Associate Investment Officer/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. For more information, please visit www.ifc.org.

 

The WBG estimates that by 2030, half the world’s extreme poor will live in countries characterized by fragility, conflict, and violence. In these settings, the private sector can help transform livelihoods by creating jobs, providing goods and services, generating tax revenues, and rebuilding infrastructure.  Fragile economies demand innovative approaches that go beyond country, regional, or sectoral strategies.

In recognition of this, IFC has identified supporting stability and growth in fragile and conflict-affected situations as a top priority, pledging that 40 percent of its annual commitments will be in International Development Association-eligible (IDA) and Fragile and Conflict-affected Situations (FCS) countries by 2030.

 

IFC’s Fragile and Conflict-affected Situations (FCS) Africa program is an advisory team, based in Nairobi, dedicated to piloting innovative tools to enable IFC to scale up its engagement (investment and advisory services) in and across all fragile countries in Africa. The team helps IFC to deliver on its FCS commitments under the World Bank Group’s Fragility, Conflict, and Violence (FCV) Strategy, and the 2018 Capital Increase Package. 

The FCS Africa team is delivering in three thematic areas: (1) engagement with the domestic private sector; (2) developing approaches for economic inclusion in settings with forcibly displaced people (FDP); and (3) delivering on conflict sensitivity by developing tools, piloting projects and integrating conflict sensitivity into projects in the region; and also has responsibility for building and sharing knowledge on private sector development in fragile situations in Africa. The FCS Africa team is seeking an Associate/Investment Officer to expand to be based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, working closely with the industry teams and will report to the FCS Africa Regional Lead for Eastern Africa.

 

Duties and Accountabilities:

•  Develop a strong pipeline of good quality investment opportunities with the domestic private sector and in areas of forced displacement through proactive origination/business development and developing and employing sector/country knowledge. 

•  In coordination with Industry and Regional teams, build and maintain strong relationships with regional clients, businesses, banking and multilateral partners and government officials to further develop the sector and to develop specific investment opportunities with local private sector.

•  Conduct upstream work to enhance business enabling environment of selected sector/country collaborating with World Bank, IFC Advisory and other development partners, to create medium/long-term investment opportunities for IFC. 

•  Evaluate, structure, negotiate, and close new transactions, portfolio restructurings, rescheduling, capital increases, equity sales, in close coordination with industry teams as necessary in support of the Industry and Regional priorities.

•  Lead term sheet negotiation/legal documentation process; use strong negotiation skills to develop solutions and overcome impasses in straightforward and complex transactions.

•  Mentor and develop junior staff across the FCS team.  

•  Assist in the formulation, monitoring and implementation of IFC’s FCS strategy, working with IFC’s industry and regional departments and in close coordination with the industry groups at the World Bank.

•  Coordinate closely with social, environmental, governance, and technical assistance colleagues in order to add value to our clients’ businesses, find pragmatic solutions to the specific sector challenges, and achieve sustainable development impact.

 

Selection Criteria

•  MBA or equivalent qualification. 

•  At least 6 years of experience in corporate and/or project finance with a proven track record of sourcing, structuring and closing investments. 

•  Excellent financial, credit and equity skills; demonstrated ability to creatively structure a variety of complex debt and equity instruments.

•  Expertise in working with the IFC’s Manufacturing, Agribusiness and Services (MAS) and/or Financial Institutions Groups (FIG) industries.  

•  Experience in Africa FCS countries.

•  Strong passion for sustainable economic development. Knowledge of and a demonstrated track record of working in impact investing will be a distinct advantage.

•  Familiarity with regulatory and economic inclusion challenges for disadvantaged groups will be a plus. 

•  Proactiveness, strong business development and client relationship skills, and ability to focus on client needs effectively. 

•  Ability to interact directly and independently with the senior management of potential clients, financial and technical partners.

•  Sound business judgment in identifying potential business partners and investment opportunities.

•  Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English. Fluency in other languages (including Amharic, Somali and other languages of Ethiopia and Horn of Africa) is a plus.

•  Strong interpersonal skills, ability to interact effectively with clients and colleagues.

•  Team player.  Ability to work sensitively and effectively in a multicultural setting.

•  Takes personal responsibility and accountability for timely response to client queries, requests or needs, working to remove obstacles that may impede execution or overall success.

•  Strong passion in sustainable economic development.

•  Exceptional attention to detail.

•  Strong research and quantitative skills.

•  Strong computer skills to develop user-friendly/punchy analyses/presentations (word, excel, and powerpoint).

 

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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