Senior Operations Officer – FIAS Program Representative

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’s Economics & Private Sector Development Vice Presidency ensures a consistent focus on development results and impact across IFC’s operations. Our team provides independent economic analysis to all of IFC’s operations and leads blended finance programming and partnership development. The Vice Presidency supports the implementation of IFC’s business strategy for effective delivery of our programs to clients and partners, in close collaboration with relevant counterparts across the World Bank Group.
• The Partnerships and Fundraising (CBFPF) unit within IFC’s Economics & Private Sector Development Vice Presidency supports IFC operations by fundraising for IFC priority areas and maintaining ongoing relationships with development partners, including bilateral and multilateral sovereign partners, foundations, and private philanthropies. In addition to directly engaging with partners to support IFC activities, CBFPF facilitates partnership development across IFC and advises all IFC operational units on establishing and maintaining meaningful partnerships that help further IFC’s strategic objectives.

About FIAS

• The Facility for Investment Climate Advisory Services (FIAS; see: www.thefias.info) supports projects and programs implemented by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) that aim to develop dynamic and resilient economies that promote economic inclusion through investment, innovation, job creation, and higher productivity. Efforts to increase the competitiveness of developing country economies support their increased participation in international markets, produce better jobs, and contribute to the World Bank Group’s mission of ending extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity on a livable planet. It also supports the IFC 3.0 Creating Markets Upstream strategy.
• FIAS started in FY12 and is one of IFC’s longest-running advisory/upstream facilities. It is currently operating under its third five-year strategic cycle.
• FIAS has received commitments from 13 Development Partners, including Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, the European Union, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States.
• The role requires a mix of strong leadership, program management, and technical skills related to sector upstream and investment climate reform work. The Senior Operations Officer has a proven track record of achieving development outcomes in low- and middle-income countries and has recognized expertise in designing and implementing private sector and investment climate reform work. The Senior Operations Officer is expected to possess the capacity to engage effectively with senior technical staff from both the IFC and IBRD on a broad range of investment climate policy issues and sector reform work. The person will also be expected to communicate effectively with development partners and has excellent people management skills.

Duties & Accountabilities

• The Senior Operations Officer will report to the Principal Operations Officer, Team Lead Western Sovereign Partners. He/she will be accountable for designing and delivering the new FY27-31 FIAS strategy and managing the day-to-day FIAS operations, including coordinating with development partners not only for the new strategy but also for the current strategy cycle that lasts until the end of FY26.
• Ensure rigorous monitoring of projects over a multi-year timeframe and periodic evaluation of the impact of FIAS-funded projects, including by systematically tracking key project-level indicators.
• Oversee and monitor all targets, including spending, results, and impact (in coordination with the M&E team), ensuring that all obligations under the Trust Fund agreements are met.
• Maintain strong systems of internal financial and operational controls and conduct effective financial and operational management and oversight to ensure compliance with IFC Trust Fund policies.
• Coordinate the budgets and donor reporting in collaboration with IFC’s Advisory Portfolio, Trust Funds, Partnerships, and Finance teams.
• Prepare periodic reports to IFC Management on the program’s operational and financial progress and achievements.
• Determine funding needs in coordination with IFC operations and the Advisory/Upstream Secretariat and participate in the implementation of an annual fundraising strategy, which will be led by IFC Partnerships & Fundraising.
• Work closely with IFC Partnerships & Fundraising, which manages development partner relations, to liaise with existing development partners and coordinate development partners and external events.

Selection Criteria

• Passion for the WBG mission.
• Master’s degree in a relevant field; typically, the successful candidate will have at least 8 to 12 years of experience in positions of increasing complexity and responsibility.
• Extensive experience in designing, implementing, and supervising investment climate advisory and sector upstream projects with a demonstrated track record of achieving sustainable results and enhancing outcomes, especially in low and middle-income countries.
• Strong understanding of IFC operations, experience with IFC Advisory and Upstream services, and Trust Fund operations.
• Demonstrated in-depth experience working across practice and disciplinary boundaries, and with multiple stakeholders – both public and private – in building collaborative alliances for results.
• Demonstrated strong client focus that balances a responsive and proactive approach to meeting the needs of FIAS’ internal and external clients.
• Excellent leadership and people management skills, including relevant experience in mentoring and providing technical guidance to staff to deliver high-quality advisory services.
• Proven experience in working with international organizations, bilateral donors, and international financial institutions.
• Fluency in English required.
• Ability and willingness to travel.

Source: https://worldbankgroup.csod.com/ats/careersite/JobDetails.aspx?id=29463&site=1