Senior Operations Officer, Climate Lead - LAC Region
Job #: |
req29575 |
Organization: |
IFC |
Sector: |
Advisory Services |
Grade: |
GG |
Term Duration: | 3 years 0 months |
Recruitment Type: |
International Recruitment |
Location: |
Sao Paulo,Brazil |
Required Language(s): |
English, Portuguese |
Preferred Language(s): |
Spanish |
Closing Date: |
10/9/2024 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC |
Description
IFC — a
member of the World Bank Group — is the largest global development institution
focused on the private sector in emerging markets. We work in more than 100
countries, using our capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and
opportunities in developing countries. In fiscal year 2023, IFC committed a
record US$43.7 billion to private companies and financial institutions in
developing countries, leveraging the power of the private sector to end extreme
poverty and boost shared prosperity as economies grapple with the impacts of
global compounding crises. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.
IFC
has embarked on an ambitious new growth strategy to stimulate more investment
activity, especially in Low Income Countries (LICs) and Fragile and Conflict
affected Situations (FCS). This strategy calls for generating our own
opportunities by proactively working “Upstream” to create, deepen, and expand
markets and to imagine, design and implement investment projects. It requires
taking a systematic approach to understanding the sector bottlenecks that
prevent the flow of private capital into productive investment in our member countries
and addressing these bottlenecks through World Bank Group engagement on policy
reforms and programmatic interventions at the country and sector level. It also
requires capacity to leverage WBG programs and projects to develop our own
proactive sector interventions and to imagine and design projects even in the
absence of reforms.
The Financial Institutions Group (FIG) is one of the major
industry groups at IFC, responsible for managing roughly 40% of IFC’s overall
business in terms of volume and capital at risk. FIG engages in a wide
range of sub-sectors including Climate, Microfinance, SME, Gender, Capital
Markets, Housing, Distressed Assets, and other areas, with both investment and
advisory services delivered to IFC’s clients through IFC’s global network.
The Climate business is one of the strategic priorities of the
WBG. IFC has set itself a very ambitious
climate action plan and target - including energy efficiency, renewable energy,
cleaner production and resource efficiency, waste and wastewater management,
and green buildings - and has committed that 100% of all investments will be
Paris aligned by 2025. To contribute to those targets, FIG has already
quadrupled its climate finance investments over the last three years, working
with FIs to scale up their financing of climate friendly projects. The focus is
to support IFC’s client banks and non-bank financial institutions build viable
and scalable climate finance operations, leveraging capital markets as well as
their client base and partnerships with real market and government players to
promote Paris Alignment objectives.
The FIG LAC Upstream (US) and Advisory (AS) Unit seeks to create
opportunities for new private sector led investments in the region by developing
a pipeline of investment-ready opportunities made possible using distinct
tools and interventions, including investment structuring, and advisory. The
objective of the unit will be to enhance the next generation of FIG investments
across priority sectors in the region that promote net zero/decarbonization
national strategies.
IFC is seeking an US and AS Climate
Lead for its Financial Institutions Group in Latin America and the Caribbean
(LAC), responsible for the delivery of integrated investment, upstream and
advisory solutions in climate finance. This will be done in close collaboration
with the Industry Managers for LAC, to ensure high-impact upstream and advisory
services projects that create new investment opportunities in climate finance; with a particular
focus on defining new capital markets structures and asset classes. This specifically involves 1) incubating high
impact projects and initiatives that require upstream project development to
reach the point of investment and 2) getting potential clients ready for IFC climate
related investment through advisory services engagement; particularly as it
relates to climate risk given IFC’s Paris Alignment commitments.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The US/AS Climate Lead will have a range of evolving
responsibilities in line with climate related strategic priorities of FIG LAC. Anticipated
scope of duties and responsibilities during the assignment include the
following:
• Lead the design and implementation of FIG US/AS climate projects and develop a strong pipeline of quality climate investment opportunities for IFC by employing knowledge and experience of financial markets, climate market trends and industry standards – such as Paris Alignment.
• Ensure the design and implementation of new FIG US/AS high-quality climate finance project pipeline, in collaboration with the FIG investment team to ensure strong alignment with the FIG investment and Paris Alignment strategies, WBG and IFC regional and country strategies and IFC ESG standards.
• Identify game-changing regulatory reform, business models and trends that can present opportunities for new climate related capital market structures and asset classes; including business models leveraging digital innovation related to for example agritech solutions.
• Lead US/AS climate client engagements to support them in implementing climate related standards such as Paris Alignment, etc. to ensure the viability of climate related IFC investments.
• Work closely with investment colleagues to develop and manage client relationships and foster cross departmental collaboration to meet client-specific requirements.
• Engage with the IBRD to identify and contribute to sector and regulatory reforms that support opportunities for FIG related climate investment.
• Disseminate and absorb knowledge and experience across the regional industry department and global teams to support adoption of new approaches and best practices.
• Engage with officials within World Bank, governments, other development organizations, and the private sector to identify joint and IFC US/AS and investment opportunities.
• Mentor and support junior staff working on Upstream activities.
Selection Criteria
• Master's degree or equivalent professional qualification in Business, Finance, Economics, or related discipline, and a minimum of 15 years of relevant experience.
• Deep understanding of the financial industry and ability to link policy reforms, climate industry standards including climate risk and decarbonization approaches, advisory interventions, investment, and mobilization to deliver climate related solutions in the region.
• Experience in management consulting for the financial sector, investment banking, capital markets and structured finance.
• Track record of engaging with private financial sector clients, local and national governments, and other stakeholders to encourage pioneering business and market development.
• Demonstrated capacity for innovating and challenging the status quo to develop business opportunities, particularly in capital markets.
• Demonstrated capacity for collaborating across organizational boundaries to shift organizational behavior and generate buy-in.
• Strong “deal sense” and understanding of bankability criteria to support IFC investments.
• Outstanding analytical and critical thinking skills; demonstrated ability to synthetize complex information and make concrete strategic and tactical recommendations.
• Excellent people and communication skills, openness to feedback and new ideas, and ability to guide, and motivate others.
• Excellent oral and written presentation skills in English and Portuguese are required; Spanish is preferred.
• Willingness to travel.
World Bank Group Core Competencies
The World Bank Group offers comprehensive benefits, including a retirement plan; medical, life and disability insurance; and paid leave, including parental leave, as well as reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities.
We are proud to be an equal opportunity and inclusive employer with a dedicated and committed workforce, and do not discriminate based on gender, gender identity, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability.
Learn more about working at the World Bank and IFC, including our values and inspiring stories.