Investment Officer at World Bank Group

Duties and Responsibilities:

The Investment Officer is expected to lead project teams in origination and implementation of its advisory projects, independently or under supervision from Senior/Principal Investment Officers depending on the circumstances. The Investment Officer will work across sectors.

Duties will include but will not be limited to the following:

Business development:

The Investment Officer is expected to:

• Strengthen business relationships with existing and new Government clients in collaboration with IFC Country Officers.
• Identify and develop/maintain a business relationship with strategic decision makers and promoters of private sector participation within Governments; Identify strategic priority sectors/counterparts/regions and participate in developing high-level strategic roadmap for CTAPA intervention.
• Identify a pipeline of potential CTAPA mandates through proactive origination/business development activities such as knowledge dissemination events, project pipeline diagnostic and scoping, etc.…;
• Identify and develop partnerships within the WBG and with other Development Institutions to promote private sector participation in infrastructure
• Conduct and supervise the realization of all internal and external mandate origination activities in accordance with IFC’s policies

Transaction execution:

The Investment Officer is expected to lead teams in the execution of CTAPA mandates, including to:  

• Mobilize and manage the project team, hire and manage specialized consultants for technical, legal, E&S, insurance, tax and other transaction matters as needed.
• With support from specialized consultants manage comprehensive technical, E&S, legal and financial project due diligence.
• Carry out and/or supervise preparation of financial models and financial analysis of projects.
• Prepare and carry out market sounding exercise, consisting of inter alia having early-stage discussions on project bankability with potential investors.
• Based on results of the comprehensive due diligence prepare and present transaction structuring recommendations for clients, including recommendations on allocation of risks between private and public sector.

Manage the execution of competitive, transparent tender processes to include:

• Lead the team in preparation of transaction documents, including pre-qualification, project agreements and requests for proposals.
• Market the project to potential investors, including preparation of teasers, information memorandums, etc.
• Lead discussions with potential investors.
• Be responsible for daily communication with client and stakeholders – facilitate meetings, act as the first point of call/interface with the client, follow up on requests to and from the client.
• Participate in and/or lead meetings with government clients and investors.
• Assist the client until commercial close of the transaction; and in some cases, lead the IFC project team to assist the client with the early stages of implementation of the project.

Corporate Activities:

The Investment Officer is expected to,  

• In collaboration with the IFC Country Officers, assist in the formulation, monitoring and updating of IFC’s strategies relevant to CTAPA, working with IFC’s regional industry and regional departments and in close coordination with the infrastructure groups at the World Bank.
• Cooperate actively with other departments of the World Bank Group involved in the public sector dialogue regarding private sector participation in infrastructure, including, but not limited to, World Bank GPs and CMUs, MIGA, IFC’s relevant upstream and investment departments.
• Contribute to the development and execution of the CTA’s knowledge management efforts.
• Actively supervise and  mentor junior staff, including colleagues new to the sector or to IFC.
• Extensive travel in the Africa region is to be expected.

Selection Criteria

The selected candidate should ideally possess:

• Minimum 8 years of relevant experience in areas of transaction advisory, investment operations, investment banking, M&A, project finance, all with focus on the infrastructure sector.
• MBA or equivalent degree in business, finance or economics ,etc.
• Experience in public sector reforms leading to private sector participation in the delivery of public services.
• Experience in implementing infrastructure projects, with private sector participation (PPPs, concessions, privatizations…), either on the sell side or buy side.
• Experience with emerging markets (experience in the Africa region will be considered a plus).
• Knowledge of  project developers, investors, and technical and legal consultants in the infrastructure space.
• Strong analytical and structuring, financial modelling and project finance skills.
• Ability to operate in culturally diverse and geographically dispersed teams.
• Ability to work under pressure and deliver high quality work within tight deadlines.
• Ability to interact directly and independently with relevant stakeholders, including consultants, investors, and government officials.
• Prior experience dealing with public sector institutions (ministries and other government agencies, state owned companies, etc.) in emerging markets.
• Willingness and ability to travel on short notice and frequently, as required.
• Excellent communication skills in English; Arabic or French an added advantage.