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 in developing countries. In fiscal year 2023, IFC committed a record US$43.7 billion to private companies and financial institutions in developing countries, leveraging the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity as economies grapple with the impacts of global compounding crises. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.

IFC has embarked on an ambitious new growth strategy (IFC 3.0) to stimulate more investment activity in frontier markets. This strategy calls for generating our own opportunities by proactively working “Upstream” to create, deepen, and expand markets and to imagine, design and implement investment projects. To operationalize the Upstream strategy, IFC has created Regional Upstream Units within each of the Global and Regional Industry Departments (FIG, INR & MAS) to drive the upstream mandate to incubate opportunities, focus resources, and coordinate initiatives across IFC and the WBG to create new markets. Ultimately, it is about creating a new multiyear pipeline of bankable operations / projects.

IFC’s Manufacturing, Agribusiness and Services (MAS) Department covers sectors which cater to basic human needs such as food, shelter, jobs, and health and education. They play a critical role in providing goods and services to consumers, creating jobs, contributing to government revenue, and stimulating growth through small or medium-sized businesses. Through the business it does with its private sector clients, IFC’s priorities in MAS are: (i) increasing productivity and access to goods and services, while protecting the environment, supporting low carbon growth and enhancing resilience to climate change related impacts; (ii) making IFC the preferred financing partner of choice for targeted clients, in part through its world-class industry expertise; (iii) supporting select local companies to grow while improving their transparency, efficiency and sustainable competitiveness; (iv) catalyzing foreign investment, including mobilizing parallel financing; and (v) developing client, sector and country-level solutions that can be scaled and replicated with a special focus on climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Mitigating climate change and helping clients and member countries to adapt to climate change risks and impacts is a strategic pillar of the World Bank Group. Many MAS sectors, particularly sectors in Manufacturing (spanning various verticals including chemicals, fertilizers, plastics, automotive and electrical components, light manufacturing eg. textiles and construction materials e.g. cement, glass, marble) are Greenhouse Gas (GHG) intensive, presenting opportunities for IFC to deliver on its climate commitments and to support low carbon growth. This includes helping clients to achieve their own climate related strategies and commitments and to align MAS’s projects in a manner that also helps countries to meet their Nationally Determined Contributions. Advisory Services in MAS works with clients and their supply chains to help them improve key areas including: carbon and water footprint, circularity, increase efficiency of manufacturing, enhance sustainability and “greening” supply chains, promote practices that contribute to Climate Smart Agriculture, enhance productivity and promote uptake of water / energy / materials efficient practices and technologies that can reduce the GHG and resource footprint of MAS clients.

IFC is seeking an Investment Officer experienced in the development and financing of manufacturing investments to join the Latin America MAS Upstream Unit to focus on the Upstream work in the Manufacturing sector. The successful candidate will also opportunistically support climate and sustainability activities across other MAS verticals including Agribusiness, Health & Educations, Tourism, Retail and Property Sectors as directed. The candidate will operate as a team leader in the origination and execution of proprietary opportunities for private sector investments in the Manufacturing sectors by developing a new multi-year pipeline of bankable transactions that will be created through: (i) early stage project development, (ii) the design and implementation of platforms and programmatic approaches; and (iii) sector and market interventions that will improve investment environment and/or strengthen the case for specific investment by IFC. The Investment Officer will report to the Regional Upstream and Advisory Lead for Manufacturing and coordinate her/his day-to-day activities with the leads of the other verticals on required climate and sustainability activities. S/he would also work across IFC business lines and support policy work and other interventions across the World Bank Group to prioritize various initiatives and to maximize the impact of IFC’s efforts.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Business Responsibility
•  Lead the execution of early-stage opportunities and substantiate their investment thesis considering their potential for scalability and replicability. Determine and implement the appropriate IFC interventions from the Upstream and Advisory toolkits spanning advisory services, project development and pilot investment capabilities. Manage transaction teams and process transaction activities, collaborating closely with relevant climate and investment teams to ensure alignment.
•  Originate, develop and implement business development and idea generation activities to create scalable climate advisory products, market creation initiatives and early-stage project development opportunities.
•  Help spot new trends and business models that further the climate goals of the World Bank and can address development challenges in emerging markets.
•  Support the identification and assessment of impactful and innovative potential investment opportunities based on country and sector strategies and market creation potential.
•  Produce regular reports on the assigned portfolio including supervising progress against project milestones and key performance indicators.
•  Determine the climate impact (GHG emission reduction/avoidance both adaptation and mitigation projects) of investments and advisory projects.
•  Support in research and preparation of notes describing the Paris Alignment of potential investments.
•  Engage with and establish partnerships with internal and external stakeholders, including across the World Bank Group, to foster innovative thinking about creation of new markets to increase development impact in difficult markets in the MAS sectors.
•  Evaluate and provide feedback on proposals for Upstream seed initiatives and Upstream projects.
•  Convene stakeholders, form partnerships and connect expertise from various Upstream, investment and advisory staff, the Bank GPs, and external parties to enable delivery of upstream projects and initiatives in the MAS sectors.  

