeholders for how GPE grant money is used. Grant performance data also plays an important role in the fundraising.

ABOUT THE TEAM

The Finance & Grant Operations (FGO) team is led by the Chief Financial Officer and focuses on fiduciary matters, grant processing, monitoring and administration, risk, innovative financing, and corporate finance.

The Grant Operations practice sets policies and guidelines for GPE's grant processes, aiding partner countries in accessing funding and overcoming implementation barriers. It collaborates with grant agents to solve system issues, clarifies GPE requirements, provides regional team training, offers expertise, and monitors GPE's portfolio. Recently reorganized, it now also collects, analyzes, and disseminates data on grants and partners, developing modules in the grant management system for better monitoring.

Within the Grant Operations practice, the Innovative Finance Operations team focuses on supporting the mobilization of additional finance through a range of innovative financing instruments to allow countries access GPE Multiplier grants.

ABOUT THE JOB

The innovative finance analyst position will be initially based in Paris, France.

DUTIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

GPE’s new strategy for the 2026-2030 period is expected to result in a significant increase in the share of grant resources and number of grants used to mobilize additional financing for education through innovative finance instruments. Under the supervision of the Innovative Finance Operations Lead, the innovative finance analyst’s tasks will include, but not be limited to, cross-team Secretariat and partner country engagement regarding GPE’s innovative finance portfolio. The primary duties will include:

1. Conducts timely and accurate review of Expressions of Interest to access the GPE Multiplier as directed by the Innovative Finance Operations Lead.
2. Provides Country teams, relevant Secretariat staff, and external partners with high quality advice on the range of GPE’s innovative finance instruments and the requirements to access them in support of opportunities to mobilize additional finance for education.
3. Responds to internal and external queries on the status and results of GPE’s Innovative Finance portfolio.
4. Ensures information on GPE’s innovative finance portfolio is accurate, up to date, and recorded correctly.
5. Supports the development and revision of guidelines, tools, processes, and communication products around the Multiplier, including the Debt2Ed facility, GPE Match, and Smart Ed Initiative ensuring they’re fit for purpose to support stakeholder needs.
6. Ensures information on the pipeline of developing and potential innovative finance opportunities is up to date. Further supports internal Secretariat cross team coordination efforts to ensure information is shared in a timely manner and agreed follow up actions are documented and tracked.
7. Supports the Global Lead on Sustainable and Innovative Education Finance in research, planning, coordination and engagement on new and highly innovative finance opportunities.

Selection Criteria

1. Master’s degree (or Undergraduate with additional experience) and at least 2 years relevant professional experience (e.g. development finance, sovereign debt management, blended finance, impact investing, guarantees, Islamic financing, public policy management, economics)
2. Ability to understand complex innovative financing concepts, ideas and applications and explain them to a diverse range of partners and stakeholders.
3. Financial modeling experience and proficiency with Excel
4. Self-starter attitude and enthusiasm for a broad range of responsibilities with a “no job too small, no job too big” attitude.
5. Strong diplomatic and people skills. Ability to work effectively under pressure, prioritize and juggle multiple tasks within tight deadlines, and deliver time-sensitive high-quality work.
6. Strong collaboration and problem-solving skills and ability to work well independently to contribute productively to the team's work and output, demonstrating respect for different points of view.
7. Experience with data visualization techniques and creating interactive reports.
8. Excellent attention to detail and problem-solving skills.

Language

Full proficiency in English, in reading, writing and speaking, is required for this role. French is desired.

Competencies

1. Accountability & Results Focus - Engages in productive consultation without losing sight of responsibility for own decisions, deliverables and deadlines.
2. Adaptability - Models flexibility - responds to changing circumstances by innovating and altering behavior to better fit different situations.
3. Collaboration & Teamwork - Actively collaborates with others and models an open, helpful disposition.
4. Communication & Interpersonal Skills - Has experience & success working in multicultural environments.
5. Planning & Organizing - Works well independently and in teams.
6. Financing Solutions Advocacy and Transaction Brokering - Strong influencing and negotiation skills.
7. Foundational Technical Knowledge in Education & Development - Some experience working on education and/or development issues in low- and middle-income countries.
8. Innovative Finance Technical Knowledge & Skills - Experience in international development finance.
9. Quantitative and Analytical Skills - Able to process, organize, analyze and monitor large volumes of information and data.

BENEFITS FOR THIS POSITION

Term appointments include, but are not limited to, medical benefits, including dental and vision, Staff Retirement Plan, financial assistance program, life & disability insurance, comprehensive leave policy (minimum 26 days/annum) and parental leave policy (50-100 days).

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

Poverty has no borders. Neither does excellence. This is why we continually search for qualified individuals with a diverse set of backgrounds from around the globe. 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, creed, race, color, ethnicity, sexual orientation or disability.

Individuals with disabilities may be provided reasonable accommodations to perform essential functions of the role and support in receiving other workplace accommodations.

Learn more about working at the World Bank and IFC, including our values and inspiring stories.