Energy Specialist

The World Bank maintains a vibrant assistance program for Vietnam’s power sector which encompasses power generation and transmission development, power distribution system development, and low-voltage rural electricity distribution expansion and upgrading, renewable energy, and energy efficiency.  In addition to a full lending program, currently (April 2008) consisting of four projects under supervision and three under preparation, the Bank conducts an active and wide-ranging dialogue with the Government of Vietnam, Vietnam Electricity and its subsidiary companies covering power system development, private participation in the power sector and market reform and regulation.  In addition the Bank is becoming more involved in gas development, particularly aspects relating to power development, and the coal sector, again with the emphasis on the power sector.

With decentralization of the Sustainable Development network in East Asia, the Energy Team in the World Bank’s Hanoi Office is increasingly taking the lead in many of these areas, while still relying on close collaboration with staff from Headquarters to provide task management and specialist skills.  The team in the Hanoi Office currently consists of an internationally-recruited coordinator and four locally-recruited professional staff: two senior operations officers (who are expected to be re-designated senior energy specialists in the near future), an energy specialist on a coterminous appointment financed by the Asia Alternative Energy Program (ASTAE) and a power engineer.  The team is supported by two administrative staff.

The increasing and broadening responsibilities of locally recruited staff as task managers and team members on investment projects during preparation and supervision phases, and for policy dialogue require some adjustment to the staffing arrangements for the Hanoi Energy team.  In consequence, a position is now being opened up for an energy specialist at grade GF.

Reporting to the Manager of the Sustainable Development Program in Vietnam, the Energy Specialist will participate in task teams in the following roles:

• Contributing to project preparation as necessary, including participation in the design and development of specific project components, defining project implementation arrangements, and coordinating inputs into project documentation and processing;

• Participating in project supervision, including day to day monitoring , field supervision, review of procurement plans, assessing progress with meeting key project outcomes and indicators and contributing to supervision documentation, TF status reports, ICRs etc.;

• Supporting the preparation of AAA/TA and knowledge deliverables in the energy sector, through research, analysis and writing.

• Providing substantive support for Economic and Sector Work, technical assistance and policy dialogue with governments with an emphasis on energy policy, renewable energy and energy efficiency.

The energy specialist will be expected to develop strengths in one or more sub-sector areas, for example hydropower development, rural electrification or energy efficiency, and begin to take task management responsibilities for these aspects of the Bank’s work program, in particular for (a) studies and policy dialogue for the development of Vietnam's energy program; and (b) if appropriate, identification, preparation, appraisal, negotiation and supervision of loans and credits;