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. Our mission is to leverage the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity on a livable planet.

IFC’s Transaction Advisory Services Department (CTA) is housed in the IFC Cross Cutting Solutions Vice Presidency (CCSVPU) and consists of two business lines:  

•  PPP Transaction Advisory (C3P) offers transaction advisory services to governments, designing and structuring PPP transactions in infrastructure with focus on electricity, water, transportation, telecommunications, etc. and social services such as health and education, to assist client governments to partner with the private sector in sustainable long-term projects providing high quality, affordable and efficient public and social services to economic agents and the population, in general.

•  Corporate Finance Services (CFS) has three key product offerings: (1) M&A Advisory: advising on buy-side / sell-side transactions; (2) Equity Mobilization Program (EMP): supporting third party equity mobilization alongside IFC investment; (3) Asset monetization involving listed or listing public entities. 

CTA mobilized $4.7B of private investment in FY24 and has a target of $5.9B for FY25 which translates into almost 25% of IFC’s total core mobilization. Drawing on over 25 years of experience and over 120 staff across the globe, CTA manages currently over 100 active client engagements. Africa has 25 to 30 staff distributed in five regional hubs located in Johannesburg, Nairobi, Dakar, Cairo, and Abuja/Lagos. The CTA department is expected to continue playing a leading role in mobilizing private capital on behalf of the WBG.  

The CTAPP department is looking to recruit an Investment Officer (IO) for the Central Africa (CA) hub who will support the regional team and management in the business development and the whole PPP transaction process of IFC acting as Lead Transaction Advisor. The IO will work under the supervision of the CA Hub Lead, with a focus on Central Africa, and beyond in the wider region, depending on business needs. The Central Africa Region covers 10 countries, namely Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Cameroon, Republic of Congo, Gabon, Central Africa Republic, Equatorial Guinea, and Sao Tome & Principe. 

•  The PPP team focuses on advising on the following types of transactions across all infrastructure sectors:  

•  Public-Private Partnerships e.g. BOT type concessions. 

•  Restructuring and privatization of state-owned enterprises. 

Corporate Finance type activities (equity raising, M&A, pre-IPO support). 

Both origination activities and the preparation work of complex PPP transactions often require close collaboration with the World Bank to ensure consistent country strategies and, if needed, access to expertise in institutional and sector reforms, as well as development of legal and regulatory frameworks including tariff structures. 

The position is based in Abuja/Lagos, Nigeria and reports to the Hub Lead Central Africa for PPP Transaction Advisory Services, and the Regional Manager for PPP Transaction Advisory Services in Africa. 

Role & Responsibilities: 

The IO’s work will involve the implementation of advisory mandates of a variety of types, including business development, interactions with clients, supervising consultant hiring, preparing and delivering presentations, overseeing technical and legal due diligence, and undertaking/supervising financial modeling, develop transaction options structuring, support the drafting of bidding documents and the management of the bidding processes, interacting with investors and participation in negotiations, as appropriate. Duties will include, but will not be limited to:  

•  Contribute to origination and marketing activities across the Central Africa region (CA), managing marketing activity in assigned countries/strategic areas, including collaborating with other WBG teams to identify opportunities based on country strategies and market creation potential; 

Develop new client relationships and project leads in CA; Understand the legal and regulatory impediments for private sector participation in CA infrastructure sectors and work closely with the other parts of the WBG to overcome these; 

•  If appropriate, undertake project scoping to assess potential projects’ feasibility, and lead on the origination and marketing activities, e.g. supervision of proposal preparation, mandate negotiation with clients, etc.; 

•  Prepare/review memos and documentation for internal approval and consultant procurement processes, as well as managing project budget; 

•  Lead the day-to-day management of project teams working on sell-side PPP mandates, including the management of legal, technical, environmental, etc. consultants and review legal and technical outputs, reports and other analysis/recommendations;  

•  Develop transaction structure options for PPP projects, provide innovative solutions and present recommendations to IFC management and clients; 

•  Participate/lead meetings with government clients and investors; 

•  Organize and manage the tendering process of projects, including marketing of projects, electing prequalification criteria and other transaction parameters, requests for qualification, project award and negotiation of project agreements leading to closing deals; 

•  Develop, coach, motivate and manage junior members of the team; 

•  As appropriate, participate in the development and implementation of upstream activities in line with IFC 3.0 to create, deepen and expand markets with the regional and global team from across IFC and the WBG; 

•  As appropriate, work closely with CA Hub Lead and CA TL group on sub-regional strategy, origination activities, and HR/staffing related matters; 

•  Potential support/intervention on Corporate Finance related mandates, both in terms of origination as well as execution; 

•  As appropriate, coordinate with different WBG groups to assess opportunities for PPPs in the WBG operations;  

•  Assist in other projects or strategy related activities as the need may arise 

Selection Criteria

•  MBA or equivalent Post Graduate degree in business, finance or economics; 

•  Solid and relevant experience of at least 7-10 years gained either in project finance, corporate finance, M&A and privatizations, or private equity funds in infrastructure; 

•  Minimum 2-3 years of experience of sell-side PPP advisory is considered a plus; 

•  Knowledge of overall infrastructure sector trends and experience in infrastructure transactions/PPPs preferably in Africa, with a proven track record; 

•  Business development and client relationship skills, track record and ability to focus on clients’ needs effectively; 

•  Strong track record of contractual and/or deal closings of infrastructure transactions; 

•  Strong existing relationships with government officials, project developers, and investors and experience in dealing with all these multiple stakeholders of infrastructure projects. Such relationships in the infrastructure space in Africa is preferred; 

•  Ability to manage teams in multiple transactions, delivering high quality work within deadlines, and to meet team objectives; 

•  Strong analytical and financial modeling/structuring skills and demonstrated ability to: 

•  Lead a variety of transaction advisory, including debt and equity transactions; 

•  Independently develop financial models and sound financial analysis to support structuring options, proactively addressing and resolving client challenges with a solution-focused approach; 

•  Structure/restructure transactions to ensure prudent and sustainable risk sharing among all parties. 

•  Strong analytical and conceptual skills and ability to communicate ideas clearly and confidently (written and oral); 

•  Proven experience building productive relationships and fostering open communication across diverse teams and organizations to share knowledge and resources. 

•  Ability to operate in large, culturally diverse and geographically dispersed teams; 

•  Ability to work under pressure and deliver high quality work within deadlines to meet team objectives; 

•  Strong commitment to project success, delivering high quality work. 

•  Willingness and ability to travel on short notice and frequently, as required; and 

•  Excellent oral and written communication skills in English, and French [preferred]. 

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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