Product Manager

Product Manager

Job #: req37875 Organization: World Bank Sector: Information Technology Grade: GG Term Duration: 3 years 0 months Recruitment Type: Local Recruitment Location: Washington, DC,United States Required Language(s): English Preferred Language(s): Closing Date: 8/11/2026 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC

Description

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 extreme poverty, increasing shared prosperity and promoting sustainable development. With 189 member countries and more than 130 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

ITS Vice Presidency Context:

The Information and Technology Solutions (ITS) Vice Presidential Unit (VPU) enables the World Bank Group to achieve its mission of ending extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity on a livable planet by delivering transformative information and technologies to its staff working in over 150+ locations. For more information on ITS, see this video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=VTFGffa1Y7w

Department Context:

ITS Operations and Country Engagement Department (ITSOE) delivers innovative products and services to frontline staff working on over 6,000 projects throughout every Region and Global Practice. Our teams support and enable Bank priorities, boost operations efficiency and effectiveness, and facilitate Operational knowledge discovery. Our delivery model leverages global expertise, design and architecture, leading technology, and robust processes to deliver business solutions that ensure value for money.

Unit Context:

The ITS Country Engagement unit (ITSCE) provides digital support for global and country-specific products, aiding thousands of task teams and country management units in better planning, tracking, and managing their operations, thereby improving country engagement. Additionally, ITSCE enables geospatial capabilities through self-service tools and analytics, allowing teams to monitor project preparation and implementation from anywhere.

The AI Acceleration for Regional Operations team supports country, regional, and sector teams in responding to growing demand for fast, scalable, secure, and AI-enabled digital solutions. The team advances rapid AI capability by modernizing systems to cloud-based architectures, enabling secure and scalable operations, and providing shared platforms for AI-enabled ideation, rapid prototyping, and deployment. By leveraging low-code accelerators and reusable components, AI Acceleration reduces development timelines and operational constraints associated with legacy systems, enabling teams to move efficiently from concept to production while ensuring security by design, cost efficiency, predictable scaling, and responsible AI implementation.

The ITSCE unit is seeking a Product Manager who is passionate about AI innovation and committed to maximizing business value through effective product design, lifecycle management, and Agile delivery. The role will lead the rapid development and deployment of tailored AI solutions for WBG Country and Regional teams, while collaborating closely with stakeholders to identify opportunities, shape demand, and ensure the technology portfolio remains aligned with organizational priorities.

Duties and accountabilities:

• Engages proactively with Country and Regional teams to understand high‑impact potential, define goals, and shape demand for AI solutions that can be quickly deployed and replicated.

• Leads strategic relationships and discovery, identifying trends, use cases, and reusable patterns that inform potential solutions to be tested through rapid AI prototyping and iterative validation.

• Defines and communicates a clear, scalable product vision and roadmap that balances fast delivery of MVPs with the long‑term goal of reusable, cross‑country/regional AI Acceleration solutions.

• Provides leadership across the Agile Release Train, ensuring alignment, velocity, and coordination so that rapid development cycles translate into timely, high‑quality deliveries that can scale across contexts.

• Designs governance structures tailored for AI Acceleration delivery, ensuring responsible AI, compliance, and WBG standards are met without slowing down iteration and deployment.

• Facilitates continuous stakeholder communication, rapidly capturing feedback, identifying new opportunities, and evolving the product roadmap to maximize cross‑country reuse and operational impact.

• Oversees vendor and partner relationships, ensuring timely access to specialized skills and consistent delivery of components that support reusable AI Acceleration patterns.

• Evaluates and proposes strategic investments that accelerate AI product development, enable rapid replication, and ensure technical debt is managed without impeding speed or scalability.

• Monitors product-level financials, ensuring rapid delivery stays within budget and that investments support scalability to multiple countries and regions.

• Leads complex, cross‑functional initiatives, integrating contributions from data scientists, developers, solution architects, business stakeholders, and operational teams to drive rapid ideation, prototyping, and rollout.

• Identifies systemic challenges and cross-cutting AI opportunities, applying structured analysis to drive decisions that accelerate delivery and amplify reusability of RapidAI solutions across the WBG.

• Builds strong strategic partnerships across WBG units, representing the product in high‑level discussions and aligning rapid AI investments with organizational priorities and operational needs.

Selection Criteria

• Master’s degree with 8 years of experience or a bachelor's degree in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) with a minimum of 10 years of relevant experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Demonstrated expertise in Artificial Intelligence (AI), with strong understanding of modern AI capabilities, constraints, and responsible AI principles relevant to rapid development and multi‑country deployment.

• Strong passion for innovation and continuous learning, staying current with emerging AI technologies, delivery patterns, and industry trends that can accelerate rapid solution development and replication.

• Ability to learn quickly, adapt to shifting priorities, and operate effectively in a fast‑paced, iterative environment, supporting rapid experimentation and rollout across countries and regions.

• High degree of ownership and accountability, with proven ability to deliver results under tight timelines and manage multiple workstreams with strong personal organization.

• Exceptional ability to translate complex business objectives into clear AI product requirements, ensuring alignment with organizational needs and potential for reuse across diverse operational contexts.

• Ability to synthesize input from stakeholders, analyze business processes, and identify high‑value AI opportunities that can be rapidly prototyped and scaled.

• Proven experience collaborating across multidisciplinary teams, fostering inclusive teamwork, and building effective partnerships across organizational boundaries.

• Strong interpersonal, facilitation, and communication skills, including the ability to convey complex AI concepts in clear, accessible language to both technical and non‑technical audiences.

• Preferred certifications: SAFe Agile Product Management, Design Thinking, and AI‑related certifications demonstrating advanced capability in user‑centered and iterative product development.

• Proficiency in English, with excellent written and verbal communication skills suited for global, multi‑cultural collaboration.

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.