At the World Bank Group (WBG), your work shapes the future. With 189 member countries and a mission to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity, WBG is one of the world’s most impactful development organizations. We rely on the strength of our people: broad representation, driven, and determined to deliver knowledge and results globally.
The Talent Management and Development Department, a core part of Human Resources, is responsible for equipping WBG staff and leaders with the capabilities needed for success in a rapidly changing global environment. It delivers innovative strategies, programs, and services across the talent management lifecycle.
We are seeking a Manager, Leadership and Staff Development, to transform WBG’s learning and leadership development. This leader will integrate advanced learning technologies, human-centered design, and data-driven approaches to position learning as a key business enabler. The role demands strategic leadership, deep expertise and thought leadership in adult learning and leadership development, and hands-on experience in program design and facilitation within a dynamic, global context.
Partnering with learning providers and senior leaders, the Manager will ensure all programs are engaging, measurable, and aligned with WBG’s mission and future needs. The position is based in Washington, DC, reporting to the Director of Talent Management and Development.
Responsibilities:
Strategic Leadership & Vision:
Define and implement a forward-looking staff learning and leadership development strategy that aligns with the World Bank Group’s business transformation objectives.
Anticipate future learning needs by monitoring global trends, research, and emerging technologies in learning science and digital enablement.
Build and maintain strong networks with external partners and industry leaders to address WBG learning needs. Stay abreast of global trends and conduct benchmarking research, adapting best practices from leading private sector practices and the wider IFI community to the WBG context.
Provide managerial oversight for leadership and staff learning initiatives by managing multiple workstreams, balancing project scope, timelines, and resources. Identify and mitigate risks to ensure the effective execution and delivery of high-quality programs.
Program Design & Innovation:
Identify and manage external partners to co-create or source leadership and staff development programs that elevate organizational capabilities.
Oversee mentoring programs, ensuring meaningful mentor/mentee relationships and monitoring outcomes.
Manage executive coaching vendor relationships, including coach assessment and staff matching.
Manage the business skills, language and communications learning offering in a cost effective and scalable manner, covering over 10,000 participants annually.
Oversee the onboarding and employee experience program tailored for staff success and accelerated time-to-impact.
Oversee the design, implementation, and digital delivery of enterprise-wide development programs using modalities such as learning in the flow of work, microlearning, simulations, and AI-enabled learning. Ensure that programs are impactful, scalable, and inclusive by applying adult learning science, experiential learning, and human-centered design principles.
Leadership Development:
Collaborate with HR and business leaders to identify leadership gaps and design targeted learning journeys for existing and future leaders, ensuring a robust leadership pipeline for both current and future organizational needs. Support succession management for critical senior leadership roles by tailoring development plans for successors.
Develop, maintain, and enhance the leadership learning curriculum. Design and deliver impactful executive development programs, leveraging the 70:20:10 model to support continuous learning and growth.
Continuously benchmark and implement best-in-class executive development, onboarding, and learning experiences for leaders.
Stakeholder Engagement & Collaboration:
Act as a trusted advisor to senior leaders, building strong partnerships across business functions to align learning solutions with organizational priorities.
Foster collaboration in a matrixed environment, ensuring seamless integration and execution of learning initiatives delivered by the different staff learning providers across the WBG.
Ensure WBG alignment and collaboration in stakeholder inputs and decision-making related to leadership and staff development, through effective coordination and communication with key stakeholders within the WBG.
People Management & Operational Governance:
Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team of instructional designers, creative specialists, facilitators, LMS/LXP specialists, leadership development and learning specialists. Provide clear direction and ongoing support aligned with business needs and departmental strategy.
Shape and model a culture that values innovation, inclusion, and continuous improvement. Foster psychological safety, intellectual curiosity, and openness to challenging assumptions, promoting the World Bank Group’s culture attributes.
Establish robust governance and clear decision-making structures across units and learning providers. Allocate resources strategically to ensure quality, consistency, and efficiency in learning design and delivery.
Set expectations, provide constructive feedback, address challenges proactively, and support staff growth through coaching, recognition, and accountability mechanisms.
Champion the use of learning analytics, feedback loops, and evaluation models to measure and enhance business impact. Align leadership and staff development efforts with key performance indicators (KPIs), leveraging data-driven insights for continuous improvement and informed decision-making. Establish quality standards and drive ongoing improvements in learning initiatives.
Selection Criteria:
Master’s Degree and at least 12 years of progressive experience in Leadership Development, Organizational Development, or Talent Management, including a minimum of 5 years focused on executive-level development.
Proven track record in designing, implementing, and facilitating senior leadership and cross-functional development programs that deliver measurable impact across global teams and stakeholder groups.
Experience managing large-scale transformation initiatives, aligning learning strategies with business and digital transformation objectives, and utilizing data-informed talent strategies. Strong program and project management capabilities.
Demonstrated thought leadership and expertise in adult learning theory, instructional design, and deployment of advanced learning technologies (e.g., LMS, LXP, AI-enabled tools, Virtual reality, Augmented reality, simulations), with the ability to deliver learning in various modalities (instructor-led, self-paced, social learning).
Demonstrated leadership and people management skills, including building and leading high-performing, engaged teams and leading Centers of Excellence or similar functions.
Exceptional stakeholder engagement, relationship-building, facilitation, and communication skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate with senior executives and global partners.
Experience leveraging learning analytics and program data to drive continuous improvement and demonstrate return on investment (ROI).
Executive coaching experience and/or certification preferred; relevant professional certifications (e.g., PMP, Six Sigma) are a plus.
Ability to lead through ambiguity, change, and complexity with resilience, clarity, and purpose, balancing strategic and operational priorities.
Commitment to innovation, inclusion, managerial excellence, integrity, and developing future-ready leaders.
