Software Engineer

Software Engineer

Job #:
req36234

Organization:
World Bank

Sector:
Information Technology

Grade:
GF

Term Duration:
3 years 0 months

Recruitment Type:
Local Recruitment

Location:
Washington, DC,United States

Required Language(s):
English

Preferred Language(s):

Closing Date:
4/17/2026 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC

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 130 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

ITS Vice Presidency Context:

The Information and Technology Solutions (ITS) Vice Presidential Unit (VPU) enables the World Bank Group to achieve its mission of ending extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity on a livable planet by delivering transformative information and technologies to its staff working in over 150+ locations. For more information on ITS, see this video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=VTFGffa1Y7w

Unit Context:

The Information and Technology Solutions (ITS) Vice Presidential Unit supports the World Bank Group's mission by delivering transformative digital solutions to staff across 150+ global locations. Within ITS, the Operations Effectiveness unit (ITSEF), part of the Operations & Country Engagement Solutions department (ITSOE) department, leads efforts to enhance operational efficiency and data-driven decision-making in Bank's Operations.

The AI Team within ITSEF focuses on integrating advanced AI/ML technologies into project workflows to improve task team productivity, automate routine processes, enhance operational risk management, and scale institutional knowledge. Key solution areas include Generative AI, Agentic Systems, Chatbots, Document Understanding, and Insights & Classification capabilities. These solutions are designed to interoperate with core Knowledge platforms, including Knowledge360 (K360), to ensure AI agents can leverage authoritative knowledge assets, sector guidance, and project level institutional memory.

To advance this vision, ITSEF is hiring a Software Engineer to build and deploy ethical, secure, and production grade Agentic AI applications in close collaboration with product teams, data scientists, cybersecurity, platform and architecture groups, Global Practices, and country facing units. The role will support sector specific and crosscutting operational needs across key verticals such as Water, Energy, Transport, Health, Education etc., ensuring that AI systems understand the nuances of project preparation, implementation support, procurement, safeguards, and supervision. By grounding AI solutions in sector workflows and K360linked knowledge structures, the Software Engineer will help embed responsible AI capabilities into day today operational practice, enabling safer, faster, and more informed decision making across the Bank's global development portfolio.

Duties and accountabilities:

• Designs and governs the technical architecture for K360 solutions, ensuring all builds are secure, scalable, and optimized for fast delivery and cross-country replication.

• Translates business and functional requirements into clear architectural patterns, enabling rapid development of AI-enabled features and reusable components.

• Leads the technical design of AI-driven applications, including integration of GenAI capabilities, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), vector search, and other modern AI patterns.

• Establishes architectural guardrails and best practices to standardize how AI Acceleration solutions are built, tested, deployed, and maintained-promoting consistency, quality, and reusability.

• Ensures alignment with enterprise architecture, security, and governance standards, while enabling agile experimentation and accelerated MVP delivery.

• Collaborates closely with software engineers, platform engineers, data specialists, and product teams, providing technical guidance to ensure solutions meet design intent and scale effectively.

• Identifies and evaluates new technologies, AI frameworks, and platform capabilities, recommending those that accelerate rapid delivery, reduce technical debt, and support multi-country deployment.

• Oversees the integration of AI components within low code or pro code environments, ensuring seamless interoperability across systems, services, and data sources.

• Supports performance, reliability, and scalability engineering, proactively identifying architectural risks or bottlenecks and driving long-term remediation strategies.

• Develops reusable templates, architectural blueprints, and solution accelerators, enabling teams to replicate AI Acceleration for Regional Operations solutions quickly across different regions with minimal rework.

• Drives technical decision-making throughout the solution lifecycle, from ideation to production deployment, balancing speed, quality, and sustainability.

• Provides mentorship and technical leadership to engineering teams, strengthening capabilities in AI integration, rapid delivery patterns, and modern software architecture.

• Contributes to Agile ceremonies as a senior technical voice, ensuring sprint goals reflect sound architecture and rapid delivery constraints.

Selection Criteria

• Master's degree in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) with 5 years of experience or a bachelor's degree with a minimum of 7 years of relevant experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience

• Demonstrated expertise in Artificial Intelligence (AI), with hands-on experience integrating modern AI capabilities into software solutions. on experience integrating modern AI capabilities into software solutions.

• Strong passion for innovation, with a commitment to staying current on emerging AI technologies, engineering practices, and rapid delivery tooling.

• Ability to learn quickly and adapt to shifting priorities, supporting fast cycle development and rapid solution deployment across countries and regions.

• High level of personal ownership and accountability, with strong organizational skills and the ability to meet tight deadlines and deliver high-quality outcomes.

• Proficiency in English, with clear communication skills suited for global collaboration across technical and non technical teams.

WBG Culture Attributes:

1. Sense of urgency: Anticipate and quickly respond to the needs of internal and external stakeholders.
2. Thoughtful risk-taking: Challenge the status quo and push boundaries to achieve greater impact.
3. Empowerment and accountability: Empower yourself and others to act and hold each other accountable for results.

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.