World Bank Opens Senior Digital Specialist Role to Lead Global Digital Public Infrastructure Agenda

Washington, DC | Global Development Jobs

The World Bank Group has announced a major international recruitment drive for a Senior Digital Specialist – Service Architecture and Design, a high-impact role positioned at the heart of global digital government transformation. Based in Washington, DC, the position falls under the Digital Development sector and carries a GG grade with a four-year term appointment.

The application deadline is 6 February 2026, making this one of the most significant long-horizon digital leadership opportunities currently open within the multilateral development space.

Driving Digital Public Infrastructure at Global Scale

The role sits within the Digital Public Infrastructure & Services (DPI & Services) Department, part of the World Bank’s Digital & AI Vertical Vice Presidency. This department supports countries in designing and delivering user-centric, scalable, and secure digital public services, leveraging foundational DPI systems such as:

• Digital identity
• Trust and authentication services
• Interoperability and data-sharing platforms

The position is closely aligned with flagship global initiatives including ID4D, G2Px, and the World Bank Group Global DPI Program, all of which aim to unlock inclusion, efficiency, and innovation in public service delivery.

From Policy to Platforms: A Strategic Architecture Role

As Senior Digital Specialist, the selected candidate will act as a bridge between public policy and technical execution, helping governments translate legislative mandates into digital-ready, automated, and citizen-friendly services.

Key responsibilities include:

• Designing Digital Government Reference Architectures that shift governments away from siloed agency portals toward integrated “Life Event”–based services
• Supporting implementation of interoperability layers and global data standards to enable the Once-Only Principle
• Advising on sovereign cloud and hybrid architectures that meet data residency, national security, and privacy-by-design requirements
• Guiding countries on AI-powered public services, including predictive service delivery and local-language NLP solutions

Building Future-Fit, AI-Enabled Public Services

The role places strong emphasis on innovation, service design, and prototyping. The Senior Digital Specialist will help countries establish Service Design & Product Labs, enabling rapid experimentation and scale through collaboration with startups, academia, and the private sector.

The work also includes:

• Designing modular, reusable service components (forms, workflows, notifications)
• Managing end-to-end service lifecycles using Agile and SAFe methodologies
• Supporting omnichannel delivery across web, mobile, in-person, and voice platforms

This hands-on yet strategic mandate reflects the World Bank’s growing focus on AI-enabled, data-driven public sector reform.

Who Should Apply?

The World Bank is seeking senior professionals with:

• A Master’s degree in computer science, service architecture, data engineering, or related fields
• 8+ years of experience in digital government, DPI, or large-scale public sector digital transformation
• Proven expertise in service architecture, interoperability, cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), and API-first design
• Strong exposure to agile delivery, product management, and stakeholder engagement in complex environments

Experience working in developing or resource-constrained contexts and in cross-cultural teams is considered a strong asset.

Why This Role Matters

Digital Public Infrastructure is rapidly becoming a cornerstone of inclusive growth, social protection, financial inclusion, and climate resilience. By shaping how governments design and deliver services, this role directly contributes to the World Bank’s mission of ending poverty and boosting shared prosperity on a livable planet.

For digital leaders looking to influence national-scale systems across multiple countries, this position offers rare scope, authority, and global impact.

 Job Snapshot

• Position: Senior Digital Specialist – Service Architecture & Design
• Organization: World Bank Group
• Location: Washington, DC, USA
• Grade: GG
• Contract: 4 years
• Recruitment Type: International
• Deadline: 6 February 2026