Description
IFC is looking to recruit an Investment Officer for its Africa Infrastructure department. The department is responsible for sourcing, structuring, executing, and supervising pre-investment, investment and portfolio transactions in the core infrastructure sectors (power; transportation and logistics; telecoms, media and technology; utilities, municipal and environmental; and natural resources) across Africa. The position will be based in Accra, Ghana, and the selected candidate will report to the Regional Industry Manager, Central Africa & Anglophone West Africa.
Duties and Accountabilities
• Play a client leadership role for business development across all infrastructure sectors.
• Develop a strong pipeline of good quality early-stage development and investment opportunities, predominantly in the relevant sub-region, by anticipating market trends and employing sector/country knowledge.
• Work closely with IFC country representatives, World Bank, and MIGA colleagues including on developing client, country, regional, and sector strategies, and support related promotion work, including early-stage development and sector / policy advisory work.
• Review and analyze business opportunities, and synthesize information into internal reports and briefings for decision-making purposes.
• Evaluate, structure, negotiate, and close new early-stage development, debt and equity transactions, portfolio restructurings, capital increases, equity sales, etc.
• Develop innovative and appropriate financial structures for complex transactions.
• Lead/participate in negotiation/documentation teams and use strong negotiation skills to develop solutions and overcome impasses in straightforward and complex transactions.
• Coordinate closely with social, environmental, legal, and other support and technical assistance colleagues in structuring transactions, to add value to our clients’ businesses, find pragmatic solutions to project and sector challenges, and achieve sustainable development impact.
• Supervise existing portfolio investments in the Africa region.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, global and regional private businesses, banking and multilateral partners and government officials to further develop infrastructure sectors and to develop specific investment opportunities.
• Lead, manage and participate in project teams; coach and mentor junior staff.
Selection Criteria
• Master’s degree in finance or similar relevant advanced degree.
• 8-10 years of experience with a development finance institution, a commercial bank, an international financial institution or a private equity firm with tasks related to private sector infrastructure financing and development in emerging markets.
• Strong technical and operational skills in, and a proven track record of, originating, developing, structuring and closing private sector investments in infrastructure sectors such as power, transport, municipal or telecom and portfolio supervision of complex projects, ideally including in the Africa region.
• Knowledge of the core infrastructure sectors stipulated above.
• Strong experience in project and/or corporate finance, with equity investment experience a plus.
• Prior experience of working in Africa and good knowledge of sector issues in the region, with experience of living in Africa a plus.
• Ability to interact directly and independently the senior management of clients, financial and technical partners as well as senior government officials.
• Strong track record of portfolio supervision of complex projects.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including verbal and written communication skills in the required languages stipulated above.
• Willingness and ability to travel frequently across Africa.
• Genuine commitment to sustainable development and to IFC’s – and the wider World Bank Group’s – mission, strategy and values.