Associate Operations Officer

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. Our mission is to leverage the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity on a livable planet. For more information, please visit www.ifc.org.
IFC has embarked on an ambitious new growth strategy to stimulate more investment activity, especially in Low Income Countries (LICs) and Fragile and Conflict affected Situations (FCS). This strategy calls for generating our own 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. It also requires capacity to leverage WBG programs and projects to develop our own proactive sector interventions and to imagine and design projects even in the absence of reforms.

The Financial Institutions Group (FIG) is one of the major industry groups at IFC, responsible for managing roughly 40% of IFC’s overall business in terms of volume and capital at risk. FIG engages in a wide range of sub-sectors including Microfinance, SME, Gender, Climate, Insurance, Capital Markets, Housing, Distressed Assets, and other areas, with both investment and advisory services delivered to IFC’s clients through IFC’s global network.

Climate Business is a strategic priority of IFC and the WBG. IFC has developed an ambitious climate action plan to reach a climate investment target of 35% of IFC’s entire investment portfolio by 2025. FIG is a major driver for IFC’s climate business. Working with client financial intermediaries, including banks, leasing companies, and non-bank financial intermediaries that combine client finance in the marketing and delivery of climate-related services, FIG leverages its advisory and investment resources to scale climate investment.

The FIG Upstream Advisory Unit in Europe seeks to create opportunities for new private sector led investments in the region by developing a pipeline of investment-ready opportunities made possible using distinct tools and interventions, including investment structuring, advisory and policy reform. The objective of the unit will be to enhance the next generation of FIG investments across priority sectors in the region.

Duties and Accountabilities
The AOO will be part of the team that is responsible for the business development, design and implementation of client advisory projects aimed at the above product areas, with a particular focus on either Climate Finance. This will be done in coordination with the relevant FIG AS/US, IS, and regional teams to jointly identify FIG client opportunities and client engagement strategies.

• Actively participate in identifying FIG market opportunities to help formulate both investment and advisory strategies to pursue these opportunities, in coordination with the IS and country teams.
• Actively participate in the scoping, business development and designing of FIG AS/US projects, leveraging IFC’s Regional and Global Technical Experts.
• Develop and contribute to top quality client appraisal reports, client project proposals, donor reports and internal project documentation such as Implementation Plans, Project Supervision and Completion Reports.
• Negotiate project scope, targets, work plan details and Advisory Agreements with clients, and provide inputs to the investment negotiations with clients wherever needed.
• Actively participate in the implementation of FIG AS projects, taking on both project management as well as technical roles to provide the best possible high quality service and value to IFC clients in an effective and timely manner.
• Identify appropriate consultants for advisory assignments, from drafting terms of reference to taking part in the evaluation and selection of proposals.
• Work closely with the Results Measurement team to develop indicators and tools that collect the necessary data for evaluating the impact of the projects, to ensure high quality Development Effective (DE) and AIMM ratings;
• Monitor the progress and impact of projects through regular reporting and evaluation of consultants and project performance.
• Ensure close and effective collaboration with FIG IS, Upstream and AS Global Technical Teams, Regional and Country Managers, and other relevant IFC divisions.
• Ensure knowledge sharing; prepare presentations and communication materials to disseminate results and accomplishments. Represent IFC in selected regional conferences, workshops and training seminars.

Selection Criteria

• Master’s degree in engineering, Finance, Business, Environmental Sciences, with a minimum of 5 years of experience in management consulting to FIs and Banks in developed and/or emerging markets;
• Strong advisory project design, project management, sales and client relationship management skills, including the ability to develop and maintain mutually beneficial stakeholder relationships and ensure timely and appropriate follow-up;
• Experience in the implementation of Climate initiatives in financial institutions in Ukraine;
• Excellent knowledge of the Ukrainian climate finance market
• Highly motivated, energetic, team player with excellent interpersonal skills and client service skills
• Experience in managing transformation projects with banks in emerging markets;
• Ability to communicate ideas clearly and confidently, and credibly represent IFC with clients and stakeholders, including at the senior executive level;
• Strong organizational skills with an ability to work under time pressure, respond to ad-hoc shifts in client priorities, unstructured situations and unexpected events while maintaining order and delivery.
• Ability to identify and implement innovative solutions and challenge the status quo to build the business.
• Strong project management skills;
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills in English and Ukrainian is essential;

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.
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