Investment Officer – GF  

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 2023, IFC committed a record US$43.7 billion to private companies and financial institutions in developing countries, leveraging the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity as economies grapple with the impacts of global compounding crises. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.

IFC is on a growth strategy (IFC 3.0) to stimulate more investment activity, especially in Low Income Countries (LICs) and Fragile and Conflict-affected States (FCS). This strategy calls for cultivating future investment opportunities by working “Upstream” to create and expand markets through designing projects and developing ideas that unlock investment opportunity. 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 engagement on policy reforms and programmatic interventions at the country and sector level. It also requires capacity to leverage WBG programs and projects to (i) develop our own proactive sector interventions and (ii) to imagine and design projects even in the absence of reforms.

IFC’s Disruptive Technologies and Funds Group (“CDF”) invests in digital economy focused private sector companies and it takes a lifecycle approach to investment to accelerate development and growth: CDF has a successful track record of equity investments in start-up accelerators, venture capital and growth equity and working with the larger IFC group to support businesses from seed to scale. CDF is unique for both its regional and global perspective on venture and growth equity, long-term approach to investments, and ability to leverage the resources of the entire World Bank Group towards value creation.

CDF has an upstream team that drives the upstream mandate to incubate opportunities, focus resources, and coordinate initiatives across IFC and the World Bank to create new markets in a digitally driven economy. The unit aims to create a multiyear pipeline of investments / projects that accelerate the ability of IFC to meet its strategic development goals.

IFC is seeking an Investment Officer for the Disruptive Technologies and Funds team to be based in Washington DC to join the team in building the Upstream program for CDF. The selected candidate will focus on developing high-quality Upstream pipeline in partnership with teams across IFC and the World Bank. S/he will also support policy work and other interventions across the World Bank Group to prioritize various initiatives and to maximize the impact of Upstream efforts. The position will report to the CDF Global Upstream Lead. 

Roles & Responsibilities: 

• Develop a strong pipeline of good quality direct equity upstream investment opportunities for CDF through proactive origination/business development, developing and employing sector/country knowledge, and working closely with CDF investment origination teams across the world.
• Develop early-stage fund investment opportunities in underserved venture capital markets by working with the World Bank, public sector counterparts, and Fund investment (including Startup Catalyst) colleagues.
• Develop a pipeline of equity and debt upstream investment opportunities for IFC-wide investment by working with colleagues across all IFC Industries.
• Support on digital ecosystem building work to create pathways for private investment by collaborating with World Bank and public sector stakeholders on initiatives related to digital public infrastructure and digital skills.
• Leverage business intelligence tools to build data-driven solutions for business development and CDF needs (experience with Power BI is a plus) 
• Contribute to the development of market feasibility assessments, implementation strategies, market entry plans for Upstream projects that unlock IFC investment.  
• Help spot game-changing trends, technologies and business models that can create impact and business opportunity in emerging markets. 
• Work with the World Bank to analyze sector and regulatory reforms that are needed to unlock opportunities for private investment.
• Produce regular reports on the assigned Upstream portfolio including monitoring progress against project milestones and KPIs. 
• Contribute to sector-specific data analysis and stress-testing of various operating models to help generate ideas for new projects, new products and platform businesses. 

Selection Criteria

• Master’s degree or equivalent professional qualification in Business, Finance, Economics, International Relations, Science, Engineering, or other relevant field. 

• 6-8 years of relevant experience in entrepreneurship ecosystem development, project development, hands-on advisory and/or consulting functions in emerging markets relating to catalyzing investment opportunity. 

• Experience in strategy consulting, value creation and business development for technology companies is preferred.

• Experience with data tools (including Power BI and SQL) is preferred.

• Candidate should have demonstrable experience working with startup companies or/and early-stage technology ecosystems.

• Genuine commitment to development and to the World Bank Group and IFC’s mission, strategy and values. 

• Understanding of IFC’s strategic priorities and changing business model against the backdrop of IFC 3.0. 

• Demonstrated capacity to innovate and challenge the status quo and experience in new idea generation, business development, and creating projects/programs from scratch.   

• Understanding of digital economy and emerging technologies in high-growth economies and ability to link policy reforms, advisory interventions, investment, and mobilization to deliver solutions at a country level via the Cascade approach.  

• Ability to engage with private sector clients, local and national governments, and other stakeholders to encourage pioneering business and market development. 

• Experience in project/program management, including executing against implementation plans with defined business development milestones.  

• Experience in monitoring and reporting on a portfolio of projects/programs/initiatives. 

• Outstanding analytical and critical thinking skills. 

• Strong written and verbal communications skills in English.

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.

Learn more about working at the World Bank and IFC, including our values and inspiring stories.

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