Operations Officer

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Description

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Description

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 has embarked on an ambitious new growth strategy to stimulate more investment activity, especially in Low Income Countries (LICs) and Fragile and Conflict affected Situations (FCS). This strategy calls for generating our own opportunities by proactively working “Upstream” to create, deepen, and expand markets and to imagine, design and implement investment projects. It requires taking a systematic approach to understanding the regulatory and sector bottlenecks that prevent the flow of private capital into productive investment in our member countries and addressing these bottlenecks through World Bank Group engagement on policy reforms and programmatic interventions at the country and sector level. It also requires capacity to leverage WBG programs and projects to develop our own proactive sector interventions and to imagine and design projects even in the absence of reforms.
• The Financial Institutions Group (FIG) is one of the major industry groups at IFC, responsible for managing roughly 40% of IFC’s overall business in terms of volume and capital at risk.  FIG engages in a wide range of sub-sectors including Microfinance, SME, Gender, Climate, Insurance, Capital Markets, Housing, Distressed Assets, and other areas, with both investment and advisory services delivered to IFC’s clients through IFC’s global network.
• Climate Business is a strategic priority of IFC and the WBG. IFC has developed an ambitious climate action plan to reach a climate investment target of 35% of IFC’s entire investment portfolio by 2025. FIG is a major driver for IFC’s climate business.  Working with client financial intermediaries, including banks, leasing companies, and non-bank financial intermediaries that combine client finance in the marketing and delivery of climate-related services, FIG leverages its advisory and investment resources to scale climate investment. 
• The FIG Upstream Advisory Unit in Europe seeks to create opportunities for new private sector led investments in the region by developing a pipeline of investment-ready opportunities made possible using distinct tools and interventions, including investment structuring, advisory and policy reform. The objective of the unit will be to enhance the next generation of FIG investments across priority sectors in the region. 
• FIG in the Europe region intends to launch an Agri-finance program in the Western Balkans to support the development and modernization of the agricultural sector, through the improvement of access to finance to small and medium sized producers. The program includes such activities as linking farmers to markets; facilitating agri-food value chains; improving access to rural finance; and adopting technology innovations in agriculture.
• FIG Europe Advisory/Upstream Services is recruiting an Operations Officer to lead this Agrifinance program in the Western Balkans. 

Duties and Accountabilities

• The OO will be responsible for the overall program management of the Advisory Services provided under this Program.
• Provide expertise needed and help FIG team in overall program design and implementation and technical assistance to financial institutions.    
• Program coordinator for country specific project implementation
• Responsible for day-today project management in the countries of coverage
• Evaluate interests of key private and public sector players and engage with relevant partners.
• Business development support /client liaison in in the countries of coverage 
• Share best practices and experience relevant to the development of program and participate in consultations with key internal and external clients.
• Provide recommendation to the Program team to determine the scope of required resources and mobilize them from within/outside the IFC/Bank. 
• Coordinate the work of engaged specialists and ensure timely completion of the Project in a cost-effective manner. 
• In coordination with the relevant teams interact and coordinate activities 
• Provide guidance and advice to the project team to set the project schedule and to coordinate the planning, design and implementation processes, organizing inputs on all aspects of the project. 
• Monitor the progress and impact of the Program through regular project reporting. 

Selection Criteria

• 6 years’ experience in banking and/or in management consulting to financial institutions in emerging markets, including agrifinance; Advance degree (M.Sc.) in Banking or Finance, or related field
• Thorough understanding of the financial and agriculture sectors preferably in the Western Balkans, including lending products, services and business models, as well as related best practices;
• Solid understanding of the trends in digital financial services considering different players: incumbents (banks, MFIs) and innovators (Fintechs, telcos, tech firms, or any other company offering financial services); 
• Experience in the design and delivery of technical assistance programs for agriculture producers and financial institutions;
• Experience in project and/or program development and management client facing advisory projects, producing sector level studies, and hands-on advisory programs, preferably in the Western Balkans and Europe and Central Asia; 
• Knowledge of IFC’s FIG advisory and investment services in agribusiness sector and financial institutions is a plus;
• Strong links with the IFC FIG investment and advisory teams as well as with the World bank team;
• Demonstrated ability to work independently on complex access to finance issues, and to coordinate multiple client relationships simultaneously;
• Strong sales and client relationship management skills, including the ability to develop and maintain mutually beneficial stakeholder relationships and ensure timely and appropriate follow-up;
• Highly motivated, energetic, team player with excellent interpersonal skills and client service skills with the ability to multi-task, deal with conflicting priorities and deliver high quality work on schedule; 
• Ability to communicate ideas clearly and confidently, and credibly represent IFC with clients and stakeholders, including at the senior executive level;
• Fluency in English and Serbian; Excellent writing, presentation, and communications skills; and local language. 
• Willingness to travel around the Western Balkan region.

Source: https://worldbankgroup.csod.com/ats/careersite/JobDetails.aspx?id=29215&site=1

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