Associate Operations Officer
Niamey, Niger
JOB DETAIL
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. For more information, visit www.ifc.org
The WBG estimates that by 2030, half the world’s extreme poor will live in countries characterized by fragility, conflict, and violence. In these settings, the private sector can help transform livelihoods by creating jobs, providing goods and services, generating tax revenues, and rebuilding infrastructure. Fragile economies demand innovative approaches that go beyond country, regional, or sectoral strategies.
In recognition of this, IFC has identified supporting stability and growth in fragile and conflict-affected situations as a top priority, pledging that 40 percent of its annual commitments will be in International Development Association-eligible (IDA) and Fragile and Conflict-affected Situations (FCS) countries by 2030.
IFC’s Fragile and Conflict-affected Situations (FCS) Africa program is an advisory team, based in Nairobi, dedicated to piloting innovative tools to enable IFC to scale up its engagement (investment and advisory services) in and across all fragile countries in Africa. The team helps IFC to deliver on its FCS commitments under the World Bank Group’s Fragility, Conflict, and Violence (FCV) Strategy, and the 2018 Capital Increase Package.
The FCS Africa team is delivering in three thematic areas: (1) engagement with the domestic private sector; (2) developing approaches for economic inclusion in settings with forcibly displaced people (FDP); and (3) delivering on conflict sensitivity by developing tools, piloting projects and integrating conflict sensitivity into projects in the region; and also has responsibility for building and sharing knowledge on private sector development in fragile situations in Africa.
In order to increase the presence on the ground in key markets, the FCS Africa team is seeking a highly motivated Associate Operations Officer to lead the fragility focused activities in Niger. This position will be based in Niamey, Niger and will report to the FCS Africa Regional Lead for West Africa.
Duties and Accountabilities
• Coordinate all the FCS Africa engagements in Niger and as required, contribute to activities for other FCS countries in the region.
• Work closely with the Country Management Unit (CMU) and FCS thematic leads on key priorities for delivery on the three FCS themes.
• Build strong relationships with the Upstream, Investment and Advisory teams
by supporting the development of projects with the domestic private sector in FCS. Key areas of support include the collection of first-hand market intelligence on local corporates; the systematic capture of operational lessons to inform the development of knowledge products that benefit investment and advisory projects in FCS in West Africa; early-stage business development with the domestic private sector for the CMU; screening; Integrity Due Diligence and concept note development where appropriate.
• Leverage the Local Champions toolkit and approach and also pilot new approaches/partnerships for delivering on business development.
• Support IFC regional and industry teams in identifying opportunities and piloting initiatives and approaches in FDP settings by leading diagnostics and scoping missions, developing knowledge products, implementing projects, convening IFC teams and raising awareness externally around innovative FDP projects.
• Support the pre-investment engagements and investment transactions incorporating lessons learned from IFC experience in previous investments and pre-investments, portfolio management or advisory mandates. Deliver all transactions and accountabilities of the role efficiently, on a timely and expeditious basis and using best practice standards.
• Support the execution of investment projects as appropriate, coordinating with internal and external stakeholders, overseeing the technical as well as strategic aspects of the project.
• Identify opportunities to develop and pilot tools and approaches specific to FCS markets in conjunction with industry and regional teams. Take the lead in developing opportunities to pilot these approaches to support delivery in FCS.
• Develop and maintain relationships with external stakeholders, including organizations working on forced displacement like the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), International Organization for Migration (IOM), World Food Program (WFO), private companies, NGOs, financial institutions, and the World Bank.
• Support the delivery of conflict sensitivity approaches in operational projects, strategic WBG documents (e.g. Risk and Resilience Assessments, Country Private Sector Diagnostics) and screening/analytics. Coordinate incorporation of fragility lens in projects and programs implemented with the World Bank Fragility, Conflict and Violence (FCV) team and the Africa Fragility Initiative (AFI) fragility coordinator to develop a common approach to conflict sensitivity.
• Identify and screen advisory projects that may require AFI funding and work closely with the advisory teams to identify areas for inclusion of fragility expertise.
• Deliver on knowledge leadership products and events related to FCS projects. Convene industry and country teams to develop lessons learned and drive new FCS tools and approaches.
Core Competencies
Technical experience and expertise
• Demonstrated thematic knowledge on private sector development in FCS and a solid operational experience in FCS markets in Africa including refugee and/or conflict affected settings.
• Knowledge of/a record of working in impact investing will be an advantage.
• Familiarity with/Understanding of regulatory and economic inclusion challenges for refugees and other categories of forcibly displaced is an advantage.
Business Development and Market Creation
• Ability to analyze client, sector, and market data to design potential FCS solutions to create and unlock markets or improve sector and firm performance and develop pipeline of bankable projects.
• Potential to engage with country offices to identify target clients in the domestic private sector. Support the roll out of the Local Champions approach.
• Demonstrate a broad understanding of sectors and industry drivers, latest trends and changes in FCS markets; show capacity to understand, enable, and participate in business development opportunities for multiple countries by demonstrating long-term perspective, open-mindedness.
• Demonstrate persistence, innovation, and ability to leverage all available FCS tools; show a good understanding of the roles and value-add of IFC and WBG in new markets.
Project Support and Delivery
• Some experience in conducting scoping and diagnostic engagements to identify potential needs of domestic private sector clients in FCS countries as the basis for developing a proposal or client recommendations and preparing necessary project documents for moderately complex projects.
Relationships
• Demonstrate ability to lead client meetings, share industry best practices, and engage with client management to troubleshoot project issues.
• Demonstrate skills in managing relationships with stakeholders internally and externally as well as development partners to understand their interests and build support for client engagement work.
Working with WB
• Show 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.
Selection Criteria
• Masters degree in a relevant field.
• At least 5 years of relevant experience working in a challenging business environment. Experience working in/on fragile, or conflict affected countries including refugee situations will be a distinct advantage.
• Self-starter, mature and flexible personality; able to work in a multicultural, fast-paced team environment.
• A team player with outstanding people skills, ability to work with colleagues from different teams who are not reporting to him/her and achieve outstanding results while meeting tight deadline and maintaining strong client service orientation.
• Strong analytical and presentation skills working with data using standard office software Excel, Word, PowerPoint.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English and French.
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.
Learn more about working at the World Bank and IFC, including our values and inspiring stories.
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