Environmental and Social Development Specialist – Financial Intermediaries Africa Region at World Bank Group

IFC is looking for a dynamic, motivated, and detail-oriented professional with strong communication, interpersonal, and analytical skills to provide support to IFC’s team of environment and social specialists who are responsible for IFC investments in financial intermediaries in Africa.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The work to be undertaken is described below and will include:

• Lead E&S review and appraisal and ensure clear and timely guidance to clients and Transaction Teams on E&S risk management in all relevant financial intermediaries’ investment and advisory transactions throughout the project life cycle.

Undertake E&S due diligence of IFC proposed investments in financial intermediaries (FIs):

• Gathering and analyzing available information to identify gaps against specific Performance Standards for assigned projects.
• Identification and proposition of appropriate mitigation measures for risks and impacts.
• Production of high-quality work products that clearly and logically frame risk mitigation.
• Identification of opportunities for value-add in project structure, including providing IFC clients with guidance in establishing E&S Management Systems to ensure compliance with IFC E&S requirements.

Supervise the E&S performance of FI clients and actively work with Transaction Teams or Portfolio Management to ensure the effective monitoring and supervision of environmental performance of multiple, complex portfolio clients with high visibility/reputation risk:

• Monitoring and supervision will include regulator site visits as applicable, directly with the client and/or in collaboration with the Transaction Teams or Portfolio Management.
• Contribute to the design and delivery of learning programs on sustainability and environment risk management for IFC clients and investment staff, as well as working on the development of tools, checklists, and guidelines to improve efficiencies of project processing and enable improved client management of environmental and social issues.
• Provide support to the leadership team in mentoring junior specialists.
• Assist IFC staff with business development, to ensure the environmental issues are addressed early in the process.
• Assist with regional ESG Advisory tasks targeting financial intermediary clients.

Selection Criteria

• Graduate/Advanced degree (Masters or PhD) in relevant discipline (e.g., environmental, social sciences, science, engineering).
• Minimum of ten years working experience, preferably in the assessment and management of environmental and/or social impacts for financial intermediaries.
• Good working knowledge of the IFC Performance Standards.
• Strong analytical skills, ability to think strategically, analyze and synthesize diverse information sources, and draw conclusions from sometimes limited data.
• Exemplary project management skills and ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously under tight deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to adapt to changing circumstances, organize and prioritize deliverables, and maintain attention to detail.
• Pragmatic, solution-oriented, problem solver with a high degree of responsiveness and proactivity, coupled with the ability to recognize when a solution is not available.
• Work experience in one or more African countries and ability to travel extensively in the region.
• Ability to communicate effectively in English, both written and spoken; ability to communicate in French and Arabic will be an advantage.
• Ability to work effectively as a member of a multi-disciplinary, multi-cultural team, influence and negotiate point of view within teams, superior mentoring skills.