Andean Country Department General Manager

We are seeking a dynamic and experienced Manager to oversee operations in the Andean Countries and lead the team based in HQ, Washington DC. The ideal candidate will possess exceptional leadership skills, a proven track record in managing teams, and the ability to drive operational excellence across Andean countries and HQ. This role requires strong communication and organizational abilities to ensure seamless coordination between the two locations. The Manager will be responsible for optimizing efficiency, maintaining consistent standards across countries, and fostering a cohesive work culture across both Andean countries and HQ. Additionally, the role involves strategic planning, resource allocation, and performance management to achieve business objectives within countries and in HQ, while aligning with the overall IDBG vision.  The Manager will report to the Vice President for Countries. 

 

ABOUT THE IDB: 

At the Inter-American Development Bank, we are devoted to improving lives. Since 1959, we have been a leading source of long-term financing for economic, social, and institutional development in Latin America and the Caribbean. We do more than lending though. We partner with our 48-member countries to provide Latin America and the Caribbean with groundbreaking research about relevant development issues, policy advice to inform their decisions, and technical assistance to improve on the planning and execution of projects. For this, we need people who not only have the right skills, but also are passionate about improving lives. 

 

OUR CULTURE: 

Our people are committed and passionate about improving lives in Latin America and the Caribbean, and they get to do what they love in a diverse, collaborative, and multicultural work environment. We are the first Latin American and Caribbean development institution to be awarded the EDGE certification, recognizing our strong dedication to gender equality.  We encourage women, afro-descendants, Indigenous peoples, the LGBTQ+ Community, and persons with disabilities 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 HRSC@iadb.org  to request a reasonable accommodation to complete this application. 

 

WHAT YOU WILL DO: 

1. You will provide oversight and guidance to the Country Representatives in their strategic and programmatic dialogue with Bank’s clients, and manage the Country Department and its Country Offices, including coordination with the Representatives and the Regional Economist and the team.
2. As Manager, you will be responsible for the management of operational, human, and budgetary resources at Departmental level. This includes the consolidation of a strategic vision that is aligned with the Upper Management, the Institutional Strategy of the IDB Group (IDBG) and that supports its implementation, promoting synergies that provide a comprehensive support to IDBG clients.
3. You will also be responsible for the programming of operations in close coordination with the Country Representatives and the coordination with your counterparts in the Vice Presidency for Countries, the Vice Presidency of Sectors, and the other IDBG windows, such as BID Invest and BID Lab.
4. You will lead the activities of the Bank in the Andean region, in coordination with Country Representatives, including the programmatic dialogue with the government which originate operations with sovereign guarantee, as well as technical cooperation programs. He/she also provides support to the dialogue processes with the private sector to identify possible non‐sovereign guaranteed operations, as appropriate.

 

REQUIRED SKILLS AND PROFICIENCY: 

 

MANAGERIAL SKILLS 

 

Client management

You will articulate the IDBG’s strategic relationship with the various countries at a regional level, in coordination with the Country Representatives, including the Ministries of Finance and/or Planning, or entities with which the IDBG has strategic relationships related to the Group mission and objectives.  

 

Environment management

The IDBG is one of the main financial partners for development in the region and, as such, has a trusted voice. This implies that you must have the capacity to manage different interlocutors, including the media, civil society, and other development agencies to achieve the objectives that the IDBG has in the respective region. 

 

Team management

Management skills to articulate the employees under your responsibility and the Department relationship with its various internal and external clients and stakeholders within the countries of the Andean region and within the IDBG. Many professionals with different levels of experience and skills come together at the IDBG. Teams organized according to the Bank’s matrix structure, different contracting modalities (consultants and staff), and a combination of national and international employees coexist. All this means that human resources management not only involves the ability to recruit, promote, and lead teams, but also adequately manage potential conflict and stress. 

 

TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE 

Macroeconomics and Development Issues

Being the IDBG expertise a trusted source on the matter, you must understand the macroeconomic environment, the development issues and have a clear vision of the Region challenges and opportunities to lead a sound dialogue, beyond the support provided by the Regional Economic Advisor, the Country Economist and other areas of the Bank that handle these issues. 

Institutional Strategy

You must be able to understand the logic of the main vision, goals and elements of the IDBG Institutional Strategy and the interrelation between them to support its implementation, provide guidance to the team within his/her respective region to implement it, identify their applicability as per demands of the countries, counterparts, and partners. 

 

IDB instruments

You must understand the set of financial and non‐financial instruments that the IDBG offers. This includes loan instruments, technical cooperation, both with the public and private sectors, BID Lab operations, and the various facilities and initiatives that IDBG offers to clients in the Region. 

 

Public sector

The IDB’s role is to promote sound public policies and institutions that translate into more effective, efficient, and transparent governments that serve the needs of their citizens and foster a robust and equitable growth. To achieve this mission, you must have knowledge of the country’s public sector institutions, understand their operation, the fiscal policy environment, and the initiatives that foster the development of projects that serve the needs of citizens. 

 

Private sector

You need to understand the business ecosystem and how it functions financially and operationally, as well as the type of business that fit into the country strategies of both windows. In coordination with Country Representatives, the Manager supports, as appropriate, the origination of business opportunities in both financial and non‐financial operations. 

Risk management

From a public and private sector perspective, it is important that you understand the relevance of risk management and the impact it can have on the IDBG’s reputation, as this is one of the institution’s most asset. The risks involve fiduciary aspects of the operations, environmental and social issues, and the impact that country risks may have on the operations. 

 

QUALIFICATIONS 

• Citizenship: You are a citizen of one of our 48-member countries.

We may offer assistance with relocation and visa applications for you and your eligible dependents. 

• Consanguinity: You have no family members (up to fourth degree of consanguinity and second degree of affinity, including spouse) working at the IDB Group.
• Education: You hold a Master’s degree in Economics, Public Policy, Public Administration, Political Economy, Political Science, Development Economics, Finance or other relevant fields.
• Experience: You have a minimum of 15 years of relevant experience with a track record of handling high-performance teams. Experience working with a wide range of aid instruments (policy-based lending, investment loans and technical assistance grants). Demonstrated in-depth technical knowledge and exposure to Latin America and the Caribbean’s governance challenges. Demonstrated ability for execution and lateral thinking and foresight planning and thrust for remaining abreast of cutting-edge knowledge and promising innovations.
• Languages: You are proficient (oral and written) in English and Spanish. Solid understanding of an additional official IDB Group language (Portuguese and French) is a plus.

 

WHAT WE OFFER 

Contract type and duration: International staff contract, 36 months initially, renewable upon mutual agreement.

Compensation: competitive

Vacations: 24 days + 8 personal days

Health insurance: Bank subsidizes employee premium

Pension plan

Location: The Manager for Andean Countries Department will be based in Bogota, Colombia, requiring regular travel between Bogotá, Colombia and HQ. It is expected that the Manager spends significant time in HQ particularly during the first years of his/her term while supporting alignment of the team to the new vision of the organization, including the new Institutional Strategy and proactively promoting its implementation.

Visa: we sponsor a visa to work in Colombia for the employee and the family

Relocation grant if applicable 

 

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