Data Scientist

Job Posting Organization:
The World Bank Group (WBG) is a global organization that aims to address the world's most pressing development challenges. Established to foster economic development and reduce poverty, the WBG operates in 145 countries with over 182 offices worldwide. The organization is committed to investing in people, strengthening markets, and delivering scalable, data-driven solutions to improve lives. The WBG is known for its diverse and inclusive workforce, working across cultures and disciplines to create impactful partnerships with governments, private sectors, and development partners.

Job Overview:
The scientist" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">Data Scientist position at the World Bank Group is pivotal in leading the design and implementation of advanced data analytics frameworks. This role is essential for supporting the development of data-driven innovation strategies and building internal capacity for evidence-based decision-making. The Data Scientist will work within the Partnerships, Innovation, and Mobilization Vice Presidency (PIM), which focuses on strengthening development partnerships and mobilizing finance at scale. The position requires a strong understanding of machine learning and natural language processing to operationalize and improve the Innovation Analytics methodology, which is an AI- and ML-enabled approach to analyze innovation across WBG portfolios. The Data Scientist will also be responsible for translating complex management questions into appropriate datasets and analytical approaches, ensuring that the insights generated are relevant and actionable for operational teams and senior management.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Data Scientist will undertake a variety of activities, including: operationalizing and continuously improving the Innovation Analytics methodology; combining ontology-based concepts with machine learning methods to analyze both structured and unstructured data; building reproducible data and analytical pipelines for various analytical tasks; designing and implementing validation and quality-assurance approaches; applying the methodology to various WBG use cases; developing clear analytical products and visualizations; and documenting analytical methods and results. The role also involves synthesizing and visualizing findings across different sectors and datasets, ensuring that insights are accessible to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a Master’s degree in data science, computer science, statistics, economics, applied mathematics, or a related quantitative field, along with a minimum of five years of relevant professional experience. Strong applied experience in machine learning and natural language processing is essential, particularly in areas such as text classification and information extraction. Proficiency in Python and SQL is required, along with skills in data management and statistical analysis. Candidates should demonstrate the ability to translate complex questions into analytical approaches and have experience with operationalizing ontologies into analytics. Strong initiative and teamwork skills are also necessary, as well as the ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary teams.

Educational Background:
A Master’s degree in a relevant quantitative field such as data science, computer science, statistics, economics, or applied mathematics is required for this position. This educational background provides the necessary foundation for understanding complex data analytics and machine learning methodologies that are crucial for the role.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of five years of relevant professional experience, particularly in applied machine learning and natural language processing. Candidates should have demonstrated experience in using large language models programmatically and in developing analytical frameworks that address complex development challenges.

Languages:
The mandatory language for this position is English. While no additional languages are specified as preferred, proficiency in other languages may be beneficial in a global organization like the World Bank Group.

Additional Notes:
This is an open-ended staff position with international recruitment. The role is based in Washington, DC, and offers comprehensive benefits, including a retirement plan, medical, life and disability insurance, and paid leave, including parental leave. The World Bank Group is committed to diversity and inclusion, ensuring equal opportunity for all candidates regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability.