Fresh Jobs at International Finance Corporation (IFC)

• This is a senior role that requires strong and demonstrated technical and structuring skills as well as leadership, resource and change management, and relationship skills.
• The Hub lead will be based in Lagos,Nigeria or Accra,Ghana or Douala,Cameroon and will report to the Regional Industry Manager, Manufacturing for West, Central, North Africa, and Horn of Africa.

ROLE & RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Hub lead, PIO, will work closely with colleagues in the country offices, and in Washington DC, on M&S sector strategies, business development, transaction execution, portfolio supervision, and client relationship management. The responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Lead the M&S business (with emphasis on business development and also execution of strategic transactions) in the country clusters under coverage by deepening the strategic approach across the different sub sectors and in alignment with the overall strategies in Africa and relevant countries under coverage in close collaboration with the team and across relevant WBG units.
• Work closely with the sector leads and managers of the M&S team to jointly develop a strong business pipeline.
• Assess the attractiveness of specific investment opportunities with a strong focus on credit quality and development impact and make recommendations to IFC’s management in order to build an overall strong M&S portfolio. Periodic knowledge management sessions to develop team capacity in assessing opportunities.
• Proactively identify potential investment partners and opportunities based on industry experience, reputation, market potential, financial capability, and strategic fit.
• Support the team in developing strong relationships with key counterparts in the private and public sector as well as development partners and manage key strategic client relationships.
• Execute loan, equity, and mezzanine financings including processing mandates, conduct due diligence, structuring deals, negotiate terms and documentation, arrange syndications, and process internal approvals. Main focus on execution of strategic transactions in this role and supporting the teams on execution of transactions.
• Work closely with IFC’s specialists to manage environmental, social, technical, legal, insurance, corporate governance, and other risks in projects and champion IFC’s sustainability offerings to clients.
• Monitor clients’ compliance with the terms of investment agreements, prepare timely supervision reports, identify early warning signs, and, when necessary, formulate/implement strategies for work-outs, restructurings or rescheduling.
• Provide high quality client service throughout the project cycle from transaction sourcing and processing to supervision.
• Supervise and mentor more junior colleagues in the different relevant offices of the coverage.

Selection Criteria

• MBA, Master’s degree in Finance or equivalent
• At least 12-15 years of work experience for a major commercial or investment bank with significant emerging markets presence, an international financial institution or a private equity firm
• Experience in investment transaction, with proven success in developing client relationships as well as sourcing, negotiating, structuring and closing quality investments and strong knowledge and prior experience in the tourism, retail and property sectors
• Knowledge of and experience in emerging markets a plus (particularly in Africa)
• Strong business judgment in identifying potential business partners
• Strong financial and credit skills; sound business judgment and demonstrated ability to structure a variety of financial instruments (debt and equity)
• Client relationship skills, track record and ability to focus on client needs effectively
• Ability to interact directly and independently with the senior management of clients, financial and technical partners as well as senior government officials
• Strong people management, interpersonal and leadership skills, ability to work successfully in multicultural teams and across boundaries and to build networks across the region, including the ability to mentor and coach others to achieve results
• Excellent organizational, administrative, and time management skills
• Proven ability to work independently and deliver promptly and efficiently under pressure and meet tight deadlines
• Willingness to travel extensively and geographic flexibility
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English. Fluency in other languages, particularly French is a plus.

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Duties and Accountabilities

The duties and accountabilities of the role include but are not limited to:

Core portfolio Duties:

• Ensure timely, accurate and value-added monitoring and reporting on the FIG portfolio; provide early warning to RIMs for assets at risk.
• Supervise and approve regular portfolio actions as delegated by RIMs, including credit risk ratings, watchlist updates, and loan loss reserve recommendations.
• Review and analyze the financial, environmental, legal, integrity, and other requirements of clients, including covenant compliance reviews and impact reporting; quarterly risk ratings, annual supervision and other management reports as well as country strategy papers, briefs and project profiles.
• Review and provide adequate guidance and quality control of waivers and amendments, rights issues, and other ad hoc portfolio actions.
• Coordinate with special operations on restructurings and other jeopardy cases, as relevant.
• Monitor complex portfolio projects supporting value contribution and development impact to IFC’s debt and equity investment portfolio.
• Lead active portfolio management and negotiations, to maximize financial and development effectiveness results.
• Support the active management of the FIG equity portfolio: supervise quarterly valuation cycle, provide guidance on shareholder matters including rights issues and participate in the exit discussions.

Relationship and People Management:

• Build and maintain strong relationships with FIG portfolio clients, through regular client contact and by participating in operational reviews and other client engagements.
• Coordinate closely with social, environmental, governance, and technical assistance colleagues in order to add value to our clients' businesses, find pragmatic solutions to the specific sector challenges, and achieve sustainable development impact.
• Staff portfolio projects with the appropriate teams taking into consideration technical skills, career development, and balanced workload.
• Monitor the review/analysis of the data collected by portfolio officers and analysts (POs/PAs) (completeness, consistency checks, compliance checks, etc.), identify any issues and guide the POs/PAs in proposing relevant mitigants.
• Develop training materials/tools and deliver regular trainings/refreshers for POs/PAs.
• Ensure adequate onboard for new POs/PAs
• Mentor and coach less-experienced staff and help build talent and grow skill base of staff.
• Support the recruitment, onboarding and mentoring of new team members.

Risk Sharing Facilities (RSFs) Monitoring:

• Coordinate RSF monitoring activities for the 3 regions, in close contacts with the RSF support team, FIG Global, Blended Finance, Treasury, and the Legal teams.
• Lead quarterly RSF portfolio reviews for RIMs and the Credit and Treasury teams.
• Represent FIG Africa in the relevant RSF meetings. 
• Forecast and assign workload based on existing portfolio and pipeline.
• Supervise the development and implementation of an RSF simplification project allowing productivity gains in the supervision and monitoring of RSFs for Africa.
• Develop and maintain dashboards to monitor RSF portfolio KPIs.

Knowledge Management:

• Apply knowledge of project/portfolio lifecycle to identify and meet critical path milestones, and to implement tasks (including production of documents) in a timely and high-quality fashion for the processing or supervision of projects.
• Share lessons learned and best practices for RSF management, including with other regions.

Selection Criteria

• Master's Degree in Finance or similar relevant education; accreditation as a CFA or CPA is considered a plus. 
• Must have 10-20 years of relevant experience in the financial sector, including a solid operational understanding of commercial banks and other financial entities in Africa.
• Sound business judgment and strong problem solving/negotiation skills to identify issues and present creative, practical solutions.
• Ability to work effectively on simultaneous projects under time pressure.
• Capacity to deal with conflicting priorities and deliver high quality work on schedule; facility to work successfully in multicultural teams and across boundaries.
• Ability to build and maintain relationships with the business community and governmental authorities, as needed.
• Proactiveness, strong business development and client relationship skills, and ability to focus on client needs effectively. 
• Ability to interact directly and independently with the senior management of potential clients, financial and technical partners, as well as senior government officials.
• Ability to draft documents and reports that are concise, well-organized, and appropriately focused on most critical points that are relevant to the target audience.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.  French/Arabic will be a plus.
• Strong interpersonal skills, ability to interact effectively with clients and colleagues.
• Team player. Ability to work sensitively and effectively in a multicultural setting.
• Takes personal responsibility and accountability for timely response to client queries, requests or needs, working to remove obstacles that may impede execution or overall success.
• Willing to travel across Africa (as long as safety requirements are met based on the World Bank standards).
• Strong passion in sustainable economic development.
• Exceptional attention to detail.
• Strong research and quantitative skills.
• Strong Computer skills to develop user-friendly/punchy analyses/presentations (word, excel, and PowerPoint).
• Ability to mentor junior investment staff.

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• The Investment Officer will also contribute in setting equity strategies, day-to-day business operations, equity and convertible debt business growth, and portfolio management.
• He/she will work in close collaboration with the Global FIG Equity team as well as the FIG Management team to: (i) formulate IFC’s strategies for investing equity and convertible debt investments across the financial institutions sector; (ii) engage in business development; (iii) structure and execute transactions; (iv) manage assets from origination until exit; and (v) lead knowledge management on equity and convertible debt investing.

Roles And Responsibilities

• The role and responsibilities of the Investment Officer will include, but will not be limited to:

New Business

• Develop a strong pipeline of good quality investment opportunities through proactive origination/business development and developing and employing sector/country knowledge in line with FIG’s strategic equity and convertible debts investment themes
• Understand and analyze macro developments and industry-level developments in the respective countries and think through how they might offer opportunities (or present risks to be mitigated) for FIG to consider equity and convertible debt investments
• Develop and leverage extensive networks with industry players and other investors, and working closely with the global equity team regional industry management, make pitches as appropriate, to create a healthy flow of early equity and convertible debt leads and then work with colleagues to refine them and identify an investable pipeline
• For new equity and convertible debt investments, work closely with the global equity team and articulate: (i) Investment thesis;(ii)Investment structure and valuation; and (iii) Equity management plan including exit strategy
• Lead execution of equity and convertible debt investments, and provide expertise and guidance to teams executing smaller investments
• Provide inputs to, and incorporate guidance from Regional Industry Managers, Regional Industry Heads, Global Equity Heads, and other management members to develop and execute a profitable equity investment program
• Follow quality standards, structure robust equity and convertible debt investments, and set return targets for such investments

Portfolio Management and Value Creation

• Contribute in managing high-value/complex equity and convertible debt portfolio, including exit strategy formulation and exit execution, working closely with deal teams, the global equity team, and the FIG Management
• Drive value creation at investee companies
• Devise and execute equity sales ensuring consistency with portfolio strategy
• Provide expertise and guidance to teams in managing smaller equity and convertible debt investments
• Support Regional Industry Managers in ensuring that the right candidates are appointed as nominee directors on the boards of IFC investee companies and assess their performance

Selection Criteria

• A Master's degree or equivalent professional qualification in finance or business and 8 years of investment experience
• Minimum three years of active private equity/ convertible debt/ investment experience at a private equity or debt fund setup, in-house private equity team of a reputable asset manager, or private equity investment teams of sovereign wealth funds, etc.
• Proven track record in sourcing, leading, negotiating, executing, and exiting private equity and convertible debt investments. FIG equity investment experience in the Africa Region is a plus
• Strong network of contacts among reputable M&A firms, investment banks, financial institutions, private equity firms, institutional investors et
• Sound investment judgment, demonstrated ability to deliver high-quality work and results under time pressure
• Ability to develop innovative solutions and challenge the status quo to build the business
• Recognized as a Good team player strategic thinker and thought leader
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; Fluency in English essential
• Ability to collaborate closely with development finance institutions, banks, microfinance institutions, non-bank financial institutions, and other strategic, financial, or institutional investors
• Ability to develop and manage relationships with C-Suite professionals, board of directors, and shareholders of investee companies
• Strong sense of service to clients and demonstrated business development aptitude
• Good “deal sense” based on demonstrated strong analytical skills and sound business judgment, especially in Equity and Convertibles debt investments
• Willingness and flexibility to travel and work across time zones

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• The Senior Investment Officer will also have a significant role in setting equity strategies, day-to-day business operations, equity and convertible debt business growth, and portfolio management.
• He/she will work in close collaboration with the Global FIG Equity team as well as the Africa FIG Management team to: (i) formulate IFC’s strategies for investing equity and convertible debt investments across the financial institutions sector; (ii) engage in business development; (iii) structure and execute transactions; (iv) manage assets from origination until exit; and (v) lead knowledge management on equity and convertible debt investing.

Roles And Responsibilities

• The role and responsibilities of the Senior Investment Officer will include, but will not be limited to:

New Business

• Lead Support and drive business development in the specific region in line with FIG’s strategic equity and convertible debts investment themes
• Understand and analyze macro developments and industry-level developments in the respective countries and think through how they might offer opportunities (or present risks to be mitigated) for FIG to consider equity and convertible debt investments
• Develop and leverage extensive networks with industry players and other investors, and working closely with the global equity team regional industry management, make pitches as appropriate, to create a healthy flow of early equity and convertible debt leads and then work with colleagues to refine them and identify an investable pipeline
• For new equity and convertible debt investments, work closely with the global equity team and articulate: (i) Investment thesis;(ii)Investment structure and valuation; and (iii) Equity management plan including exit strategy
• Lead execution of equity and convertible debt investments, and provide expertise and guidance to teams executing smaller investments
• Provide inputs to, and incorporate guidance from Regional Industry Managers, Regional Industry Heads, Global Equity Heads, and other management members to develop and execute a profitable equity investment program
• Follow quality standards, structure robust equity and convertible debt investments, and set return targets for such investments

Portfolio Management and Value Creation

• Take leadership and responsibility in managing high-value/complex equity and convertible debt portfolio, including exit strategy formulation and exit execution, working closely with deal teams, the global equity team, and the Africa FIG Management
• Drive value creation at investee companies
• Devise and execute equity sales ensuring consistency with portfolio strategy
• Provide expertise and guidance to teams in managing smaller equity and convertible debt investments
• Support Regional Industry Managers in ensuring that the right candidates are appointed as nominee directors on the boards of IFC investee companies and assess their performance

Selection Criteria

• A Master's degree or equivalent professional qualification in finance or business and a minimum of 12 years of investment experience
• Minimum five years of active private equity/ convertible debt/ investment experience at a private equity or debt fund setup, in-house private equity team of a reputable asset manager, or private equity investment teams of sovereign wealth funds, etc.
• Proven track record in sourcing, leading, negotiating, executing, and exiting private equity and convertible debt investments. FIG equity investment experience in the Africa Region is a plus
• Strong network of contacts among reputable M&A firms, investment banks, financial institutions, private equity firms, institutional investors et
• Sound investment judgment, demonstrated ability to deliver high-quality work and results under time pressure
• Ability to develop innovative solutions and challenge the status quo to build the business
• Recognized as a Good team player strategic thinker and thought leader
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; Fluency in English essential
• Ability to collaborate closely with development finance institutions, banks, microfinance institutions, non-bank financial institutions, and other strategic, financial, or institutional investors
• Ability to develop and manage relationships with C-Suite professionals, board of directors, and shareholders of investee companies
• Strong sense of service to clients and demonstrated business development aptitude
• Good “deal sense” based on demonstrated strong analytical skills and sound business judgment, especially in Equity and Convertibles debt investments
• Willingness and flexibility to travel and work across time zones