IDB Lab Discovery Officer  

The IDB Group is a community of diverse, versatile, and passionate people who come together on a journey to improve lives in Latin America and the Caribbean. Our people find purpose and do what they love in an inclusive, collaborative, agile, and rewarding environment.

About this position:

IDB Lab is the innovation laboratory of the Inter-American Development Bank Group.  It mobilizes financing, knowledge, and connections to support entrepreneurs to catalyze innovation that can drive inclusion in Latin America and the Caribbean. IDB Lab believes that innovation is a powerful tool that can transform this region, as it provides with unprecedented opportunities to tackle long-standing problems that are preventing vulnerable populations to improve their quality of life.

The current portfolio of IDB projects in Suriname consists of 6 operations with US$2.4M in IDB Lab and core mobilization funding. Of particular importance are the SUSTAME operations financed by IDB Lab and Amazon Forever (SU-T1159 and SU-T1168), which represent a critical investment of US$ 1.4M in catalyzing sustainable forestry and wood production with a focus on supporting private sector operators and local communities in transitioning from extraction and export of raw wood to sustainable practices in extraction and higher value processing of wood products for the export market.

We are looking for a dynamic individual to lead operations as part of its Discovery Unit team in Suriname. The Discovery Unit (DIS) is the unit responsible for building and scaling the innovative portfolio of non-reimbursable and contingent recovery operations from testing new ideas, though supporting early-stage projects and start-ups to setting the stage with ecosystems that support inclusion and scale. The team works both out of headquarters in Washington, DC and the Bank’s country offices throughout the LAC region.

What you’ll do:

The IDB Lab Discovery Officer will be dedicated to the activities related to the origination and supervision of operations mentioned above and your salary will be financed by the fees received by the Bank in its capacity as trustee or administrator of Financial Intermediary Funds (“FIF”)[1], and other relevant trust funds, such as the Amazon Bioeconomy and Forest Management Fund. You will add value and knowledge to projects in portfolio for Suriname for exceptional implementation, outcomes, and scale; be on the constant look out for new topics in the country, region or worldwide that address the most pressing problems and can be tested in the country; and be an engaging storyteller about IDB Lab’s unique mission, its innovative projects and their results, especially as they apply to Suriname. You will actively network at the local, regional, and international level with pioneering project and knowledge partners; create synergies and ensure scaling options by “connecting the dots” with IDB Lab’s Investment team, IDB Invest, the public side of the IDB, the market and/or public policy to overreach goals and achieve ground-breaking impact, especially for the implementation of the IDB projects in Suriname.

• Originate deal flow that could become potential financing opportunities for IDB Lab´s Discovery Unit, mainly, by working and developing relationships with public and private institutions that support entrepreneurs and in connection with the projects in portfolio for Suriname.
• Lead the dialogue, identification and design of innovative projects and programs related to the operations financed with FIF and other trust fund in conjunction with IDB Sector Specialists and IDB Invest Officers.
• Identify opportunities to combine IDB Lab operations in Suriname with IDB Group operations to bring innovative solutions and/or build alignment among the different financing instruments of the IDB Group.
• Proactively handle risks, assumptions, issues related to the IDB Lab´s Discovery portfolio in Suriname.
• Add technical value in the supervision of the project portfolio in Suriname. Provide guidance and expert advice to clients executing highly innovative projects to improve their development impact and yield greater results.
• Generate valuable connections and help to build and effectively share practical knowledge, to continue to uniquely position the IDB Lab at greater scale and impact.
• Provide strategic input regarding private sector solutions and contributions to the country’s most pressing problems to ensure IDB Lab’s mission to further the innovation for inclusion and entrepreneurship agenda in Suriname.
• Maintain a close relationship, significant presence and effective coordination with the Country Office staff to ensure IDB Lab’s strategic alignment with the IDB Group’s overall strategy while proposing innovative projects and topics for improving lives at scale in Suriname.

 
[1] These funds include the following: Clean Technology Fund (CTF) and Strategic Climate Fund (SCX).  

