Senior External Affairs Officer, Media Partnerships - req38026

Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? Working at the World Bank Group provides a unique opportunity for you to help our clients solve their greatest development challenges. 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 poverty on a livable planet. With 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide, we work with public and private sector partners; invest in groundbreaking projects; and use data, research, and technology to develop solutions to the most urgent global challenges.

About the Role

The External and Corporate Relations (ECR) Vice Presidency mission is to help deliver financial and political support for the World Bank Group, strengthen the Bank Group’s role as a global thought leader in development by enhancing and safeguarding its reputation, and support operational teams to achieve country outcomes. ECR manages corporate communications and global engagement with key stakeholders, including media, civil society, foundations, private sector, donor countries, and international organizations, as well as employee engagement. ECR also manages strategic communications for the World Bank’s Regions and Global Departments/Development Economics Department and leads the management of reputation risk.

ECR is seeking a seasoned communications professional to lead its new media partnerships function, reporting to the Director, Communications & Content. The new function will complement the existing editorial media partnerships work and seek and implement non-editorial partnership opportunities with media organizations which are increasingly leveraging their brands into events and similar initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and support the implementation of a new strategic approach for media partnerships for the World Bank Group.
• Research, identify, and map opportunities for strategic media partnerships, aligned with the ECR strategy and WBG’s business priorities, for a full range of options from large traditional media and major social media platforms to small niche new players.
• Negotiate specific partnership deals and arrangements with a range of media organizations, including opportunities such as programming, events, and spokesperson opportunities.
• Lead on the implementation of partnership deliverables, including working with other ECR team members and colleagues from across the WBG on content and spokesperson provision, developing and agreeing on deliverables and timelines with partners and WBG stakeholders.
• Lead relationship development and management for partnerships and potential partners, demonstrating best practices to ECR colleagues.
• Oversee monitoring of partnerships and their results and impact, working with other ECR teams, and factor insights and learnings into the development and negotiation of new partnerships.
• Demonstrate the value of media partnerships with ECR and other WBG colleagues to build support, collaboration, and identify opportunities for further collaboration and new initiatives.

Requirements

• A Master’s degree in a relevant field with a minimum of 8 years of relevant experience.
• Experience working with senior business and other leaders, and delivering high-quality strategic advice and communications products.
• High degree of motivation, leadership, initiative, flexibility, reliability, and responsiveness to changing demands and new opportunities; capacity for effective multitasking, with a demonstrated ability to be an independent starter with minimal supervision, and a high capacity to persevere for results.
• Ability to inspire others and bring them along for new ideas and approaches.
• Experience with online/digital communications tools and tactics, and understanding of how they can be included in the communications mix.
• Demonstrated initiative and drive for results, including the ability to undertake a diversity of tasks within a rapidly changing and demanding environment on short deadlines.
• Strong understanding of reputational risks and issues and ways to manage and mitigate them, plus messaging, stakeholder engagement, and media engagement.
• Excellent English language skills and proficiency to write and edit complex communications products in accessible ways for a range of audiences.
• Proactive, problem-solving attitude with a strong "can-do" approach, able to combine innovative ideas with pragmatism to inspire colleagues and stakeholders while ensuring successful implementation.
• Strong interpersonal skills, including active listening and effective communication, able to quickly win trust and respect with internal colleagues and external partners.
• Willingness to pivot and adapt to changing circumstances and priorities, open to taking on various tasks from high-level strategic work to hands-on technical.
• Able to identify when to leverage specialized resources within the organization to support specific needs.
• Good team player and collaborator.

WBG Culture Attributes

• Sense of urgency: Anticipate and quickly respond to the needs of internal and external stakeholders.
• Thoughtful risk-taking: Challenge the status quo and push boundaries to achieve greater impact.
• Empowerment and accountability: Empower yourself and others to act and hold each other accountable for results.

Benefits

• Retirement plan
• Medical, life, and disability insurance
• Paid leave, including parental leave
• Reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities

The World Bank Group is proud to be an equal opportunity and inclusive employer with a dedicated and committed workforce, and does not discriminate based on gender, gender identity, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability.