Manager Human Development📣 Job Ad

Manager, Human Development: Role Overview

The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) is seeking a Manager, Human Development to provide leadership in developing and supervising the implementation of the Bank’s policy, strategy, action plans, and development solutions. This contract role is based in the Makkah region, with operations impacting cities such as Jeddah and Makkah, focusing on social infrastructure and human development through sovereign financing operations.

Strategic Mandate and Scope

This position involves managing the production of advisory and analytics work in member countries, covering strategic and tactical priorities across Human Development (Health, Education, and Nutrition) and Social Infrastructure. The aim is to ensure that sector policy dialogue, knowledge dissemination, and operational activities effectively contribute to the Bank’s mission, global positioning, and strategy, while addressing client needs. The role supports cutting-edge research, knowledge creation, and priority sector strategies that guide the Bank's sovereign and non-sovereign financing and non-financing operations, alongside developing new initiatives for resource mobilization.

Key Functional Accountabilities

• Serve as a technical leader, focal point, and resource center for Human Development and Social Infrastructure sectors in member countries.
• Lead the elaboration of development solutions, overseeing sector work and analytics to identify needs and prepare policy briefs.
• Collate inputs from global topic leads, sector economists, and Sub-Regional Hubs to prepare and update the Bank’s Human Development and Social Infrastructure Strategy.
• Advise senior management on social infrastructure and human capital development, collaborating with other departments to develop Bank policies and strategies.
• Provide sector guidance and technical input to Sub-Regional Hubs and Country Strategy and Cooperation teams for Member Country Partnership Strategy (MCPS) preparation.
• Ensure high quality at entry for Human Development and Social Infrastructure projects by reviewing documents for alignment with pillar strategy and recommending improvements.
• Provide implementation support to Sub-Regional Hub teams on related projects.
• Contribute to the development of key results targets and performance indicators (KPIs) for the Economic and Social Infrastructure pillar strategy, monitoring projects against these KPIs.
• Collaborate with relevant units to develop and improve the Bank’s policies and processes related to the Human Development and Social Infrastructure division.

Leadership and Team Management

• Inspire and coordinate the provision of development solutions, technical advisory services, and guidance to IsDB organizational units.
• Provide motivational and inspirational leadership for the unit, communicating clear performance expectations to direct reports.
• Manage the performance and resources of the unit through delegation, setting objectives, and providing regular feedback.
• Monitor and assess unit skills and capabilities, identifying gaps and taking action through capacity development and recruitment.
• Coach, mentor, and develop direct reports and high-potential staff.
• Act as a role model, communicating IsDB's values and leadership competencies to staff.

Collaboration and Reporting

• Collaborate with other pillars and sectoral teams to disseminate tailored knowledge and expertise, ensuring crosscutting issues like capacity development, women’s empowerment, and social/environmental aspects are addressed.
• Share key knowledge and learning outcomes with the Knowledge Management and Institutional Learning unit, including best practices in Human Development and Social Infrastructure.
• Oversee the preparation of progress reports on sector-related activities in compliance with Bank rules and procedures.
• Manage the performance and resources of the Division, addressing areas of underperformance promptly.

Required Experience

Candidates for this role should possess 5 to 10 years of relevant professional experience in human development, social infrastructure, or related fields, preferably within a development finance institution or similar international organization.