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 strategy to stimulate more investment activity, especially in Low Income Countries (LICs) and Fragile and Conflict affected Situations (FCS). This strategy aims at creating our own opportunities for private investments in riskier markets by proactively working in these countries to create, deepen, and expand the markets themselves. The Creating Markets strategy requires taking a systematic approach that draws on Country Strategies together with diagnostic tools, including Country Private Sector Diagnostics (CPSDs) and Sector Deep Dives. This strategy also calls for a closer WBG collaboration to identify and prioritize operations at the country and sector level based on the new WBG approach to Maximize Finance for Development by prioritizing Private Sector financing and solutions (the “Cascade”).

The Manufacturing, Agribusiness and Services (MAS) department manages a large part of IFC’s overall business in terms of investment volume and capital at risk. MAS engages in a wide range of sub-sectors including manufacturing, agribusiness, health, education, property, retail and tourism, and other areas, with investment, advisory services and Upstream activities delivered to IFC’s clients through IFC’s global network. Within MAS, the Global Manufacturing unit works across the Chemicals, Fertilizers, Steel, Cement, Glass, Automotive, Electronics, Textiles, and other Light Manufacturing value chains.

The Global Manufacturing team is seeking an experienced and respected Senior Industry Specialist to be based in Washington, D.C. who will act as a technical expert and advisor for sector projects, support business development and help curate the portfolio across the Metals value chains.  This includes but is not limited to IFC investments in high volume metals products such as Steel and Aluminum as well as high value metals such as Nickel, Cobalt, Lithium, Platinum, Titanium, etc.
Senior Industry Specialists provide business and/or technical analysis and advice to project teams and serve on multidisciplinary teams in assessing projects and business opportunities to ensure sound investment and advisory decisions. In addition, they serve as experts and advisers to IFC clients in building the capacity of their businesses. Incumbents must have in-depth sector technical expertise, business/industry experience, and understanding of financial instruments. At senior levels, expertise requires private sector operational experience in the relevant sector (preferably in executive functions) to fully understand how to run all aspects of a successful business in the sector, as well as understanding of regulatory standards, economics, and climate challenges within the sector to engage in a broad range of policy issues and development impact interventions.

The Senior Industry Specialist will work alongside other Industry Specialists, Global Sector Leads, Investment, Advisory and Upstream staff to help deliver on IFC’s ambitious program and development objectives in the manufacturing sector.

Technical Competencies

Technical Expertise and Experience
•  In-depth technical and/or business expertise in professional field or discipline based on operational experience in senior-level roles that were accountable for business success and outcomes.
•  Astute at judging projects in early stages where there might be technical and/or business, financial, or nonfinancial risks or barriers (e.g., ES&G) that could ultimately derail a project.
•  Understand the interface between technical and/ or business, financial, climate, and social and environmental aspects of projects and the standards that must be met for projects to be viable.
•  In-depth commercial understanding of profit and loss, balance sheet and cash flow aspects of businesses within sector.
•  Ability to produce clear and comprehensive appraisal and supervision reports.

Market Knowledge
•  In-depth understanding of and ability to stay abreast of changes in markets, economics, operations, sectors, and key players within the sector.
•  Ability to anticipate market trends that pose risks and opportunities for both new business opportunities and existing portfolio projects, including those in complex markets.

Consulting and Client Engagement Skills
•  Good communications, diagnostic, project management, and client engagement skills to provide assistance to investment and advisory services clients within the sector in improving their operations, strategy, risk management, and processes.
•  Has a reputation for listening carefully to clients and stakeholders and asking targeted questions to understand their needs and determine the viability of a business opportunity.
•  Excellent business development, client, and project management skills and ability to identify fee generating client engagements, and/or those with potential for downstream IFC investments.
•  Ability to quickly assess client problems, challenges, and operational weaknesses, and apply an analytical mindset as well as good business judgment and technical expertise to envision viable solutions or areas of focus without in-depth information.
•  Ability to write comprehensive reports and publishable case studies and market thought leadership papers.

