Website The World Bank

Digital & AI Specialist – World Bank Group (South Asia Region)

Opportunity Overview

Attribute Details
Organisation World Bank Group (WBG)
Vice Presidency / Unit Digital & AI Vice Presidency / South Asia Region (SAR) Digital Unit
Job Requisition ID req37967
Role Title Digital & AI Specialist
Location New Delhi, India
Appointment Type & Grade Local Recruitment
Term Duration 3 Years, 0 Months
Closing Date August 19, 2026 at 11:59 PM UTC
Language Requirements Essential: English

Role Scope & Operational Architecture

The Digital & AI Specialist guides public sector clients through the complete lifecycle of artificial intelligence adoption and digital public infrastructure (DPI) modernisation in India and the South Asia Region:

[National AI Policy & Strategy] ➔ [Data Engineering & Compute Infrastructure] ➔ [Sectoral AI Application Design] ➔ [Responsible AI & MLOps Deployment]

Core Responsibilities

  • Policy Dialogue & Strategic Advisory: Lead policy discussions with senior government officials on national AI strategies, AI governance, data regulatory frameworks, and responsible AI policies.

  • Infrastructure Modernisation: Support World Bank-financed programs focused on AI-ready infrastructure, including data centres, compute capacity, cloud systems, and public-private investment partnerships.

  • Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI): Design and execute DPI systems for citizen-centric service delivery, data sharing, digital ID, and verifiable credential frameworks.

  • Technical Architecture & MLOps: Direct technical implementation of AI/ML systems—including solution architecture, data pipelines, model selection (open-source and frontier LLMs), cloud arrangements, and public-sector MLOps.

  • Sectoral AI Deployment: Advise clients on domain-specific AI use cases in public health, agriculture, education, social protection targeting, and financial inclusion.

  • Responsible AI & Risk Management: Operationalise bias testing, safety evaluations, human-in-the-loop workflows, grievance redress mechanisms, and post-deployment monitoring.

  • Institutional Capacity Building: Help establish client-side AI units/centers of excellence, vendor procurement frameworks, and AI talent development strategies.

Candidate Selection Criteria & Qualification Matrix

Minimum Qualifications

  • Education: Master’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning, Engineering, Telecommunications, Economics, Law, Public Policy, or related fields.

  • Professional Experience: Minimum 5 years of hands-on experience in digital transformation, AI/ML system deployment, or digital economy policy/regulation design.

Technical & Professional Competency Matrix

Competency Area Technical Domain & Core Competencies
AI/ML Technical Stack

• Architecture: End-to-end AI/ML deployment, solution architecture, LLM adaptation/fine-tuning


• Data & MLOps: Data pipelines, data governance, MLOps in public sector environments


• Infrastructure: Cloud compute, data platforms, API integrations with legacy DPI systems
Responsible AI & Governance

• Model evaluation, bias testing, safety testing, explainability, human-in-the-loop design


• Development of national AI strategies, data privacy regimes, and regulatory frameworks
Development Sector Application • Feasibility, Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), and risk assessment for AI in Health, Agriculture, Education, and Social Protection
Public Policy & Leadership • Policy dialogue leadership in developing economies, public-private partnership (PPP) structuring, data-driven results monitoring

Application & Selection Process

[Online Application Submission] ➔ [Academic & Experience Screening] ➔ [Technical & Behavioral Interview Loop] ➔ [Final WBG Panel Approval]

  1. Application Deadline: Complete online profile submission on the World Bank Careers portal prior to August 19, 2026, at 11:59 PM UTC.

  2. Shortlisting & Eligibility Review: Review of Master’s degree verification, 5+ years of relevant experience, technical portfolio, and English proficiency.

  3. Technical Interview Loop: Deep-dive evaluation into AI solution architecture, MLOps, policy advisory track record, and development sector AI feasibility studies.

  4. Behavioural & Culture Fit Assessment: Evaluation against WBG Culture Attributes (Sense of Urgency, Thoughtful Risk-Taking, and Empowerment & Accountability).

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