Accounting Officer

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 The WBG Controllers Vice Presidency (CTR) oversees financial reporting and the internal control framework across the WBG, including its Trust Fund and Partnership portfolio. CTR administers disbursements for Bank lending operations and leads client services for corporate expenses. It comprises Corporate Accounting and Reporting (CTRCA), Loan and Financing Operations (CTRLO), and Financial Operations (CTRFO), with a shared focus on delivery, optimization, impact, and people and culture. Division Overview CTRFO ensures the accurate recording and reporting of the WBG’s administrative expenses and fixed assets and performs product-control functions for financial instruments, including borrowings, derivatives, and investments for IBRD, IDA, IFC, MIGA, and Trust Funds, excluding pension funds. It delivers core accounting services, maintains effective internal controls, and provides strategic leadership across three divisions: CTRTA (Accounts Payable, Travel Accounting, Quality Assurance); CTRPT (Accounts Receivable, Payroll, and Tax Allowance Administration); and CTRAC (Financial Instruments Accounting and Valuation). CTRTA is responsible for Accounts Payable, Fixed Asset and Lease accounting, Quality Assurance, Travel Accounting, Sanctions Screening oversight, and SAP end-user security oversight. It also guides WBG business units in designing and maintaining effective internal controls for these functions. The CTRHP unit within CTRTA, based in Chennai, India, processes invoices and payments for WBG offices in Washington, DC, and performs periodic fixed-asset accounting and reporting. CTRHP is seeking an Accounting Officer to lead the operations and people management of one of its two invoice-processing and payment-release groups. Role Overview The Accounting Officer will oversee Accounts Payable operations for the assigned CTRHP group, ensuring timely, accurate, and well-controlled service delivery. The role combines operational leadership, people management, stakeholder engagement, and continuous improvement, including the design and implementation of process and technology enhancements. The position reports to the Senior Accounting Officer in Chennai and provides team members with coaching, guidance, and career-development support. Key Responsibilities 1. Work Program Delivery • Lead the team’s accounting operations, ensuring high-quality deliverables and effective internal controls. • Manage service standards, client relationships, escalations, and compliance with service-level agreements. • Develop the team’s work program with the Senior Team Lead; allocate work, assign stretch goals, monitor performance, and improve productivity. • Investigate complex and exceptional cases with HQ counterparts and implement effective solutions by working timely and collaborating proactively with relevant internal stakeholders • Review and approve transactions above established processing and payment thresholds. • Monitor ageing and pending items and ensure timely resolution. • Review the monthly Accounts Payable trial balance analysis. • Assess key Accounts Payable controls, including the annual Internal Controls over Financial Reporting review, and support audits, compliance attestations, and other assessments. • Maintain process and business continuity documentation and participate in periodic tests. • Monitor key performance indicators for quality, timeliness, and productivity against established benchmarks. • Contribute to the quarterly Operational Risk Report and implement corrective actions. • Prepare management reports and analysis to support decision-making. • Successful implementation of job streams. 2. Process Automation and Monitoring • Provide strategic inputs to and lead the implementation of straight-through processing by advancing end-to-end automation—from invoice intake through payment—using ERP, RPA, AI, and other approved automation tools in partnership with HQ team and CTRST. • Implement automated reports and diagnostic tools to strengthen AP monitoring. • Apply advanced data analytics to monitor staff performance, identify improvement opportunities, and provide timely insights and value-added services to clients and CTR senior management. 3. Team and Talent Management • Supervise team members, including performance management, career guidance, and accountability for achieving desired outcomes. • Provide coaching, feedback, mentoring, and performance development. • Develop talent through continuous upskilling, participation in technology-enabled projects, and cross-departmental or cross-vice-presidential assignments. • Identify technical and soft-skill gaps, guide staff to be future-ready, and work with managers and CTR learning coordinators to build capabilities for digital transformation and future needs. • Maintain a respectful, inclusive, psychologically safe and collaborative work environment. 4. Stakeholder Management • Serve as a focal point for clients, engage to understand their needs, and develop appropriate solutions and value-added services. • Coordinate with Global Payments teams, HQ counterparts, CTR teams, and business partners in Chennai and Washington, DC. • Document and communicate procedural, process, policy, staffing, and control issues promptly and clearly to the Senior Team Lead and HQ counterparts. 5. Project Management • Lead the team’s contribution to institutional projects, including the user acceptance testing, resource allocation, and progress monitoring. • Ideate and initiate solutions to simplify, modernize and strengthen AP processes and systems. Work with ITS and CTRST on system, RPA, and intelligent automation initiatives covering analysis, design, testing, and implementation. • Develop and execute detailed test plans and prepare procedures and documentation for new transactions and process changes. Provide input and implement change management plans, covering the team and clients as appropriate.