Principal Operations Officers at the International Financial Corporation (IFC) - World Bank Group

The International Financial Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. Working with 2,000 businesses worldwide, we use our six decades of experience to create opportunity where it is needed most. In FY15, our long-term investments in developing countries rose to nearly $18 billion, leveraging our capital, expertise and influence to help the private sector end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity.

In 2015, the World Bank Group launched a recruitment mission to attract Sub Saharan African professionals to its work force. The initiative was the first of its kind for the institution and resulted in numerous hires into business areas such as Education, Health, Development Economics, Information Technology Systems, Social Urban/Rural & Resilience and Governance. The World Bank Group continues its commitment to hiring Sub-Saharan African professionals and announces its latest recruitment mission to again attract highly qualified Sub-Saharan African professionals who are looking for an exciting career, where their effort will contribute to the institution's goal of ending extreme poverty and promoting shared prosperity.

The International Financial Corporation (IFC), invites applications for the position below:

Job Title: Principal Operations Officer, Banking on Women

Location: Africa
Area: Operations

Job Summary
The Financial Institutions Group (FIG), one of IFC’s largest industry departments, invests in numerous financial subsectors, strengthens local financial institutions, develops local equity and debt markets and introduces new financing instruments, with a view to developing efficient financial systems that will fuel economic growth in client countries and enhance IFC’s developmental impact.

The Principal Technical Advisory Specialist will join IFC’s dynamic Banking on Women team to lead all aspects of IFC’s technical advisory services in the Banking on Women business line for Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa, with shared responsibility for the Middle East and Eastern Europe. IFC is recognized for its global catalytic role in financing women entrepreneurs in emerging markets, and the selected candidate will have the opportunity to make a significant impact on women’s access to financial services. The selected Principal Technical Advisory Specialist will serve 3 primary roles: (i) Engage directly with existing and potential IFC clients to originate and deliver IFC’s Banking on Women technical advisory services to financial institutions in emerging markets, in close coordination with IFC’s global gender and SME finance officers; (ii) act as the co-lead technical specialist in the BOW business, including designing/fine-tuning products and services, developing business strategy for service delivery, assuring quality control, and leading knowledge dissemination; (iii) lead IFC’s global team of technical advisory staff in the Banking on Women business line, including regular mentorship and coaching of IFC’s BOW advisory services officers.

The Principal Operations Officer, Banking on Women will be responsible for the following:
Business Development and Client Engagement:

• As the technical expert, develop business and lead projects with IFC’s financial institutions clients to enhance their ability to profitably and sustainably address the financial needs of women entrepreneurs and SMEs in emerging markets
• Lead business development to grow the project portfolio in the Banking on Women business, including identifying and vetting prospective clients in partnership with IFC investment teams
• Conduct diagnostics and develop advisory services proposals for banks; diagnostics should cover banking operations, risk management, customer segmentation, and SME/gender strategy and marketing
• Guide projects through IFC’s internal project cycle process, ensuring that lessons learned world-wide are appropriately taken into account in the design of new projects, and
• Where demand is identified, work with IFC colleagues and clients to ensure the delivery of financial and management skills to enhance the bankability of the women customers.

Project Implementation, Technical Leadership and Quality Assurance:

• Manage the design, delivery and implementation of regional projects in collaboration with IFC regional advisory services teams
• Lead the development, design, and dissemination of new tools that strengthen IFC’s delivery of the Banking on Women value proposition
• Monitor implementation and progress of ongoing BOW projects to ensure overall quality, and recommend corrective actions when necessary
• Supervise consultant work to ensure high quality and on-time delivery of work program, and
• Work closely with IFC BOW investment teams, including supporting the vetting of potential financial sector investment clients, pipeline identification and participation in client due diligence.

Results Measurement:

• Oversee the development of necessary supervision and completion reports, and
• Oversee the impact measurement and evaluation of the BOW advisory services business.

Knowledge Management and Thought Leadership:

• Lead the design and development of internal and external knowledge management publications, and participate in external events to share and learn lessons of experience, and
• Lead global dissemination of knowledge through participation in external conferences, regular practice group meetings with peer specialists, conducting appraisal missions across regions and on-going contribution of client-tested Banking on Women advisory tools.

Team Leadership and Resource Management:

• Coach and mentor BOW advisory services officers
• Disseminate tools and training that strengthen IFC’s staff ability deliver BOW advisory services projects
• Recommend allocation and deployment of relevant internal technical specialists to client projects
• Support the identification and selection of short-term consultants/firms to deliver agreed programs of work with clients
• Support raising additional funding for the Women’s Markets program globally, and
• Ensure appropriate utilization of budgeted resources for projects.

Strategy and Innovation:

• In coordination with IFC’s investment strategy, develop the BOW advisory services strategy globally, with a focus on achieving high development impact (e.g., measurable increase in access to financial services for women-owned SMEs) and ensure alignment with IFC’s strategic objectives, and
• Ensure innovative approaches are developed/ imported, tailored and applied in relevant markets; Identify new product areas to further the growth of women entrepreneurs in emerging markets and deepen existing products.

Selection Criteria

• Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in Finance, Business, Marketing, Economics or International Development and at least 12 years work experience in the private sector
• Successful track record in a senior management position of a commercial bank or financial institution: examples include Manager/Director of SME Department, Retail, Strategy, Risk Management, or Corporate Business Department
• Successful track record in management consulting: key functional skills include business origination/sales, client service, delivering technical advice, producing high-quality written tools/materials, knowledge management, project management, measuring results, and client relationship management; track record of delivering technical advice to financial institutions on SME or gender business is preferable
• Industry expertise: solid understanding of emerging markets financial sector and SME business dynamics, including the challenges and opportunities of delivering banking services to small and medium-sized firms, as well as trends in the global financial sector
• Women’s entrepreneurship knowledge: understanding of the challenges and opportunities for women and women-owned businesses to access financial services, including up-to-date knowledge on trends in financial inclusion for women entrepreneurs in emerging markets
• Leadership qualities: demonstrated ability to lead a team effectively to deliver measurable, timely outputs, mentor staff, design strategy, and develop productive high-level client relationships
• Self-motivated and organized; ability to conceptualize, plan and manage deliverables with a global team, with minimal supervision
• Strong verbal and written communication skills; solid analytical skills
• Enthusiasm to work in multi-cultural environment with global teams and clients
• Language skills: ability to read/write/speak proficiently in English and one of : Spanish or French.

Recruitment Timeline
End of July - September 2016 - Review applications and update application status to candidates
August - September 2016 - Contact all shortlisted candidates and conduct interviews in Washington, D.C. and locations in Africa

Application Closing Date
7th August, 2016.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Note

• Shortlisted candidates may be contacted as early as August 2016 for interviews which may be conducted in Washington, D.C. or locations in Africa. Interviews will be conducted through September 2016. Based on the availability of interviewers and candidates some interviews may be conducted virtually.
• Candidates who have previously submitted applications through the Recruitment Drive for African Nationals in 2015 must submit a new application to be considered for opportunities in this year's campaign. We apologize that we are unable to consider previously submitted applications.