Senior Investment Officer – Africa Regional Industry Climate Lead for MAS at World Bank Group

The Africa Climate Lead for the Manufacturing, Agribusiness and Services (MAS) sectors is a new role within IFC’s Africa Regional Industry group. The ideal candidate will have significant investment experience in climate-related finance in the MAS sectors and in the Africa region. The candidate will play a key role in 

• business development to identify climate business investment opportunities in the MAS sectors
• structuring climate investments
• designing new products and financing structures that can drive climate business. 

The Africa MAS Climate Lead will report to the Regional Industry Director, with a dotted reporting line to the Climate Business Development and Strategy Manager in IFC’s Climate Business Department (CBD). The position will be based in the Africa regional hub offices in Dakar or Nairobi. 

The Africa MAS Climate Lead will coordinate closely with staff across the region, as well as with Global Industry Departments and Upstream where relevant, to undertake the following: 

• Identify new climate investment opportunities in the MAS sectors. 
• Play a key role to both develop and promote climate products, tools, and services (e.g. sustainability-linked, green, and blue loans and bonds, and green buildings, as well decarbonization strategies), including climate finance structures, including to support IFC’s own Paris Alignment efforts, as well as clients’ strategies for decarbonization.
• Work with regional investment teams to ensure that each prospective investment is viewed through a climate lens by identifying elements that enhance climate impact. 
• Work with IFC investment, upstream, and advisory teams in the region to ensure close coordination on climate efforts. 
• Serve as a bridge between the regional industry group and CBD, including disseminating knowledge, coordinating, and delivering climate-related events and training, and contributing to knowledge management by identifying and sharing regional insights and lessons learned.

Selection Criteria

• Master’s degree in finance, business and/or economics or equivalent, with a strong grasp of core business, economic and financial concepts and understanding of development issues and impact.
• A minimum of 12 years of experience in investment banking, a private sector corporate or multilateral development bank focused on climate finance, ideally with emerging markets experience.  
• Strong track record in structuring debt and/or equity investments with a focus on climate finance instruments and mechanisms.  
• Deep understanding of climate business opportunities, gained through working in the private sector in areas relevant to climate business (e.g., renewable energy, transport and logistics, real estate, agriculture, manufacturing, decarbonization strategies and climate tech).
• Excellent knowledge of the climate business space and on the latest trends, new developments, and opportunities with a view to convert them into investment opportunities. 
• Good network amongst climate professionals within the region.
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically and “connect the dots” and to operate in a matrixed structure.
• Excellent analytical skills and sound judgement.
• Strong communications skills, including the ability to present complex climate issues to varying audiences.
• Ability to work flexibly on a range of assignments and to meet tight deadlines.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the capacity to work in teams across organizational boundaries within a multi-cultural environment.
• Fluency in spoken and written English; French and/or Arabic desired. 
• Willingness to travel on a regular basis to developing countries.