Operations Officer

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. 

• 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.
• In order to increase the presence on the ground in key markets, the FCS Africa team is seeking a highly motivated Operations Officer to support scaling up conflict sensitivity approaches. This position will report day-to-day to the FCS Africa Thematic Lead for Conflict Sensitivity, and will be based in Ouagadougou Burkina Faso or Bamako,Mali.

The Operations Officer will work closely with the Conflict Sensitivity Thematic Lead and the CMUs and will be responsible for:

Product level research and development:

• Support the integration of conflict and fragility lens for private sector into core diagnostics, strategy and analysis, and targeted advisory and investment project design, due diligence and monitoring.
• Support and pilot client conflict sensitivity support and tools to targeted projects in FCS markets.
• Help develop conflict sensitivity screening tools for projects in collaboration with other WBG teams, such as IFC Environmental, Social and Governance teams and the WB FCV teams in the area of Risk and Resilience Assessments.

Staff enrichment:

• Contribute to development of lessons learned on conflict sensitivity approaches, tools and fragility lens application for internal WBG audiences.
• Contribute to training and capacity building on conflict sensitivity for internal audiences.
• Thought leadership with partners.
• Help develop of common approaches, tools and learning with DFIs and partners on conflict sensitivity.
• Contribute to internal and external knowledge products.
• Input to external guidance and learning to inform private sector fragility lens application and good industry practice in collaboration with other WBG teams and external partners.
• Support to broader FCS Africa and FCV Reporting and knowledge sharing.

Core Competencies 

• Demonstrated thematic knowledge and leadership of conflict sensitivity concepts and application to DFI private sector investments in FCS.
• Familiarity with quantitative data for conflict analysis and contextual risk indices, with a key attention to detail. Knowledge of social sciences research methods and ability to produce high quality analysis using credible qualitative and quantitative data sources.
• Operational experience in implementing conflict sensitivity practices and project-based approaches.
• Understanding of IFC and WBG products and approaches to conflict sensitivity (dashboards, analytical tools, operational approaches)
• Ability to support design and implementation efforts for clients that reflect in-depth knowledge of conflict sensitivity and understanding of how to develop a business case to the client.
• Ability to support research and analytical projects to credibly produce new understanding of conflict sensitivity or potential opportunities to unlock client facing work.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with E&S teams and country and regional teams in the design of client solutions that have sustainable impact and incorporate lessons learned.

Selection Criteria

• Master’s Degree in a related field or area of expertise specific to a sector, subject matter, or industry specialty.
• Minimum of five (5) years’ experience in data analysis, social sciences research, and project operations, including ability to undertake complex research on country and conflict risks and applying those to projects on the ground.
• Experience working with Development Finance Institutions, with a good understanding of IFC Performance Standards and business requirements is preferred.
• Experience in analyzing contextual risk, fragility and conflict trends in FCS markets and translating this for private sector audiences, particularly in African countries.
• Fluent in English and French.
• Excellent knowledge of Word, PPT, Excel and ability to manage data-oriented dashboards.

Source: https://worldbankgroup.csod.com/ats/careersite/JobDetails.aspx?id=28786&site=1