Financial Sector Specialist – GF

Description

Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? Working at the World Bank Group provides a unique opportunity for you to help our clients solve their greatest development challenges. The World Bank Group is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries; a unique global partnership of five institutions dedicated to ending extreme poverty, increasing shared prosperity, and promoting sustainable development. With 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide, we work with public and private sector partners, investing in groundbreaking projects and using data, research, and technology to develop solutions to the most urgent global challenges. Visit www.worldbank.org.

East Asia and the Pacific (EAP) Region EAP is a large and diverse region, ranging from Small Island States of the Pacific to the Philippines and China! Despite substantial economic growth and poverty reduction, the EAP region faces huge development challenges. Growth has been uneven across and within countries, institutions still need strengthening, and most countries are heavily affected by climate change. The Bank plays a meaningful role on global public goods, including climate, biodiversity, water pollution, and health. The COVID pandemic, and more recently food and energy price increases are compounding the impact of the global economic slowdown. The World Bank Group is seen as a premier development institution in the Region, with a leadership role on analytical and advisory services as well as financing. East Asia and the Pacific Region:

https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/eap  

The Role of the Global Practice for Finance, Competitiveness, and Innovation (FCI) in the WBG. The World Bank Group’s Finance, Competitiveness, and Innovation Global Practice (FCI) combines expertise in the financial sector with expertise in private sector development to foster private sector led growth and help build markets in client countries. FCI is an integrated World Bank and IFC Global Practice promoting inclusive and sustainable growth in a transforming world through finance and private sector solutions. FCI delivers tailored development solutions to countries and the global community at large, working with public and private sector clients. FCI structures and implements comprehensive financial sector and private sector solutions that bring together World Bank knowledge, financial products (loans, credits, guarantees, and risk-management products), convening services, and IFC advisory services. FCI comprises more than 700 staff working across more than 120 countries, covering all regions: Africa, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, East Asia and Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, Middle East and North Africa, and South Asia. The menu of solutions that FCI offers through its lending and advisory services is consistently evolving along with changes in the financial sector. It encompasses diverse areas such as financial stability and integrity, climate and risk management, credit bureaus, movable collateral, secured transactions, capital markets, infrastructure finance, housing finance, agriculture finance, financial inclusion, and digital financial services. The World Bank also seeks to meet demand for just-in-time expertise and to serve as a knowledge broker across all regions. 

The EAP FCI team designs and implements a growing portfolio of innovative lending operations, as well as ground-breaking advisory services and high-quality analytical work. This is designed to support policymakers in a broad range of issues related to financial sector development, strengthening competitiveness, and supporting innovation and productivity growth. EAP houses 3 important donor funded hubs in Korea, Malaysia, and Singapore to leverage partner resources to support both regional and global priorities/engagements.

The EAP FCI team (EEAF2) is looking for a Financial Sector Specialist to better support its engagements in the area of financial sector development and strengthen its ability to build new partnerships and leverage them to enhance operational support and knowledge sharing in the region and beyond. This role reports to the EEAF2 Practice Manager based in Bangkok. 

 

Duties and accountabilities

The incumbent will primarily focus on operational and analytical support to deliver EAP FCI work program. Ideally, the selected candidate will be familiar with World Bank operational work and have the technical breadth to contribute to the knowledge generation and policy dialogue on a broad array of financial sector sub themes! These particularly relate to financial sector stability, integrity and resilience, financial inclusion, digital finance, long-term finance, disaster risk finance, climate and sustainable finance. The Financial Sector Specialist will have demonstrated prior experience interacting with high-level officials in government, the donor community, and the private sector.
 

As a member of the EAP FCI team, the incumbent will contribute to the FCI program working closely with the CMU team of the Philippines Office as well as FCI Bank colleagues, other GPs and IFC.

Specifically, the candidate will be expected to:

• Jointly, with the Country Team Coordinators (CTCs), be responsible for managing relationships with clients including the Central Bank of Philippines, Securities and Exchange Commission, Insurance Commission, and Department of Finance to ensure effective follow-up and timely delivery of high-quality outputs under the Philippines financial sector program.
• Support the preparation and implementation of ongoing/new FCI financing/lending projects and advisory services and analytics (ASAs) programs with EAP client countries; contribute to developing new work programs and projects (financing and ASAs) to meet country needs in line with client and GP priorities.
• Work in close collaboration with the WBG experts of FCI, Philippines Office colleagues and other relevant WBG team to lead and/or contribute to unit’s, EFI and Philippines Office work program which may include knowledge products development, technical advice, technical conference/events and other contributions.
• Contribute to a variety of written products and communications, including components of major reports (Briefs, Analytical Notes, Back to Office Reports, Aide Memoires, Project Concept Notes, and Project Documents), as well as other technical working papers for wider circulation. These may be delivered as stand-alone or as inputs to larger World Bank Group products such as global or regional flagship publications, other regional studies, country reports including Systematic Country Diagnostics and Country Partnership Frameworks, and sector strategies.
• Support the FCI team in engaging actively with development partners to raise funds to strengthen FCI ability to respond to client demand.
• Support the FCI practice with the CMU and be an active member of the Country team.

 

Selection Criteria

This position requires a highly qualified professional with strong operational skills and wide-ranging experience in the financial sector. They will have demonstrated an ability to manage competing demands, have good judgment and communication skills to effectively to deliver results on the ground.

• An advanced degree (Master/PhD) in finance, economics, law or related field.
• Minimum 5 years of relevant professional experience in economics, finance, public policy, technology policy, business administration, and international development or a closely related field
• Technical skills in at least one of the financial sector development areas mentioned above, as evidenced through reports and other outputs.
• Exposure (directly or indirectly) to World Bank (or other multilateral organization) operations, such as development policy operations and investment project financing.
• Experience in conducting policy dialogue with(in) government and in working and forging partnerships with a diverse group of partners (governments, research community, donor community, and regional organizations).
• Proven ability to work in a multi-disciplinary environment with excellent teamwork and diplomatic skills. Willingness to travel frequently, including participating in-the-field missions, sometimes as part of multi-disciplinary mission teams.
• Excellent communication skills in English, including articulating ideas verbally and in writing in a clear and compelling way across audiences of varied levels.
• Strong interpersonal skills to manage relationship with financial sector authorities and sensitivity in dealing with authorities and regulators.
• Willingness to travel internationally to work with World Bank country clients and collaborate with World Bank global experts.
• Passion for promoting development solutions and ability to link finance and development

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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