Principal Investment Officer at World Bank Group

Duties and Accountabilities: 

• The Principal Investment Officer will lead IFC FIG business development and support portfolio supervision, which involves investment and relationship management activities with financial institutions and stakeholders in Africa. 
•  Develop, lead, coordinate and implement a business development strategy and corresponding business growth plan (for investment and advisory services) to catalyze investments in the financial sector, including developing solutions to open new markets;
•  Establish and implement a strategy for elevating IFC’s presence, voice, and influence in global markets to mobilize investments and funding;
•  Create new high-level relationships (CEO and other C-suite levels) with large corporate clients having a global, regional, or cross-sector scope for cutting-edge opportunities that may not fully take shape in the short term (e.g., within one year);
•  Proactively support business development efforts of country teams, which include identifying strategic and top-tier clients, globally and regionally; leading relationship management for a few strategic and top-tier clients; and ensuring new deals within the sector are ready for investment committee reviews;
•  Lead the processing of select highly complex or strategically important transactions in the sector and leverage relationships to remove barriers encountered by teams;
•  Serve as a corporate resource in leading multidisciplinary teams to develop leads into new deals that effectively balance IFC’s additionality, financial risks and rewards, sustainable development impact, and opportunities for innovation and scalability;
•  Manage relationships with existing and potential FIG clients, investors, arrangers and other key stakeholders of the financial sector community in the region;
•  Provide insight into sector developments in the financial services sector to anticipate new investment opportunities and performance issues;
•  Support upstream initiatives across the World Bank to unlock constraints to financial sector growth and inclusion in the region and globally;
•  Lead the growth of clients’ business, preparation and execution of client engagement strategies covering the Africa region;
•  In coordination with transactions teams, ensure quality in the origination and structuring of new transactions in a strategic context; use strong negotiation skills to develop solutions and overcome impasses in complex transactions; mobilize other investors alongside IFC; 
•  Supervise and monitor complex portfolio projects supporting value contribution and development impact to IFC’s debt and equity investment portfolio: lead active portfolio management and negotiations to maximize financial and development effectiveness results;
•  Work with the portfolio officers and the special operations team to address emerging risks in sector portfolio and to capture learning that can translate into improved structuring of future sector business;
•  Support building of teams, network of peers and partnerships for success; 
•  Develop assigned staff, consultants and broader team members through mentoring, coaching, providing on-the-job learning opportunities, and designing and delivering internal learning opportunities;
•  Ensure quality control of work products;
•  Ensure effective and efficient use of resources; and
•  Facilitate interactions and knowledge sharing among IFC clients and within the World Bank.

Selection Criteria

•  Master's degree in finance or similar relevant education; accreditation as a CFA or CPA is considered a plus; 
•  15+ years of relevant experience in the financial sector, including a solid operational understanding of commercial banks and other financial entities in Africa; 
•  Demonstrated network of top-level contacts in the financial services and investment industries in Africa; 
•  Documented experience and expertise in identifying, evaluating, structuring and negotiating private debt and equity investments; experience in portfolio management; 
•  Ability to work effectively on simultaneous projects under time pressure; 
•  Knowledge and Experience in International Economic Development Arena; 
•  Excellent business judgment and strong analytical and problem-solving skills to identify issues and present creative, practical solutions.
•  Capacity to deal with conflicting priorities and deliver high quality work on schedule; facility to work successfully in multicultural teams and across boundaries; 
•  Ability to build and maintain relationships with the business community and governmental authorities, as needed; and 
•  The position requires regional and international travel.