Operations Officer

IFC—a member of the World Bank Group (WBG)—is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets and the world’s largest multilateral source of loan and equity financing and advisory services for private sector in the developing world. 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 $43.7 billion to private companies and financial institutions in developing countries, leveraging the power of the private sector to create a world free of poverty on a livable planet as economies grapple with the impacts of global compounding crises. Working with 2,000 businesses worldwide, IFC draws on more than six decades of experience to create opportunities and solutions where they are needed most.

The Financial Institutions Group (FIG), one of IFC’s largest industry departments, is responsible for a significant portion of IFC’s business volume, profitability and development reach. FIG has three main objectives: 1) financial inclusion 2) servicing the real economy and 3) mobilizing third-party resources. To achieve these objectives, FIG invests in numerous financial subsectors and strengthens financial institutions across the region through Advisory Services (AS). The FIG AS program Africa is closely coordinated with investment operations and Upstream and helps banks across the region to build or improve their operations across several focus areas: Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (including Gender Finance and Non-Financial Services); Digital Financial Services; Risk Management; Microfinance; Agri-finance; and Climate & Sustainable Finance.   

FIG Advisory Services in North, West and Central Africa is seeking to recruit a highly-motivated Operations Officer with technical experience and a demonstrated interest in development finance to support its advisory engagements in the region. The position will be based in Dakar.

Responsibilities

• The Operations Officer will be responsible for the origination and management of climate finance advisory engagements in North, West and Central Africa regions. He/she should be capable of delivering substantial and measurable results related to Climate Finance/Climate Risks. He/she will also support the knowledge and learning agenda for financial institutions in partnership with other practice groups such as Risk Management.
• The Operations Officer should have extensive experience working in financial institutions, climate finance and risk management in emerging markets acquired in a Bank or in a consulting firm and be familiar with designing, implementing and managing financial institutions advisory programs.
• The Operations Officer would play an instrumental role in helping FIG Upstream Advisory deliver its targets, especially those related to signing new projects, client cash fees committed, effective project delivery and management and contributing to the FIG Upstream Advisory team’s knowledge management initiatives.

Specific roles and responsibilities include:

• Engagement Management : Support Senior Staff in overseeing and delivering a broad range of strategic advisory engagements in the areas mentioned above.  Tasks may include assistance in identifying and selecting short-term consultants/ firms when consultants are sub-contracted on specific components of the advisory mandates and collaborating with them to deliver high impact client engagements. Monitor project KPI, budget and development impact and produce internal documentation including drafting project concept notes, agreements, donor reports and updating of the internal systems. Monitor and review project implementation, scope of work, deliverables and resources deployed, to ensure project qualitative and quantitative milestones are achieved, and corrective actions taken when necessary. Meet with clients on a regular basis to assess project progress; continually anticipate and respond to client needs to ensure client satisfaction
• Business Development : Support business development efforts with banks and NBFIs in the region to generate high value/high impact advisory engagements, in close coordination with the project teams. Maintain an understanding of overall Bank industry trends, actors and opportunities in the region. Develop client discussion documents and proposals. Participate in discussions between IFC and prospective clients’ senior management teams to identify and develop advisory services opportunities. Where relevant, manage client relations through open and regular communications to assess satisfaction and anticipate and respond to client needs
• Knowledge management : Actively contribute to knowledge management of IFC’s Advisory activities, including capture, development and dissemination of information and knowledge, best practices, solutions and project delivery tools in area of expertise
• Thought Leadership : Support thought leadership through contribution to research, articles, assisting in conducting conferences and other knowledge management events, including speaking engagements, training activities that demonstrate FIG’s thought leadership in area of expertise

Selection Criteria

• Masters degree in finance, business, marketing, economics, climate or international development will be required.
• Minimum of 10 years experience working in high performing banks and/or consulting services.
• Experience in climate finance and climate risk projects for financial institutions
• Experience selling, designing and managing at least 3 – 4 successful advisory programs in the region, gained in a bank or with a leading consultancy firm.
• Strong familiarity with international best practices and global trends in the banking industry in the region.
• Strong familiarity with regional trends on climate finance in Africa and knowledge of the key countries/markets in the region.
• Experience working in at least 2 – 3 countries across regions is a plus.
• Ability to communicate ideas clearly and confidently, and credibly represent IFC with clients and stakeholders, including at the senior management level.
• Strong organizational skills with an ability to work under time pressure, in unstructured situations and in case of unexpected events and agility to respond to shifts in client priorities while ensuring delivery.
• Ability to implement innovative solutions and challenge the status quo to build the business.
• Strong leadership skills, a team builder with an ability to lead projects.
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills in French and English.
• Ability to speak in Arabic is a plus.
• Willingness and ability to travel extensively and work across time zones.
• Good team-focused attitude, strong sense of accountability and capacity to work effectively in a multi-disciplinary environment and work independently within tight deadlines

Source: https://worldbankgroup.csod.com/ats/careersite/JobDetails.aspx?id=27808&site=1