Health Specialist

Health Specialist

Job #: req37234 Organization: World Bank Sector: Health/Nutrition/Population Grade: GF Term Duration: 4 years 0 months Recruitment Type: Local Recruitment Location: Colombo,Sri Lanka Required Language(s): English Preferred Language(s): Sinhala Closing Date: 6/26/2026 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC

Description

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 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 to the most urgent global challenges. For more information, visit www.worldbank.org

Regional Context (SAR Region)

The South Asia Region (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka) is at a crucial stage of development. Rapid economic growth, driven by urbanization and demographic dividend, has brought down poverty rates, but severe forms of exclusion and disparities based on ethnicity, caste, and gender remain. Rapid growth has also come with congestion and pollution in cities. South Asia is more than other regions affected by changes in temperature and extreme weather events. Additional challenges are that South Asian countries tend to have high malnutrition/stunting rates; large informal sectors and low female labor force participation rates.

Private sector led growth, focused on investments in infrastructure, energy, logistics and cities are essential to generate the jobs needed to employ South Asia’s sizeable youth population. At the same time, the region needs to continue building human capital so that South Asia’s population is well equipped for the jobs of the future.

The World Bank in South Asia: https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/sar

Team Context:

Sri Lanka country office is part of the World Bank Group's Joint Country Representation (JCR) initiative, which aims to enhance collaboration and efficiency by having a single WBG Country Manager lead the efforts of the two largest World Bank institutions - International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and The International Finance Corporation (IFC) - in Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

As a one World Bank Group, the organization has been assisting Sri Lanka in developing and delivering appropriate solutions to the country. Under the World Bank Group Country Partnership Framework (CPF) FY23-26, our program is focused on two areas: (i) Supporting resilient, inclusive, and robust economic growth (ii) Protecting and enhancing human and natural capital.

The Sri Lanka country office in Colombo has approximately 60 staff from IBRD and 30 staff from IFC.

The World Bank in Sri Lanka: https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/srilanka

We are looking for a Health Specialist with experience in supporting complex engagements in the health sector in low- and/or middle-income countries to support the World Bank’s work in the health sector in Sri Lanka. The World Bank Group (WBG) is supporting several projects in the health sector in Sri Lanka:

• Primary Healthcare System Enhancing Project (PHSEP) – a US$150 million Investment Project Financing operation approved on June 21, 2024, led by the Ministry of Health to improve access and quality of primary health care services across all districts through December 31, 2028. PHSEP scales up PHC reforms including the Arogya Wellness Center and shared cluster model across all 1,000+ Primary Medical Care Institutions (PMCIs) in Sri Lanka, with a focus on health care quality, non-communicable disease (NCD) care, and healthy aging.

• Strengthening One Health Laboratory Systems in Sri Lanka for Health Emergency Preparedness – a US$2.34 million small grant project under the Pandemic Fund to strengthen national laboratory systems’ capacity and quality with a One Health approach for timely detection of priority pathogens with public health emergency potential.

• Sri Lanka’s Maternal and Early Childhood Nutrition Services Project – a US$2.7 million small grant to increase access to selected community-based nutrition interventions by pregnant and lactating women and children under five in four target districts (Nuwara Eliya, Ratnapura, Polonnaruwa, and Trincomalee).

• Sri Lanka’s Elderly Care Analytical and Advisory Work – focuses on helping the government respond to rapid population aging by strengthening policy, developing strategies for service delivery, and financing for geriatric and long-term care.

The position is based in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and the selected candidate will report to the HNP (Health Nutrition and Population) Practice Manager.

Duties and accountabilities:

• Lead and contribute to high-quality analytical and advisory services focusing on Sri Lanka’s health service delivery, primary care, elder care, and health financing, as well as broader human development issues requiring multisectoral collaboration, such as skills development, jobs creation, and sector growth.

• Supervise ongoing lending projects and prepare new projects, following World Bank operations policies and processes. Draft World Bank operations documents.

• Engage effectively in policy dialogue with government counterparts, including at senior levels in the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Finance, Provincial authorities, and other government agencies to advance critical reforms.

• Coordinate effectively with Project Management Unit to ensure the smooth implementation of ongoing projects

• Work effectively with development partners, including co-financing partners, active in the health sector

• Work with task team leaders working in Sri Lanka in carrying out their responsibilities, while also mentoring more junior colleagues

• Participate in regional capacity-building activities, including organizing and contributing to workshops and seminars to enhance knowledge-sharing.

• Preparing briefing and reporting for various corporate requirement

• Engage effectively across the World Bank Group, including with IFC and other Practice Groups, to align efforts and increase impact in improve health outcomes in Sri Lanka.

Selection Criteria

• An advanced degree in medicine, health economics, public health, public administration, or a related discipline, with at least 8 years of relevant experience. A PhD in those areas would bring added depth to the role.

• Demonstrated track record in leading complex analytics and translating findings into clear, actionable, and user-friendly written outputs. The ability to inform and influence high-level policy discussions through both written and oral communication is critical.

• Proven ability to engage in policy dialogue with senior government officials in Ministry of Health and Mass Media, Ministry of Finance, and/or Provincial Departments of Health and similar.

• Ability to work collaboratively with development partners (including multilateral development banks, UN agencies, and bilateral partners), as well as other stakeholders in the private sector and civil society.

• Experience in project management, preferably for World Bank loan/grant financing projects.

• In-depth knowledge of health service delivery reforms relevant to the health sector challenges of Sri Lanka.

• Able to work in a multi-culture team. Ability to lead teams of sector and non-sector specialists, and work effectively with colleagues in other Practice Groups

• A strong record of accountability and high standards for work products is essential, including meeting deadlines, managing competing priorities, collaborating effectively within a team, and ensuring the delivery of high-quality outcomes.

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.