Knowledge capture and management
•  Disseminate knowledge and experience across MAS to support adoption of new approaches and best practices in the LAC region.
•  Build external brand recognition through conference attendances and external engagements and amplify recognition of IFC’s distinctive capabilities in working upstream to catalyze greater flow of investment opportunities in the MAS sectors.
•  Connect global and regional teams, ensure solutions and knowledge flow across the World Bank Group, and help achieve MAS Upstream priorities.

People and Resource Responsibility
•  Mentor junior staff working assigned to transactions and in the MAS LAC Upstream and Advisory unit in support of the Upstream Manager and the Upstream Sector Leads. 

Selection Criteria

•  Master’s degree or equivalent professional qualification in Business, Finance, Economics, International Relations, or related discipline, plus more than 8 years of relevant experience.
•  Commitment to the World Bank Group and IFC’s mission and values.
•  Deep understanding of IFC’s strategic priorities and changing business model against the backdrop of IFC 3.0, including collaboration with other members of the World Bank Group.
•  Deep understanding of the manufacturing sector including the sector deep dives and sector strategies.
•  Experience in leading transactions in the project development, transaction execution and financing of real assets of private sector clients in one or more manufacturing verticals in which IFC invests. Familiarity in the financial and commercial structuring, risk allocation, and execution of these types of projects is preferred.
•  Experience with financing of decarbonization solutions for the real sectors particularly with topics such as green hydrogen and its derivatives, resource efficiency, circularity and supply chain/value chain integration as it applies to one or more manufacturing verticals will be valuable.
•  Experience in other sectors (such as agribusiness, manufacturing, health, education, tourism, retail, and/or property) in addition to manufacturing will be a plus.
•  Familiarity with finance: sourcing, structuring, and/or closing investments across various financing instruments (debt, equity mezzanine, convertibles etc) and/or familiarity with carbon finance and sustainability linked finance is a plus.
•  Appreciation for how policy reforms, advisory interventions, investment, and mobilization can be linked to deliver solutions at a country level. Ability to support engagements with private sector clients, local and national governments, and other partners to encourage pioneering business and market development.
•  Experience as a transaction leader with project and/or program development, executing against implementation plans with defined business development achievements. Experience with standard corporate finance, project finance contracts, financial modeling, commercial negotiations and risk allocation is a plus.
•  Experience in financial modeling, monitoring and reporting on a portfolio of projects, programs, and or initiatives. Outstanding and demonstrated history of analytical, creative problem solving and critical thinking skills.
•  Strong written and verbal communications skills in English. Proficiency in Spanish and/or Portuguese strongly preferred.
•  Genuine dedication to development and to the World Bank Group and IFC’s mission, strategy, and values.
•  Understanding of IFC’s strategic priorities and changing business model against the backdrop of IFC 3.0.
•  Excellent understanding of how to assess and mitigate climate risks including related to production facilities and supply chains.
•  Solid understanding of the climate footprint of operations related to agricultural production, manufacturing facilities, and investments in services.
•  Proven track record of engaging with client companies, shareholders, and public stakeholders to encourage pioneering business and market development
•  Demonstrated capacity for innovation and challenge the status quo to build new business models.
•  Track record of delivery on leading project implementation of investment and advisory projects.
•  Excellent people skills and openness to feedback, new ideas, and ability to guide and incentivize staff to find solutions to problems.
•  Strong written and verbal communications skills. Ability to mentor and coach junior staff, share experiences and ensure quality.

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.

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