World Bank
E T Consultant – Social Protection Specialist
Location: Maseru, Lesotho
Job Identification: req38995
Sector: Social Protection
Grade: EC2
Term Duration: 1 year
Recruitment Type: Local Recruitment
Required Language: English
Preferred Language: Sesotho
Closing Date: 12 November 2026 at 11:59 PM UTC
Job Description
At the World Bank, a member of the World Bank Group (WBG), you’ll join a diverse, global community working across cultures, disciplines and borders to address the world’s most pressing development challenges.
With 1.2 billion young people reaching working age in the decade ahead, the challenge of job creation has never been greater. Through partnerships across 145 countries and more than 182 offices worldwide, the World Bank works with governments, the private sector, development partners and other stakeholders to invest in people, strengthen markets, and deliver scalable, data-driven solutions that generate more and better jobs and improve lives.
For more information, visit the World Bank website.
VPU Context
Eastern and Southern Africa (E AFR) Region
Home to about 700 million of Africa’s people, Eastern and Southern Africa is a geographically, culturally and economically diverse region of 26 countries stretching from the Red Sea in the North to the Cape of Good Hope in the South. Children under 18 make up almost half of the total population.
The subregion boasts some of the world’s richest human and natural resources and, apart from South Africa, the countries are predominantly raw material exporters.
The subregion also faces protracted conflicts, rendering many of its countries fragile. Significant gaps in education, health and skills development continue to keep people from reaching their full potential. This creates major development challenges, impacts heavily on people’s lives and livelihoods, and hinders regional integration and trade.
The World Bank’s Eastern and Southern Africa Region, comprising approximately 1,207 staff, mostly based in 26 country offices, supports countries in realizing their considerable development potential by focusing on the following priorities:
- Creating jobs and transforming economies.
- Building the digital economy.
- Making institutions more efficient and accountable.
- Investing in people.
- Supporting climate change mitigation and adaptation.
- Addressing the drivers of fragility, conflict and violence.
- Building partnerships and working across the African continent.
Learn more about the Eastern and Southern Africa Region.
Unit Context
The Social Policy Group (SPG) within the People Vice Presidency focuses on supporting countries in building equitable, inclusive and resilient societies.
It supports countries in addressing deep-rooted social problems stemming from fragility, climate change, exclusion and the digital age through people-centred solutions that build on local values and institutions.
The SPG engages with citizens, communities and governments to deepen resilience, build inclusion, and empower vulnerable and marginalized groups to have influence and voice. It prioritizes participatory, multi-sectoral approaches that build on norms and informal institutions to address social challenges and build more inclusive, empowered communities.
The group also designs and scales social assistance programmes and delivery systems, including adaptive social protection systems that build climate resilience, cash transfer initiatives targeting vulnerable populations, and multifaceted economic inclusion programmes aimed at the ultra-poor, including in fragile and conflict-affected contexts.
On the labour side, the department promotes skills development, youth employment and labour market participation through training and apprenticeship programmes.
Duties and Accountabilities
The ETC Social Protection Specialist will support World Bank engagement in Lesotho’s social protection sector through implementation support, policy dialogue, and efforts to strengthen the sector’s visibility and strategic importance.
Implementation Support
The successful candidate will:
- Convene regular coordination and technical meetings with relevant Ministry staff and, as required, staff from other Ministries, development partners, service providers and implementing partners.
- Track progress against implementation milestones and follow-up actions identified during each implementation support mission.
- Undertake bilateral check-ins with the project management unit and senior management, including Directors and Project Managers, within the Ministry.
- Lead preparations for regular implementation support missions, including drafting key documents and managing logistical preparations and coordination.
Policy Dialogue
- Regularly attend development partner meetings and liaise with local research and civil society organizations working on social protection issues.
- Support task team leaders in preparing policy briefs and internal briefs for World Bank management.
Strengthening Sector Visibility and Strategic Importance
- Represent the task team in roundtable discussions and seminars relevant to the sector.
- Support the drafting, publication and dissemination of flagship reports, analytical products and materials detailing the impact of World Bank-supported projects in the sector.
Selection Criteria
Applicants should meet the following requirements:
- An advanced university degree (Master’s or PhD) in relevant social policy fields, such as Sociology, Anthropology, Economics or Political Science, or related fields.
- A minimum of five years of professional experience engaging with government counterparts and local partners, with demonstrated knowledge of the local political economy and development landscape in Lesotho or similar contexts.
- Strong operational and analytical skills, including task management and the ability to translate analytical work into policy advice and actionable, practical recommendations.
- Proven experience engaging in policy dialogue with government and development partners in at least two relevant social policy areas, particularly in strengthening social protection delivery systems.
- Deep knowledge of the local context, political economy and development landscape, including established relationships with local partners and government counterparts at operational levels.
- Ability to independently drive project coordination, including proactive follow-up on tasks and timelines with the project implementation unit and key stakeholders to ensure timely delivery of project milestones.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills in English and Sesotho.
Core Competencies
The successful candidate is expected to demonstrate the following competencies:
- Knowledge and Experience in the Development Arena: Understands the policymaking process and distils operationally relevant recommendations and lessons for clients.
- Policy Dialogue Skills: Identifies and assesses policy issues and plays an active role in dialogue with government and/or other stakeholders.
- Deliver Results for Clients: Proactively addresses clients’ stated and unstated needs.
- Collaborate Within Teams and Across Boundaries: Collaborates across boundaries, gives their own perspective and willingly receives diverse perspectives.
- Lead and Innovate: Develops innovative solutions.
Additional Considerations
As the World Bank Group continues to evolve, it values candidates who:
- Demonstrate the ability to collaborate effectively across teams, disciplines, cultures and institutional boundaries.
- Responsibly leverage digital and AI-enabled tools to enhance productivity, learning and decision-making.
- Bring experience working in fragile, conflict-affected and violent (FCV)-related contexts. Applicants are encouraged to highlight relevant experience in their application materials, where applicable.
WBG Culture Attributes
- Sense of Urgency: Anticipate and quickly respond to the needs of internal and external stakeholders.
- Thoughtful Risk-Taking: Challenge the status quo and push boundaries to achieve greater impact.
- Empowerment and Accountability: Empower yourself and others to act and hold each other accountable for results.
How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should apply through the official World Bank recruitment portal.
Job #: req38995
Closing Date: 12 November 2026 at 11:59 PM UTC