Stakeholder Engagement
•  Ability to build and leverage extensive internal and external networks with key players in sector, industry, technical and/or business specialization and key stakeholders across IFC/WBG to maintain expertise and stay informed, accomplish work, deliver on IFC commitments and priorities, exercise influence, and anticipate future business opportunities.

Duties & Accountabilities

The role and responsibilities of the position will include but not be limited to the following:

Organizational Role:
•  Provide sectorial business support and advice to teams and clients on complex sector transactions, sector portfolios, and advisory projects to ensure sound and impactful engagements, and to help address potential problems or risks.
•  Play a leading role in business development and market creation activities for sector.
•  Mentor and coach junior staff and share experiences.

Strategy, Business Development – Upstream Work
•  Contribute substantively to market creation activities by using sector business experience and expertise.
•  Participate in business development activities.
•  Contribute to WBG activities and internal knowledge building activities.
•  Help IFC grow its business in a sector by providing sector expertise in pitching opportunities to potential clients.
•  Contribute to developing sector- or country-specific strategies and market assessments and identifying potential for market development and new market creation activities for the sector.

Early Screening – Due Diligence – Portfolio
•  Apply sector expertise, technical and/or business knowledge in evaluating sector projects (i.e. investments or advisory engagements), monitoring sector portfolios, and providing advice to teams as required but usually in moderately complex transactions (including some in challenging markets such as FCS).
•  Provide technical and/or sector business input at all stages of the investment cycle from business development to screening and processing to supervision with the aim of supporting sound, impactful and well performing investments, by identifying potential issues and weaknesses early on, and helping find timely solutions, including the design of advisory support.
•  Produce clear and comprehensive appraisal and supervision assessments.
•  Provide investment teams with technical and/or business and market parameters to be built into financial models and support investment officers and analysts in developing robust scenario-based models.
•  Evaluate proposed moderately complex projects.
•  Serve as a troubleshooter to resolve problems.

Portfolio
•  Provide advice to investment and portfolio teams on the significance of changes in business operations of client company in assigned sector portfolio to determine how investment is likely to be impacted.
•  Design interventions and work closely with clients to address emerging business problems that jeopardize project success.

Knowledge Management
•  Contribute to internal knowledge building activities and maintenance of a lessons learned database and relevant industry benchmarks.

Client Engagement
•  Directly or through consultants, design and oversee advisory services to clients, to ensure value-add is given to clients and their needs are met.
•  Contribute to Client Relationship Management.
•  Work proactively with investment teams to identify opportunities for advisory engagements that result in greater development impact and value for the client and for IFC.
•  Provide expert input to new IFC advisory offerings for clients as part of advisory and investment teams that lead to strategic investment opportunities for IFC.

Selection Criteria

•  Engineer in a relevant field such as Metallurgical, Chemical, Industrial or Production engineering with a post graduate degree.
•  A minimum of 12 – 15 years of relevant experience in manufacturing and business, with in-depth experience in the metals production and processing value chains.
•  Significant work experience in the private sector.
•  Experience of developing and/or evaluating business plans, project design, project execution, project management, plant operations, marketing and business development, etc.
•  Business management experience is preferred.
•  Up-to-date knowledge of metals production technologies, trends, challenges, scale, as well as conversion processes, potential applications and markets across the value chains.
•  Ability to travel to/work in emerging market countries for up to 35% of the time.
•  Genuine commitment to development and to the WBG and IFC’s mission, strategy, and values.
•  Excellent people skills, openness to feedback, new ideas, and ability to guide, and motivate others.
•  Sensitivity for working in multicultural environment, commitment to diversity, and ability to build effective working relationships with colleagues/clients/partners across regions.
•  Strong written and verbal communications skills in English.
•  Proficiency in French, Spanish or other languages relevant to IFC’s emerging market focus would be a plus.
•  Experience working in emerging economies is highly desired.
•  Female candidates are encouraged to apply.

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.