Senior Investment Officer at World Bank

Job No.: req12712
Organization: IFC
Sector: Investment
Grade: GG
Term Duration: 3 years 0 months
Recruitment Type: International Recruitment

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 2020, we invested $22 billion in private companies and financial institutions in developing countries, leveraging the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.
• IFC, the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, is the largest multilateral provider of financing for private enterprise in emerging markets. IFC provides loans, equity, structured finance and risk management tools as well as advisory services to support the private sector in developing countries.
• IFC invests in private sector projects that are financially and economically viable and have a substantial development impact. The Corporation is headquartered in Washington, D.C. It has three hubs in Sub‐Saharan Africa (Johannesburg, Dakar, and Nairobi) and several country offices.
• The Financial Institutions Group, one of IFC’s industry departments, supports projects in numerous financial subsectors, partners with local financial institutions, develops domestic and regional equity and debt markets and introduces new financing instruments.
• The goal is to develop efficient financial systems that will increase financial inclusion and fuel economic growth in client countries and enhance IFC’s developmental impact. 
• The Financial Institutions Group is recruiting a Senior Investment Officer to join the Investment and Portfolio Team, which originates, manages and monitors IFC’s financial sector investments in Africa.

Duties and Accountabilities
The Investment Officer will identify new investment opportunities, execute transactions and actively manage portfolio projects for financial institutions based in Anglophone West Africa.

Client Relationships:

• Handle client relationships and provide insights into sector developments in client countries to anticipate new investment opportunities and/or performance issues. Coordinate closely with social, environmental, upstream, and advisory colleagues to add value to our clients' businesses and achieve sustainable development impact.

Business Development:

• Source and assess opportunities, identify bankable projects in target regions, particularly less developed countries, and grow and develop new business transactions. Develop (and/or guide teams in the preparation of) pitchbooks and client proposals in support of new business. In addition, the candidate should be ready to work closely with Fintech and Disruptive Technology teams to develop strategic partnerships to expand IFC’s FIG services to include innovative digital technologies.

Structuring and Negotiation:

• Structure, negotiate and execute new transactions, portfolio restructurings, reschedulings, capital increases, equity sales, etc.

Deal Execution:

• Identify and analyze fundamental competitive strengths and weaknesses of investment opportunities or portfolio companies and identify financial and non‐financial issues, opportunities and risk/reward factors (e.g. business environment, country, and sponsor). Ensure that defined transactional requirements recorded in documentation are executed accordingly.

Transaction Management:

• Lead and manage project teams to deliver transactions on a timely and expeditious basis and using best practice standards. Lead team from initiation, due diligence, internal approvals, and processing of debt and equity investment, actively handling key work and directing and coordinating work of other team members, including colleagues from across multiple departments as relevant. Take full responsibility and accountability for transaction-related decisions and relationships.

Strategy Development:

• Drafting strategies for sectors, countries, or regions for business development; and develop and execute strategies for complex client engagements with the objective of building a robust investment pipeline.

Knowledge Sharing:

• Build IFC's knowledge base for best practices and participate in knowledge sharing and dissemination. Initiate collaboration and share expertise as a subject matter expert, providing advice, peer review and contribution to knowledge products across WBG to strengthen internal and/or external client solutions.

Mentoring and Coaching:

• Mentor, develop and coach less-experienced and/or junior investment and advisory services staff and help build talent and grow skill base of staff.

Selection Criteria

• MBA or equivalent qualification;
• A minimum of 10 years of relevant experience covering the financial sector, preferably in an investment-related function; 
• Advanced financial, credit and risk evaluation skills, with demonstrated ability to structure and negotiate a variety of complex financial instruments (debt and equity.
• Documented experience identifying, originating and qualifying new business opportunities developing and executing results-driven client engagements.
• Solid understanding of the FinTech space, including ability to develop strategic partnerships with FinTech companies.
• Sound business judgment and strong problem solving/negotiation skills incl. ability to identify issues and present creative, practical solutions, as well as ability to work effectively on simultaneous projects under time pressure.
• Capacity to work successfully in multicultural teams and across boundaries.
• Demonstrated relationships with the business community including network of top-level contacts in the financial services and investment industries in the sub-region, and governmental authorities, as needed.
• Excellent and demonstrated written, presentation, and business level communications skills in English.
• Genuine commitment to sustainable development.
• Mission travel was severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Once conditions improve, the position will require regional and international travel; hence the candidate should be willing and open to travel.

Language:

• Required Language(s): English
• Preferred Language(s): French