What you’ll need:

• Education: You hold a master’s degree or equivalent in Economics, Finance, Development, Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Business Administration, or other relevant fields.
• Experience:
  • You have at least 6 years of relevant professional experience in discovering, creating, and supporting innovative projects and entrepreneurs that solve the region’s most pressing problems with impact at scale. 
  • Experience within a multilateral development agency is an asset. You are capable of providing technical guidance to clients in various sectors on innovations and the use of technology, and skilled at collecting and sharing knowledge regarding outcomes, critical success factors, challenges, and risks. 
  • Advanced computer skills, including word processing, Excel, monitoring tools, databases (Airtable is a plus), and CRM tools (Salesforce is a plus).
  • Excellent communication skills; high level of creativity, innovation, initiative, and flexibility; ability to work individually and as an integral member of an impactful team; ability to work effectively in a multi-ethnic, diverse, inclusive, and multi-cultural environment; capacity to manage change effectively; goal-oriented; good leadership and organizational skills.
  • Capacity for analysis and interpretation of data.
  • Capacity to function effectively as a member of a multi-disciplinary team, to search for common ground, to resolve problems, and where appropriate, to recommend decisive action.
• Languages: Proficiency in English is required. Proficiency in another Bank language is desirable.

Key skills:

• Learn continuously.
• Collaborate and share knowledge. 
• Focus on clients.
• Communicate and influence.
• Innovate and try new things.

Requirements

• Citizenship: You are either a citizen of Suriname or a citizen of one of our 48-member countries with residency or legal permit to work in Suriname.
• Consanguinity: You have no family members (up to fourth degree of consanguinity and second degree of affinity, including spouse) working at the IDB, IDB Invest, or IDB Lab.

Type of contract and duration

• Type of contract: national staff, fixed term.
• Length of contract: 3 years. The length of the contract can be extended, at the discretion of the Bank, and provided that there will be enough fees (to be received by the Bank in its capacity as trustee or administrator of Financial Intermediary Funds and relevant other trust funds) to fund any potential extension.
• Location: IDB Country Office in Suriname.

What we offer

The IDB Group provides benefits that respond to the different needs and moments of an employee’s life. These benefits include:

• A competitive compensation package.
• Leave and vacation: 24 days of paid time off + 8 personal days + sick leave + gender-neutral parental leave.
• Health Insurance: The IDB Group provides employees and eligible dependents with a robust medical benefits program that covers medical, dental, vision, preventive care, and prescription drugs.
• Pension plan: pre-defined pension plan that provides financial security and supports employees in planning for their future.
• Hybrid and flexible work schedules.
• Health and wellbeing: Access to our Health Services Center which provides preventive care and health education for employees.
• Development support: We offer tools to boost your professional profile such as mentoring, 1:1 professional counseling, training, and learning opportunities, language classes, mobility options, among others.

Our culture

At the IDB Group we work so everyone brings their best and authentic selves to work, willing to try innovative approaches without fear, and where they are accountable and rewarded for their actions.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) are at the center of our organization. We celebrate all dimensions of diversity and encourage women, LGBTQ+ people, persons with disabilities, Afro-descendants, and Indigenous people to apply.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job interview process. If you are a qualified candidate with a disability, please e-mail us at [email protected] to request reasonable accommodation to complete this application.

Our Human Resources Team reviews carefully every application.

About the IDB Group

The IDB Group, composed of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), IDB Invest, and the IDB Lab offers flexible financing solutions to its member countries to finance economic and social development through lending and grants to public and private entities in Latin America and the Caribbean.

About IDB Lab

IDB Lab is the innovation laboratory of the IDB Group, the leading source of development finance and expertise for improving lives in Latin America and the Caribbean. The purpose of IDB Lab is to drive innovation for inclusion in the region, mobilizing financing, knowledge, and connections to test early-stage private sector solutions with the potential to transform the lives of vulnerable populations affected by economic, social, and environmental conditions. Since 1993, IDB Lab has approved more than US$ 2 billion in projects deployed across 26 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.

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