Data Scientist

Contract

This is a World Bank Group grade: GF contract. More about World Bank Group grade: GF contracts.

Data Scientist

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 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

Are you a mission-driven problem-solver and a passionate data scientist with a vision for leveraging AI and machine learning to drive sustainable economic development and reduce poverty in low-income countries? Join the World Bank and harness cutting-edge data analytics to transform lives worldwide. 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. Working at the World Bank Group provides a unique opportunity for you to help our clients solve their greatest development challenges.

Background

The World Bank Group is a unique institution dedicated to ending extreme poverty, increasing shared prosperity, and promoting sustainable development. 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. We are utilizing our extensive data assets to design and target our interventions, to assess and report on their impact, and to empower our client countries in their journey toward economic prosperity. Our vision for data was formulated in the World Development Report 2021 “Data for Better Lives” (https://wdr2021.worldbank.org/).

Our ambition to be a data-driven knowledge bank comes with a commitment to quality and openness in data processes and products. A Chief Statistician's office was recently established in the Bank’s Development Data Group to lead the charge in fostering collaboration, innovation, and data quality. A technical team within that Office brings together experts in statistics, data science, data engineering, economics and econometrics, and geography to support the mission of the Chief Statistician. The team focuses on developing and supporting standards and best practices, producing open tools and training materials, incubating and promoting responsible innovation, and implementing various data collection, management, and dissemination activities in collaborations with multiple internal and external partners.

The Opportunity

The Office of the Chief Statistician is seeking a highly motivated “full stack” data scientist with expertise in machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI), including natural language processing (NLP) and predictive analytics, to join our dynamic team. As a member of our technical unit, you will play a pivotal role in developing , assessing and deploying tools and best practices for applying machine learning and AI to drive positive and sustainable socio-economic impact in low-income countries. If you are a forward-thinking data scientist ready to be part of an international team committed to tackling some of the world's most pressing challenges, we invite you to join us on this journey.

Key Responsibilities

The Office of the Chief Statistician seeks a full-stack data scientist with excellent AI, ML, and data management skills. The position is based at the Bank’s headquarters in Washington, DC. The key responsibilities include:

- Support the application of AI/ML approaches to improve the management and dissemination of a large and diverse collection of development data. This includes the use of AI for automated metadata generation and augmentation, for data quality control, and for the development of advanced data discovery solutions and recommender systems for various data catalogs managed by the World Bank. This will require working with data producers, data curators, and data engineers both within and outside the Bank. - Participate in the testing and documentation of open solutions developed for the documentation, cataloguing, and dissemination of data, including the production of user guides and training materials. - Support the adoption of international best practice in data curation and dissemination, and the adoption of international metadata standards, both within and outside the Bank. - Contribute to the development of interactive knowledge dissemination platforms, using AI. - Participate in the assessment and development of tools and methods of predictive analytics. - Contribute to the production of technical guidelines and reference materials related to the application of data science at the World Bank. - Apply state-of-the-art machine learning techniques to extract insights from extensive datasets. - Collaborate with a diverse, international team to identify opportunities to apply AI and machine learning to the design and monitoring of development projects. - Contribute to the development, assessment, documentation, and implementation of tools and methods for nowcasting and forecasting, in close collaboration with economists, statisticians, and subject-matter specialists. - Contribute to the development and assessment, documentation, and implementation of tools and methods for data fusion, with a particular focus on integrating geospatial data with survey and census microdata. - Support quality control and quality assurance in all AI and ML projects and participate in reviews and assessments of World Bank application of ML/AI. - Contribute to the development and delivery of ML, AI, and advanced data analytics training programs.

Are you a mission-driven problem-solver and a passionate data scientist with a vision for leveraging AI and machine learning to drive sustainable economic development and reduce poverty in low-income countries? Join the World Bank and harness cutting-edge data analytics to transform lives worldwide. 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. Working at the World Bank Group provides a unique opportunity for you to help our clients solve their greatest development challenges.

Selection Criteria

- Master's degree in analytical fields such as statistics, data science, computer sciences, economics, mathematics, or physics and 5 years of relevant work experience. - Strong data analysis skills, preferably with experience working with socio-economic and geographic data. - Technical experience in various aspects of data science; creative problem solving with strong skills in design and problem formulation; metadata standards; data curation; data acquisition, cleaning, and management; data interpretation and analysis; and the presentation and communication of reproducible results. - Proven AI and machine learning expertise, with experience in NLP, deep learning, large language models, and predictive analytics. - Knows the “under-the-hood” of ML models and can troubleshoot as needed. - Adapt existing AI and ML models and methods to applications relevant to development data. - Working experience in information retrieval, relevance optimization, entity recognition, and recommendation systems is preferred. - Strong programming skills (Python and/or R) and experience with relevant libraries and frameworks. The ability to write clean and maintainable code is strongly preferred. - Knowledge of software development for publishing Data Science prototypes and applications is desirable (Docker, FastAPI, Javascript/Vue.js/React, Streamlit, etc.) - Experience using collaborative platforms (Github, Google Colab, others). - Strong commitment to quality, transparency, and openness. - Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to learn new methods quickly. - Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment. - Excellent communication skills and capacity to present technical issues to non-experts. - Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work collaboratively in an international and interdisciplinary environment. - Commitment to the mission of poverty alleviation and economic development. - Excellent written and spoken English. Knowledge of another international language may be an advantage but is not required. - Willingness to move to Washington D.C. The position will require frequent formal and informal interaction with teams across the World Bank. Only candidates ready to move to Washington D.C. should apply).

Candidates are requested to provide a link to their GitHub repository, project portfolio, and other relevant materials supporting their application in their cover letter or CV (please provide full explicit URL).

Candidates are requested to provide a link to their GitHub repository, project portfolio, and other relevant materials supporting their application in their cover letter or CV (please provide full explicit URL).

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.