Investment Officer - req31062

Investment Officer

Job #: req31062

Organization: IFC

Sector: Investment

Grade: GG

Term Duration: 3 years 0 months

Recruitment Type: International Recruitment

Location: Karachi,Pakistan

Required Language(s): English

Preferred Language(s): Urdu

Closing Date: 1/21/2025 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC

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.

The IFC 3.0 strategy aims to stimulate more investment activity across emerging markets, especially in Low Income Countries (LICs) and Fragile and Conflict affected States (FCS). This strategy aims to create new opportunities for private investments in riskier markets and sectors by proactively working “upstream” to create, deepen, and expand markets and design and develop potential investment projects. Achieving these growth and impact ambitions at scale requires a different approach to business development, deal sourcing, and client support that relies on 1) a broader product offering to engage earlier in the project cycle and secure opportunities; 2) a greater focus on preparing clients in nascent markets and sectors for investment; 3) a greater focus on value addition and risk management of portfolio investment clients to enhance their performance; and 4) a longer time horizon and a more patient, longer-term perspective.

To support this approach, IFC is seeking an Upstream Investment Officer to join the Manufacturing, Agribusiness and Services (MAS) department in the IFC Office in Karachi, Pakistan. The Upstream Investment Officer will be responsible for sourcing and executing projects in the MAS sectors, enhancing investment outcomes, and improve investment conditions in the MAS sectors across MCT.

In this role, the Upstream Investment officer will work closely with Country, Regional, Investment, Upstream & Advisory teams across the institution to support IFC’s strategic and business objectives.

Roles And Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and convene suitable teams/functions across the WBG to implement high-quality Upstream initiatives and interventions, engaging suitable external stakeholders to convert Upstream efforts into new investment opportunities.
• Manage human and financial resources efficiently across initiatives for optimal impact.
• Disseminates knowledge across teams based on both successful and pruned initiatives.
• Analyze client, sector, and market data to design potential solutions to create and unlock markets or improve sector and firm performance and develop a pipeline of bankable projects.
• Conduct sector-specific data analysis and stress testing of various operating models to help generate ideas for new projects, new products, and platform businesses.
• Design analytical approaches to generate and test new ideas for market or project opportunity creation and feasibility, as well as new products and platform approaches.
• Develop feasibility studies and implementation plans for Upstream projects that lead to IFC investments.
• Design and implement scalable solutions and platforms that can be replicated across markets
• Manage project budget preparation, approval processes, and financial management (i.e., administering and managing trust funds and related activities and ensuring that all disbursement documentation is properly prepared and recorded).
• Oversee analysis of timelines, milestones, resource use (time/budget), and progress for efficient oversight and project management of Upstream projects.
• Determine scope of work and budgets for external consultants.
• Supervise selection and contracting process.
• Review and approve deliverables and payments to consultants and supervise contracts (e.g., timely extensions, modifications, closings).
• Generate ideas about new investment opportunities, new products, and platform businesses by leveraging sector-specific data analysis, stress-testing various operating models, having dialogues with stakeholders, and sharing information across the WBG.
• Help prioritize Upstream programs and ensure identified early-stage project development engagement activities are properly staffed.
• Conduct research to shape ongoing and future offerings in thematic areas and develop new tools and guidance to incorporate internal and external best practices.
• Lead client meetings, share industry best practices, and engage with client management to troubleshoot project issues.
• Collaborate with stakeholders and form partnerships with staff across IFC and the World Bank Group, as well as sponsors, clients, and other external parties, to enable the delivery of Upstream projects and programs.
• Oversee diagnostic engagements to identify client needs as the basis for developing a proposal or client recommendations and preparing necessary project documents for moderately complex projects. Engage with peers, including industry, sector, product, and ES&G specialists, as well as legal, M&E, and finance staff, to integrate feedback on proposed projects to improve concept and project approvability.
• Lead steering committees and implementation of moderately complex projects that include ensuring reporting requirements are met.
• Oversee or supervise assigned staff and consultants.
• Spot game-changing trends, technologies, and business models that can bring solutions to emerging markets.
• Partner with sister organizations in the WBG and others to provide input when developing sector-specific development strategies, from diagnostic to implementation stages.
• Selectively process investment transactions to further learn about new business procedures, eligibility criteria, and structuring and processing challenges.
  
  

Selection Criteria

• Master's degree in a related field and 8+ years of relevant experience. Related fields of education include business, finance, or economics or an area of expertise specific to a sector, subject matter, or industry specialty.
• Relevant experience could include a proven track record in business consulting or investment banking or operational experience in the sector or technical or professional field.
• Good understanding of MAS sectors, industry drivers, latest trends and changes, and standard market transaction arrangements; especially in MCT.
• Capacity to understand, enable, and participate in market creation opportunities for multiple countries by demonstrating long-term perspective, open-mindedness, persistence, innovation, and ability to leverage all available tools (including de-risking tools); good understanding of the roles and value-add of IFC and WBG in new markets.
• Ability to build long-term engagement with clients and credibility by demonstrating knowledge of their business, sector, and culture and maintaining an ongoing dialogue on their business needs, operations, and strategies as well as opportunities for strategically aligned business deals.
• IFC/WBG: Ability to interact effectively with working-level WBG staff and participate in collaborative interventions and projects that enable private sector investment by exercising sensitivity to differences in corporate cultures, priorities, and operating practices and requirements.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Ability to describe complex issues, approaches, and lessons in a relevant and understandable manner to clients and stakeholders.
• Ensure final products are aligned with the needs and expectations of intended audiences.
• Able to clearly articulate IFC’s requirements and value proposition in a way relevant to and understandable by clients and stakeholders.
• Ability to guide, advise, mentor, and coach junior staff and peers to develop and broaden their scope of skills, including providing on-the-job learning opportunities. Critical for FCS and other challenging markets.
• Demonstrated in-depth understanding of and ability to apply project management and M&E concepts, including theory of change. Able to translate project objectives into output and outcome indicators to monitor performance and measure success.
• Able to effectively monitor the work of consultants to ensure appropriate methodologies and techniques are used and progress remains within budget and set time frames. Determine when additional expertise or resources are needed and when to intervene to resolve problems.
• Able to design research and analytical projects or major portions of complex projects to credibly produce a new understanding of a thematic issue or potential opportunities to unlock new markets or new streams of business.
• Sufficient understanding of the sector, market factors, and best practices to converse with clients.
• Understanding of IFC and WBG products and instruments and where there are opportunities for cross-organizational collaboration. In-depth understanding of IFC ES&G standards to ensure they are met in project proposals and implementation.
• In-depth conceptual and solution design skills based on significant operational experience, including outside of IFC, in assessing business operations, formulating recommendations for improving performance, and successfully implementing those recommendations.
• Demonstrated thematic knowledge and leadership based on significant high-level operational experience in thematic areas in public or private sector organizations.
• A good knowledge of IFC Investment processes and a track record of commitment will be considered a plus.
• Excellent written, verbal communication, presentation abilities, and interpersonal skills plus fluency in English is required, Urdu is preferred and fluency in another MCT language would be an added advantage.
• Willingness to travel extensively
  
  

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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