IFC: Communications & External Relations Officer – Washington, DC

The World Bank Group (WBG) is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries. It is 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 groundbreaking projects and using data, research, and technology to develop solutions for the most urgent global challenges. For more information, visit www.worldbank.org.

Communications and External Relations (CER)
The mission of Communications and External Relations (CER) 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 supporting operational teams to achieve country outcomes. CER 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. CER also manages strategic communications for the World Bank Group’s Regions and technical units and leads the management of reputation risk.

Regional Stakeholder Engagement in CER
The Regional Stakeholder Engagement team manages strategic communications across the seven regions of the World Bank Group, driving engagement across regions and country offices to align local efforts with our global strategy.
The work aims to build support and understanding for World Bank Group (WBG) priorities across a range of stakeholders; enhance and protect the reputation of the WBG as a leading development organization; support operational effectiveness and social accountability by sharing development progress, knowledge, and results.

Recognizing that economic and social contexts evolve rapidly, and that communications technologies have revolutionized the ways that information travels, we are building a team of dynamic and innovative professionals prepared to use innovative engagement strategies, traditional and digital tools, including social media and artificial intelligence to shape the debate on development priorities and tradeoffs.

CER in the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan Region (CERMN)
Within the CER Vice-Presidency, CERMN employs an extended team of professionals located in World Bank Group Headquarters and in country offices across the MENAAP region. Like all regional WBG’s communications teams, CERMN focuses on four core duties: Stakeholder Engagement – to build trust and mobilize coalitions that enable the WBG to deliver jobs and growth in each country; Strategic Business Marketing – to generate demand for WBG lending, private capital mobilization, and knowledge services and products by showcasing results and the WBG’s value added; Advocacy and Campaigns – to convert understanding into action by building support for reforms and solutions that address key WBG priorities and help drive private sector-led job creation; Risk and Issue Management – to enable the WBG to deliver, including in complex environments, by anticipating challenges early, identifying pathways to keep progress on track, and protecting the institution’s reputation.

CERMN provides strategic support to operations by embedding communications into the operations cycle, positioning the Bank’s leadership role, telling the development story of impact and results, spearheading stakeholder engagement and helping to manage reputational risks. CERMN’s work programs encompass traditional and social media; messaging and positioning; political analysis and reputational risk management; creative content development and campaigns; and stakeholder engagement including with civil society, private sector, media, universities, think tanks and youth.

Communications & External Relations Officer
CERMN is seeking an experienced and dynamic Communications & External Relations Officer located in World Bank Group Headquarters. The Communications & External Affairs Officer is a member of the Regional Stakeholder Engagement team and supports the development and implementation of stakeholder engagement, communications, advocacy, and reputational risk management activities across the region.

The position contributes to advancing the World Bank Group’s regional stakeholder engagement agenda through delivery across CER’s four business lines: Stakeholder Engagement, Strategic Business Marketing, Advocacy & Campaigns, and Risk & Issue Management. The role requires sound judgment, strong analytical and communications skills, political awareness, and the ability to develop compelling communications, engage diverse stakeholders, and support regional priorities.

The Communications & External Relations Officer may lead one or more of the region’s business lines or priority initiatives and is expected to work flexibly across the portfolio to support evolving regional priorities.

Working closely with regional and country management, operational teams, and colleagues across IBRD, IDA, IFC, and MIGA, the External Affairs Officer helps advance a coordinated One World Bank Group approach to external affairs. The position combines strategic thinking with hands-on implementation and supports the delivery of priority regional initiatives and stakeholder engagement activities.

The Communications & External Relations Officer will report to the CERMN Manager and work as part of the CERMN team, collaborating closely with colleagues supporting both public and private sector engagements.

Key Responsibilities

1. Stakeholder Engagement

• Lead or support stakeholder engagement strategies that advance World Bank Group priorities, support country outcomes, and strengthen the institution’s influence.
• Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including government officials, development partners, private sector representatives, civil society organizations, academia, media, and other influential audiences.
• Lead stakeholder mapping, analysis, and monitoring to identify emerging issues, opportunities, and trends that may affect World Bank Group priorities or operations.
• Provide stakeholder insights to regional and operational teams to inform engagement approaches, communications, and program delivery.
• Help ensure stakeholder perspectives are reflected in communications products, advocacy efforts, and engagement activities.
• Promote knowledge sharing and collaboration across the regional stakeholder engagement network, contributing to the continuous improvement of stakeholder engagement practices.

2. Strategic Business Marketing

• Position the World Bank Group as a trusted development partner by promoting integrated public-private solutions and the One World Bank Group approach.
• Develop and lead communications initiatives, strategic narratives, and engagement approaches that support regional priorities, operational objectives, and client engagement.
• Identify and elevate flagship operations, reform achievements, knowledge products, and development results that demonstrate impact and generate demand for World Bank Group engagement.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen visibility and understanding of the World Bank Group’s work among governments, investors, private sector partners, foundations, and development stakeholders.
• Support innovative communications approaches, digital engagement initiatives, and the use of stakeholder intelligence and data to strengthen outreach and impact.

3. Advocacy & Campaigns

• Lead or coordinate advocacy and communications campaigns that support regional priorities, reform efforts, and institutional objectives.
• Develop compelling messaging and narratives that translate complex development issues into clear, accessible, and persuasive communications.
• Coordinate regional contributions to corporate and global campaigns, adapting messages and approaches to regional and country contexts.
• Draft speeches, op-eds, press releases, talking points, digital content, briefing materials, and other communications products for regional management and senior officials.
• Help ensure communications are consistent, audience-focused, and aligned across stakeholder engagement, digital, media, and communications channels.
• Support collaboration across IBRD, IDA, IFC, and MIGA to advance integrated communications and reinforce the One World Bank Group approach.

4. Risk & Issue Management

• Lead or support the identification, assessment, and monitoring of reputational risks and emerging issues affecting World Bank Group operations and regional priorities.
• Lead or contribute to stakeholder analyses, issue assessments, mitigation plans, and communications strategies for sensitive operations and reform initiatives.
• Prepare issue briefs, leadership briefing materials, background notes, and communications products to support informed decision-making.
• Monitor political, economic, and social developments and assess potential implications for World Bank Group operations, stakeholder engagement, and institutional reputation.
• Coordinate with colleagues across countries, institutions, and business lines to support the effective delivery of regional stakeholder engagement priorities.