Senior Private Sector Development Specialist

Senior Private Sector Development Specialist

Description

The World Bank Group is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries; a unique global partnership of five institutions dedicated to ending extreme poverty, increasing shared prosperity and promoting sustainable development. With 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide, we work with public and private sector partners, investing in projects and using data, research, and technology to develop solutions to the most urgent global challenges. For more information, visit www.worldbank.org.

Finance, Competitiveness & Innovation Global Practice

The World Bank Group’s Finance, Competitiveness & Innovation Global Practice combines expertise in financial sector development, private sector development, investment climate reform, innovation, and competitiveness to foster private-sector-led growth and help create markets in client countries. Through this work, FCI supports client governments in designing and implementing reforms that reduce barriers to entry and operation, strengthen regulatory governance, improve access to finance, mobilize private investment, and enhance productivity and competitiveness.

Trade, Competition and Business (TCB) department

The WBG’s Trade, Competition and Business (TCB) department provides expertise in private sector-led development to foster private-sector-led growth and help facilitate private investment and jobs in client countries. Through this work, TCB strengthens WBG’s evolving approach to leverage private sector investments for sustainable and inclusive growth.

SMEs and Enterprise Development team (WKPTS) Unit

The SMEs and Enterprise Development team (WKPTS) provide evidence-based support to help countries foster an enabling business environment and maximize the benefits of private investment. By leveraging a comprehensive approach that addresses the legal, regulatory, administrative, and institutional barriers affecting all phases of the business and investment lifecycle, the WBD helps countries establish a competitive investment climate favorable for stimulating investment for business-led growth. Capable of mobilizing a wide range of World Bank Group instruments—including advisory services and analytics (ASAs) and diverse lending products (DPFs, P4Rs, and IPFs)—to help developing countries, the private sector experts on the business environment and investment policy and promotion support governments to design and implement digitization of business and investment regulations as a core aspect of reform programs for private sector development agenda.

Position Context

The World Bank is seeking a Senior Private Sector Specialist, based in Vienna, to support the SME and Enterprise Development – Policy and Regulations team’s global, regional, and country engagements on digitization of business and investment regulatory reforms for private sector development. The position will focus on the design, implementation, and quality assurance of reforms and digital systems that improve government-to-business services, including business registration, licensing and permitting, inspections, regulatory registries, state aid registries, movable collateral registries, eKYC solutions, and integrated G2B portals.

The Senior Private Sector Specialist will provide high-quality technical support to regional and country teams, contribute to operational design and implementation, support policy dialogue with client governments, and help advance global knowledge and thought leadership on digitization of business and investment regulatory reform and digital public infrastructure for investment climate outcomes. The role requires strong technical expertise, operational judgment, client engagement skills, and the ability to translate international good practice into practical reform solutions in diverse country contexts.

Duties and Accountabilities

The Senior Private Sector Specialist will work as part of the WKPTS team and will be expected to lead or contribute to the following areas:

Country Operations and Cross-Support

• Lead or contribute to advisory and lending operations supporting digitization of business and investment regulatory reform for private sector development, and digital regulatory transformation.
• Advise teams and client governments on business registration, licensing, permitting, inspections, regulatory registries, eKYC, movable collateral, state aid transparency, and integrated G2B platforms.
• Support diagnostics, project design, technical specifications, procurement inputs, implementation support, vendor supervision, change management, and quality assurance for digital regulatory reform activities.
Global Knowledge and Thought Leadership

• Contribute to global knowledge products, diagnostics, and toolkits on investment climate reform and digital G2B services.
• Support knowledge related to the Investment Facilitation for Development agenda, including digital transparency, regulatory information portals, and institutional arrangements.
• Capture and disseminate lessons from country operations through good practice notes, workshops, peer exchanges, conferences, and internal learning events.

Strategic Collaboration and Business Development

• Support collaboration across FCI, regional WBG teams, Global Practices, and external partners on integrated digital and regulatory reform offerings.
• Help identify and develop advisory and lending opportunities in investment climate reform, digital G2B services, and private sector competitiveness.
• Advise teams and clients on practical implementation models, including governance, sequencing, staffing, data migration, interoperability, sustainability, and change management.

Selection Criteria

• Master’s degree or higher in economics, public policy, business administration, law, information systems, public administration, engineering, or another relevant field.
• At least 8 years of relevant professional experience in private sector development, investment climate reform and digital government, regulatory reform, or related areas.
• Strong technical expertise in business environment reform, including business registration, licensing and permitting, inspections, regulatory governance, secured transactions, state aid transparency, or related G2B services.
• Demonstrated experience designing, implementing, or advising on digital transformation projects for government-facing or firm-facing regulatory services.
• Experience preparing or reviewing technical specifications, functional requirements, terms of reference, requests for proposals, technical concepts, and procurement documentation for digital systems.
• Proven ability to translate international good practice into practical reform options tailored to client country capacity, institutional constraints, and implementation realities.
• Experience supporting World Bank or other development partner operations, including advisory services, investment projects, development policy operations, or programmatic engagements.
• Strong understanding of how legal, institutional, process, data, and technology reforms interact in the successful implementation of digital regulatory systems.
• Ability to engage credibly with senior government officials, technical agencies, private sector stakeholders, development partners, and multidisciplinary World Bank teams.
• Strong analytical, writing, presentation, and communication skills, with the ability to prepare high-quality notes, briefs, technical inputs, presentations, and operational documents.
• Demonstrated ability to work across regions and country contexts, manage multiple tasks under tight deadlines, and deliver high-quality outputs with limited supervision.
• Knowledge of World Bank operational policies, procurement processes, and project implementation arrangements is highly desirable.
• Strong oral and written communication skills in English are required. French and other language skills 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

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.