Principal Operations Officer - Req7192 at International Finance Corporation (IFC)

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, create jobs, contribute to government revenue, and stimulate growth through SMEs.

The Regional Lead for Advisory Services in the Middle East and Africa region, within the Manufacturing, Agribusiness and Services Department is a member both of the regional MAS team (which includes investment and advisory services) as well as of the global MAS advisory leadership team. The Regional Lead reports to the Regional Industry Director with the second line to the MAS Global Advisory Manager. S/he serves as the primary advisory counterpart to the regional MAS investment, upstream and portfolio team, while coordinating with global MAS Advisory platforms (i.e. food safety, smallholder supply chains, animal protein, climate, productivity, etc.). S/he is also expected to develop close working relationships with key IFC counterparts in the region, such as the Regional Head of Operations, Country Managers, Environmental & Social specialists, Gender specialists and Development Partner Relations. S/he will focus on regional business development and oversee/support the delivery of advisory to clients in the region leveraging technical expertise from the rest of the global MAS advisory team and other units as required, including the World Bank.

The Regional Lead for Advisory will also serve as the focal point to facilitate advisory-related corporate communication, client-donor relationship, and internal coordination. This is particularly important with respect to country strategies, coordinating fundraising initiatives and any other regional management issues.

Specific Accountabilities:

• Oversee regional business development for MAS advisory in the Middle East and Africa region through a “one team” approach with the relevant MAS new business, portfolio, and upstream teams. Jointly prioritize clients, countries and sectors with a view to where advisory can play a role either ex-ante to help business development or to de-risk portfolio. Join MAS client pitches and appraisals as appropriate. Participate in regional investment CRMs and portfolio reviews to identify opportunities for advisory services to add value to clients.
• Lead individual client engagements in own area of expertise. Leverage MAS advisory sector anchors and platform leads as needed to ensure technical and sector expertise is made available to clients in the regions.
• Engage with relevant parts of the IFC and the World Bank, including Financial Institutions Group, Infrastructure, CES and other Global Practices as needed to design comprehensive solutions for clients and achieve impact at scale.
• Provide quality control over the design of engagements and their implementation. Negotiate pricing and client contributions with support of relevant IFC relationship managers.
• Manage the work program of the regionally based MAS advisory team, in some cases jointly with the MAS advisory sector anchors and platform leads. Coach and mentor junior team members and build team cohesiveness to deliver value to clients.
• Serve as the focal point to facilitate advisory-related corporate communication, client-donor relationship, and internal coordination with respect to country strategies, coordinating fundraising initiatives and any other regional management issues.
• Work closely with the MAS global advisory team and the regional Development Partner Relations team to ensure funding needs for Advisory programs in the region are addressed.
• Have delegated financial authority for MAS advisory in the region.
• Ensure quality control over MAS Advisory CNs, IPs, PSRs and PCRs for regional projects, as well as advisory inputs in MAS investment CRMs, IRMs, and Board Papers. Also ensure that MAS input into donor reporting for regional programs is of high quality.
• Contribute substantively to the knowledge management and thought leadership agenda of the MAS department in own area of expertise.
• Serve as a member of the MAS advisory global leadership team, contributing to initiatives in other regions or globally as required to meet client needs.

Selection Criteria

• Commitment to the World Bank Group and IFC's mission, strategy and values;
• A Master’s degree or equivalent professional qualification in finance or business;
• A minimum of 14 years of private sector operational experience in manufacturing, agribusiness, services or related industry across diverse geographies;
• Proven track record in nurturing client relationships and resolving challenging issues;
• Demonstrated ability to understand what makes businesses succeed, develop innovative solutions and challenge the status quo to build the business;
• Recognized as a team player, collaborator, leader and strategic thinker;
• Proven track record of managing, motivating and mentoring staff across different locations;
• Strong written and verbal communications skills in English; French preferred;
• Ability to represent IFC externally and to develop and manage relationships with government, media, donors, and other stakeholders;
• Sound business judgment, demonstrated ability to deliver results under stressful timetables and environment.

Poverty has no borders, neither does excellence. We succeed because of our differences and we continuously search for qualified individuals with diverse backgrounds from around the globe