Director, Innovative Financing Solutions at The OPEC Fund for International Development

Job Profile:

The Director, Innovative Financing Solutions is responsible for providing strategic leadership and oversight to the Innovative Financing Solutions Unit. The Innovative Financing Solutions Unit is in charge of managing the OPEC Fund’s grant and trust fund resources  to enhance the OPEC Fund’s public and private sector operations and product offerings through technical assistance, project preparation support, fostering of strategic initiatives, blended finance and other innovative financing solutions. Director is expected to provide leadership and oversight to the Unit’s activities, including the mobilization of new trust fund and other third-party resources and partnerships, and the development and implementation of initiatives and financing projects using grant and innovative financing solutions, to support OPEC Fund operations and operational priorities. The role will be expected to include the development of new and enhancement and deepening of existing partnerships with external partners, as well as close coordination and cooperation with the Operations and Strategy Departments within the OPEC Fund. Primary objectives include the mobilization of external resources, supporting operational growth, enhancing the OPEC Fund’s product offering and operations quality, and strengthen the OPEC Fund’s position as a Project Developer and Catalyzer.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Innovative Financing Solutions Leadership and Development

• Provides strategic leadership to the Innovative Financing Solutions Unit, including the development of implementation plans and annual work plan of activities that align with the organization's objectives and the OPEC Fund Strategic Framework 2030
•  Drives the deployment of the OPEC Fund’s grant program for operations support, as well as for the development and implementation of thematic or sectoral innovative financing solutions and other grant-based initiatives, including through the mobilization of external resources for organizational operations and program outcomes
• Contributes to the development of innovative financing vehicles in coordination with the Private and Public Sector Departments and other internal stakeholders

Functional Strategy

• Coordinates the Strategy Department’s efforts to deploy and manage the OPEC Fund’s grant program and to design innovative financing strategies using grant resources aligned with the OPEC Fund’s long-term strategic objectives
• Assesses the progress of implementing innovative financing projects and plans using grant resources and evaluates their strategic implications
• Develops a capacity building plan for building knowledge of the OPEC Fund’s Employees on innovative finance approaches for sectoral, regional or thematic activities

Horizon Planning

• Leads the analysis of external trends to determine their impact on the organization's innovative financing strategies
•  Assists the Vice President, Strategy in responding to emerging international issues within the context of Innovative Financing Solutions

Partnership Development and Stakeholder Engagement

• Shapes the OPEC Fund’s relationships with Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), international organizations, philanthropic institutions, and bilateral agencies at an institutional level, focusing on innovative financing collaborations
• Establishes partnerships with MDBs, UN agencies, philanthropies, and other institutions, expanding collaborations for innovative financing
• Represents the Innovative Financing Solutions Unit at external events, meetings and on missions, enhancing institutional knowledge management aligned with strategic objectives, and building relationships with counterparts from potential partner institutions

Management and Oversight

• Oversees the origination, development, implementation and management of innovative financing solutions, including grant and blended finance projects, ensuring compliance with agreements and the Strategic Framework 2030.
• Manages partner and internal reporting processes, ensuring quality and timeliness.
• Coordinates resource allocation in collaboration with Operations departments
• Ensures that all outputs of the Innovative Financing Units are of consistently high quality.

Advice 

• Provides advice, recommendations, and suggestions for improving the efficiency and productivity of the Innovative Financing Solutions Unit.

Carries out tasks that are related to the job function, assigned by the Vice President, Strategy .

Qualifications and Experience:

• Master’s degree in economics, finance, strategy, business management or a closely related field
• A minimum of at least 15 years in relevant professional experience in the finance sector including at least five (5) years at a managerial level; out of which at least 10 years’ with large international development finance institutions or international organisations, and at least five (5) years of experience developing innovative finance or blended finance solutions for projects in emerging market economies. 
• Fluent in English. Good working knowledge of Arabic, French or Spanish is an added advantage.

While all nationalities are eligible for this role, nationals from the member countries of the OPEC Fund for International Development are strongly encouraged to apply. The member countries are: Algeria, Ecuador, Gabon, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela.