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 in developing countries. In fiscal year 2023, IFC committed a record US$43.7 billion to private companies and financial institutions in developing countries, leveraging the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity as economies grapple with the impacts of global compounding crises. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.

IFC has embarked on an ambitious new growth strategy (IFC 3.0) to stimulate more investment activity in frontier markets. 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.

At the same time, IFC has pledged to significantly increase its investments in climate-related projects and to promote digitalization across industries and sectors, to further sustainability and inclusiveness in emerging markets. IFC plans to deliver on these commitments by working with clients to help them develop and implement their own climate and digitalization strategies and projects. Key areas of focus include the promotion of low-carbon solutions, including renewable energy, green buildings, circularity, and resource efficiency, and increased use of technology and artificial intelligence.

The Financial Institution Group (FIG) is one of the industry groups at IFC responsible for managing roughly 40% of IFC’s overall business in terms of volume, capital at risk, profitability, and development reach. FIG engages in a wide range of sub-sectors including Microfinance, SME, Gender, Climate, Insurance, Capital Markets, Housing, Distressed Assets, Global Trade Finance, and other areas. FIG provides investment and advisory solutions to hundreds of financial intermediaries in emerging markets to enable them to play a positive role in economic growth. FIG’s advisory services are closely coordinated with investment operations and help banks and Financial Institutions (FIs) to build or improve their operations in several areas, including Sustainability and Climate Finance.

The Sustainable Finance Solutions team, within FIG Advisory Upstream, provides specialized support to guide public and private institutions in aligning their strategies with the areas of financial inclusion, digitization, and climate finance. The scope of projects implemented may include, but it is not limited to, providing support to clients on viable and scalable climate and biodiversity finance operations, workings with incumbents and challenger financial institutions seeking to adopt new financial solutions, adapt channels, and processes, and become more adept in delivering customer-centric financial products and services to foster greater gender finance and financial inclusion of the silver economy, leveraging digital and financial innovation to facilitate the inclusion of vulnerable population,  developing the open finance and data-driven capacities of the financial sector and exploring the barriers to financial inclusion and environmentally sustainable finance.

The Sustainable Finance Team comprises of technical specialists, investment and operations officers and project managers who provide advisory services (AS), Upstream collaboration (UP) and investment services (IS) to financial institutions and is currently looking for a highly motivated Operations Officer to support the team’s sustainable portfolio for financial institutions in Latin-America and the Caribbean (LAC).

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

 The Operations Officer (OO) will be part of a Sustainable finance Solutions team, in the Latin America and the Caribbean in FIG, and will work closely with the Regional Advisory and Upstream Services Lead, with the primary responsibility to provide technical and strategic support to the financial sector, and FIG clients. The primary objective of this role will be to design sustainable finance solutions to engage and provide support to FIG clients and stakeholders, including regulators and policy makers, associations, the banking sector and non-banking financial institutions, among another key financial sector players in LAC. Key activities include working both autonomously and together with the Climate, Financial Inclusion and Digital innovation teams, in the following: 

•  Advice on the creation of sustainable finance market opportunities
•  Identification, analysis and implementation of good practices in AS/UP strategic pillars: environmental, social, governance (ESG), climate and digital aspects for financial institutions.
•  Integration of the different AS/UP strategic pillars’ offering to build an integrated value proposition for financial institutions.
•  Develop high impact/added value pitch Sustainable Finance presentation and proposals to prospective clients.
•  Understanding of and identification of market gaps to comply with international ESG reporting processes (sustainability reports, integrated reports, etc.) and non-financial information audit processes.
•  Leading projects on specific subjects (carbon footprint, green bonds, risk management, materiality analysis, etc.) related to sustainability, coordinating and/or implementing project activities for client’s engagements.
•  Professional training in a team involved in national and international projects.
•  Plan, coordinate, supervise and/or provide technical and administrative support for the required activities and achievement of the LAC Sustainable Finance program work plan and expected results during the project.
•  Actively participate in and support the process of scoping and designing new regional level activities.
•  Represent the projects in terms of relations with governmental and private institutions involved in the projects.
•  Plan, organize and carry out the project-related activities in conjunction with stakeholders and clients.
•  Develop and/or review project proposals, donor reports and project supervision reports.
•  Responsible for project financial management (e.g., projections, expenditures, budget updates, etc.).
•  Ensure adequate staffing to execute projects.
•  Identify appropriate consultants for assignments, from drafting terms of reference to taking part in the evaluation and selection of proposals.
•  Work closely with the Results Measurement team to develop indicators and tools that collect the necessary data for evaluating the impact of the projects.
•  Liaise with donors and the private sector to identify and mobilize additional sources of funding for specific activities.
•  Ensure close and effective collaboration with other IFC departments and across the WBG.
•  Actively contribute to the knowledge management agenda of FIG AS/UP.
•  Prepare presentations and communication materials to disseminate results and accomplishments.

It is anticipated that the Operations Officer will need to frequently travel within the region to implement project activities.

Selection Criteria

As the role requires a knowledge of the sustainability business space as well as knowledge of financial institutions and their operations, the successful candidate should have a combination of educational qualifications and work experience that address these two needs:

•  Master’s degree in engineering, Finance, Business, Environmental Sciences, International Development with a minimum of 6-8 years of experience in sustainable finance including expertise in one or more of the following themes: climate or environmental finance, financial inclusion, digitalization and open banking/data/finance, and/or professional consulting to FIs and Banks in developed and/or emerging markets.
•  Solid experience working in the financial sector, particularly with banks in the LAC region.
•  Strong project design, project management, sales and client relationship management skills, including the ability to develop and maintain mutually beneficial stakeholder relationships and ensure timely and appropriate follow-up.
•  Solid understanding of the trends and barriers in climate and environmental/nature finance, financial inclusion, and digital financial services.
•  Expertise/familiarity with metrics and tools for tracking sustainable finance, including financial inclusion metrics, GHG accounting tools and on the application of Green/Sustainable Taxonomies.
•  Deep understanding of the sustainable finance landscape, globally and in LAC (Green taxonomies, TCFD, PRB, NZBA, GFANZ, ISSB, SASB, GRI, PRI, Responsible Banking Principles etc.).
•  Certifications on climate / sustainable or digital finance (ESG CFA, SCR GARP, Alternative Finance or Fintech Certifications, Agile Methodologies, etc.).
•  Awareness/familiarity with donor and bilateral programs on sustainable finance, including the capacity building and technical advisory initiatives.
•  Familiarity with LAC banking regulations, laws desirable.
•  Highly motivated, energetic, team player with excellent interpersonal skills and client service skills.
•  Experience in managing transformation projects with the financial sector in emerging markets.
•  Ability to communicate ideas clearly and confidently, and credibly represent IFC with clients and stakeholders, including at the senior executive level.
•  Strong organizational skills with an ability to work under time pressure, respond to ad-hoc shifts in client priorities, unstructured situations and unexpected events while maintaining order and delivery.
•  Ability to identify and implement innovative solutions and challenge the status quo to build the business.
•  Strong project management skills and experience.
•  Capacity to innovate and challenge the status quo and experience in new idea generation, business development, and crafting projects/programs from scratch.
•  Strong analytical and critical thinking skills.
•  Excellent written and verbal communications skills in English and Spanish essential. Portuguese is a plus.
•  Willingness and ability to travel and work across time zones.

Deliverables:
The OO will report to the FIG LAC AS/UP Regional Lead and will work in close coordination with the FIG AS/UP team, and will coordinate with the project leader the specific deliverables related to the respective advisory projects.

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.

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