Urban Specialist

Job #: req38630 Organization: World Bank Sector: Urban Grade: GF Term Duration: Open-Ended Staff (OPEN-OP) Recruitment Type: Local Recruitment Location: Buenos Aires,Argentina Required Language(s): English, Spanish Preferred Language(s): English, Spanish Closing Date: 10/20/2026 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC Description

At the World Bank, a member of the World Bank Group (WBG), you’ll join a diverse, global community working across cultures, disciplines, and borders to address the world’s most pressing development challenges. With 1.2 billion young people reaching working age in the decade ahead, the challenge of job creation has never been greater. Through partnerships across 145 countries and more than 182 offices worldwide, we work with governments, private sector, development partners and other stakeholders to invest in people, strengthen markets, and deliver scalable, data-driven solutions that generate more and better jobs and improve lives.

For more information, visit https://www.worldbank.org/en/who-we-are/ibrd

VPU Context:

The WBG serves 30 client countries in the Latin America and the Caribbean Region (LCR). Clients range from large, rapidly growing, sophisticated middle-income countries to IDA-eligible countries, small Caribbean states, and one fragile state. Despite immense resources, dynamic societies, and significant economic potential, deep inequalities persist across most LCR countries, with poverty and vulnerability remaining stubborn challenges. The region faces important uncertainties, including shifting general policies and fiscal pressures, but also significant opportunities in the green economy, digital transformation, fiscal reforms, and inclusive growth.

The World

Bank’s role remains central to helping client countries navigate these challenges and seize emerging opportunities.

The Latin America and Caribbean region contains 17 of the top 50 countries identified as having the highest GDP exposure to natural hazards. With an increasing concentration of assets in urban and semi-urban areas, human and physical losses from floods, landslides, earthquakes, hurricanes, and other natural events continue to grow, erasing important development gains. This trend is exacerbated by increasing climate variability, keeping disaster risk management and climate change adaptation at the forefront of the region’s development agenda.

Unit Context:

The World Bank Group Department for Urban, Subnational Finance, Tourism and Disaster Management sits within the Infrastructure Vice Presidency. Within this architecture, the LCR Urban team (ILCUR) serves client countries in the Latin American and Caribbean region across urban development, tourism, disaster risk management, land, and regional development. Clients include middle-income countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Mexico — with demand for cutting-edge knowledge services, technical assistance, and lending — as well as IDA-eligible countries across the region.

The team is active across the full spectrum of Bank instruments, including Investment Project Financing (IPF), Development Policy Loans (DPLs, including CAT-DDOs), and Program-for-Results (PforR) operations, as well as technical assistance and grant-financed analytical work.

In Argentina,



the current program centers on urban regeneration, housing, and tourism, reflecting the country’s strategic priorities and the WBG’s comparative advantage. This includes support to national and subnational clients on urban revitalization, affordable housing frameworks, and the development of tourism as an engine of territorial economic development and job creation. The position is expected to contribute to growing engagements across the Southern Cone, covering Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, with potential expansion to Bolivia and/or Chile.

Duties and Accountabilities:

- Lead and contribute to the urban development, housing, and tourism program in Argentina, supporting policy dialogue with national and subnational clients and the Country Management Unit.
- Provide technical leadership on urban regeneration, housing, and the role of tourism in regional economic development, including in engagement with government stakeholders, development partners, and the private sector.
- Contribute to the design, preparation, and supervision of lending operations in Argentina and across the Southern Cone.
- Support the expansion of the ILCUR program in Paraguay, Uruguay, and potentially Bolivia and/or Chile, contributing technical expertise and business development efforts.
- Engage with national and subnational clients to respond to urban development challenges through analytical work, technical assistance, and lending operations.
- Contribute to knowledge sharing, dissemination, and capacity-building activities with key clients in Argentina and the broader Southern Cone and Southern Andean countries.
- Participate in professional development and knowledge-sharing initiatives in the urban, housing, tourism, and resilience sectors, contributing specific expertise both within assigned countries and across the Bank.
- Provide technical inputs for the preparation of country strategy documents, operational programs, and strategic planning documents.
- Work with consultants and technical specialists in support of policy reviews and recommendations; supervise consultants’ reports and outputs.
- Contribute to the urban and disaster risk management team in LCR, supporting team building, learning, and cross-GP collaboration.

Selection Criteria

- Advanced Degree in architecture, urban planning, urban design, housing, tourism or a closely related field, with at least 5 years of relevant professional experience.
- Deep technical expertise in one or more of the following: urban regeneration, housing policy and programs, urban planning and design, building standards and rehabilitation, land management, or urban infrastructure.
- Strong knowledge of tourism as a driver of regional economic development, including experience with tourism-linked infrastructure, destination development, cultural heritage, or place-based economic strategies.




- Substantive and demonstrated knowledge of Argentina’s urban and tourism development policy and institutional framework, including familiarity with key government actors at the national and subnational level, and relevant sector dynamics.
- Solid operational experience, including track record of delivery in client-oriented environments. Experience with a variety of Bank instruments — in particular IPFs. Knowledge of DPLs (including CAT-DDOs), and PforR operations — is a significant advantage.
- Strong analytical track record in core areas of urban development, housing, and/or tourism.
- Strong communication skills, including the ability to write clearly and concisely on a variety of topics and to convey complex concepts in an accessible and compelling manner.
- High energy, demonstrated initiative, and a proven ability to achieve development impact through operational and analytical work.
- Proven ability to work effectively in teams and to build collaborative relationships across technical disciplines and institutional boundaries.
- Ability to work flexibly on a range of assignments, adjust to changing schedules and priorities, and manage concurrent tasks effectively.
- Proficiency in Spanish and English (both written and spoken) is required.

Valued Assets (Not Required, but Strongly Advantageous):

- Operational or analytical experience in other Southern Cone countries (Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia, and/or Chile) or in LCR more broadly.
- Experience in the public sector (sectoral ministry or subnational entity) on urban and/or tourism policy and program’s implementation.
- Knowledge of disaster risk management, including climate resilience, flood risk, and seismic risk considerations in housing and urban planning.
- Knowledge of gender aspects and their inclusion in urban development, tourism, and drm operation.
- Experience working in or with international development institutions.

As the World Bank Group continues to evolve, we value candidates who:

- Demonstrate the ability to collaborate effectively across teams, disciplines, cultures, and institutional boundaries.
- Responsibly leverage digital and AI-enabled tools to enhance productivity, learning, and decision-making.
- Bring experience working in fragile, conflict-affected, and violent (FCV) contexts and are encouraged to highlight relevant experience in their application materials, where applicable.

WBG Culture Attributes:

- Sense of urgency: Anticipate and quickly respond to the needs of internal and external stakeholders.
- Thoughtful risk-taking: Challenge the status quo and push boundaries to achieve greater impact.
- 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.

📌 Urban Specialist (Buenos Aires)
🏢 World Bank Group
📍 Buenos Aires