Investment Officer
Job #: req22536
Organization: IFC
Sector: Upstream
Grade: GF
Term Duration: 3 years 0 months
Recruitment Type: Local Recruitment
Location: Amman,Jordan; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Required Language(s): English
Preferred Language(s): Arabic
Closing Date: 5/17/2023 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC
Description
IFC—a member of the World Bank Group—is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. We work in more than 100 countries, using our capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities in developing countries. In fiscal year 2022, IFC committed a record $32.8 billion to private companies and financial institutions in developing countries, leveraging the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity as economies grapple with the impacts of global compounding crises. For more information, visit www.ifc.org .
IFC has embarked on an ambitious new growth strategy (IFC 3.0) to stimulate more investment activity. This strategy calls for generating unique opportunities by proactively working “Upstream” to create, deepen, and expand markets and to imagine, design and implement investment projects. It requires taking a systematic approach to understanding the regulatory and sector bottlenecks that prevent the flow of private capital into productive investment in our member countries and addressing these bottlenecks through World Bank Group engagement on policy reforms and programmatic interventions at the country and sector level. This strategy also calls for working with Governments and World Bank colleagues to first seek private sector solutions to address development challenges – where such solutions are advisable and can be effective – and reserve public financing for projects only when other options are suboptimal. This approach is called the “Cascade”.
IFC’s Infrastructure Department is looking to hire an Investment Officer to join IFC’s infrastructure Upstream & Advisory team covering primarily the MCT Region (Middle East, Central Asia, Turkey, Afghanistan, and Pakistan). The selected candidate will be based in one of the IFC Offices in Amman or Riyadh and will be an integral part of the upstream and advisory team working across the full business cycle (business development, upstream, new investments, and portfolio) across core infrastructure sectors.
Duties and Accountabilities:
- Support the identification and assessment of Upstream opportunities based on country and sector strategies and market creation potential.
- Participate in discussions with existing or prospective clients to understand their strategies, and operations from a climate standpoint. Pitch upstream/advisory value addition to clients.
- Develop strong relationship with clients, partners, and other stakeholders to identify potential investment opportunities at early stage.
- In alignment with the integrated upstream, investment, portfolio team culture of the MCT Infrastructure Team, play a fungible role by supporting (or leading for less complex transactions) the execution and monitoring of the new business and portfolio transaction as per the business needs. This is to be delivered by engaging with the private sector and senior officials in governments, sub-national governments, WBG and other development organizations, and by uncovering needs through strategic analysis, including IFC country strategies and WBG strategies.
- Contribute to the development of feasibility studies and implementation plans for Upstream projects that lead to IFC investments
- Contribute to sector-specific data analysis and stress-testing of various operating models to help generate ideas for new projects, new products, and platform businesses.
- Collaborate in developing sector and/or regional strategies and support related promotion work, including targeting potential investments and policy advisory work.
- Prepare necessary upstream portfolio supervision documents (PSRs), and report development results internally and externally, on a timely and expeditious basis and using best practice standards.
- Coordinate closely with global infrastructure colleagues, social, environmental, and technical assistance colleagues to add value to our clients’ businesses, find pragmatic solutions to the specific sector challenges, and achieve sustainable development impact.
- Support World Bank and MIGA colleagues on sector reforms and unblocking constraints for attracting private sector investments.
- Mentor junior team members and help provide leadership in actively managing the business and client relationships.
Selection Criteria
- Master’s in Business Administration or Finance, or a Master’s degree or equivalent professional qualification in Economics, International Relations, Science, Engineering, or other relevant field, in each case with a significant level of finance content.
- At least 6-8 years of relevant professional experience in investment/corporate banking, project finance, project and/or program development, hands-on advisory and/or consulting functions in emerging markets, ideally in the infrastructure space
- Excellent business development and client relationship skills, ability to understand and respond to client needs effectively.
- Prior experience in IFC/World Bank operational countries.
- Sound analytical skills (including reviewing and advising the development of financial models) and sound business judgment.
- Capacity to innovate and challenge the status quo and experience in new idea generation, business development, and creating projects/programs from scratch.
- Understanding of the relevant sector and ability to link policy reforms, advisory interventions, investment, and mobilization to deliver solutions at a country level via the Cascade approach.
- Ability to engage with private sector clients, local and national governments, and other stakeholders to encourage pioneering business and market development.
- Genuine commitment to development and to the World Bank Group and IFC’s mission, strategy and values.
- Excellent people skills, openness to feedback, new ideas, and ability to guide, and motivate others.
- Strong inter-personal skills, ability to interact effectively with clients and colleagues from various cultural backgrounds.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English are required; fluency in other languages such as Arabic is a plus.
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.