Associate Investment Officer

Contract

This is a World Bank Group grade: GF contract. More about World Bank Group grade: GF contracts.

Associate Investment Officer

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 2022, IFC committed a record $32.8 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.

The Infrastructure and Natural Resources Department is recruiting an Associate Investment Officer to expand IFC’s infrastructure investments in Asia. The position will be based in Beijing or Hong Kong.

Infrastructure is one of IFC's strategic priorities. IFC's focus in the sector is on: (i) increasing access to basic infrastructure services; (ii) supporting local companies, while improving transparency and corporate governance; (iii) exploring new equity investment opportunities and catalyzing foreign direct investments, including co-investments and mobilizing syndicated and parallel loans; (iv) introducing and developing new financial products including through Public Private Partnerships; and (v) building long-term partnerships with strong regional players.

The selected candidate will be expected to play multiple roles including: supporting and working closely with team leads to develop IFC’s infrastructure business in Asia and to manage relationships with private sector clients, public sector and development partner counterparts; structuring, negotiating, and executing debt and equity investments for infrastructure projects; and supervising portfolio investments.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Analyze operational and financial performance as well as credit and integrity risks of potential clients and projects. Present recommendations to the business development team on whether to pursue a straightforward deal and alternatives for structuring it.

• Collect financial and operational information from clients, research pricing information, research policies, and procedures.

• Build complex financial models, perform due diligence and financial analysis, and/or provide quality control over financial analysis and projections developed by an analyst to evaluate benefits and risks of straightforward transactions.

• Ensure adequate and systematic capture of project, sector, and country benchmarking information to capture lessons learned and support decision making in future transactions.

• Draft memos and concept notes for repeat business. Independently handle waivers, amendments, and ESAM for straightforward portfolio projects (in coordination with relevant departments) under the general supervision of senior investment officer.

• Engage with mid-level clients of straightforward projects to understand their business directions and challenges that may lead to new opportunities, and support design of client engagement plans, as applicable.

• Establish and maintain relationships with mid-level clients and other stakeholders (government, development partners, WBG) to explore straightforward business opportunities.

• Monitor macroeconomic indicators of sector and country market conditions as well as social and political information that are relevant to assigned portfolio.

• Perform credit and risk assessments, financial projections, covenant compliance reviews (debt), and monitor changes to risk flags for determining performance assigned to a portfolio, with limited supervision.

• Perform assessment of project development impact and articulate realization of AIMM story and market creation impact, if any.

• Prepare investment committee or advisory committee materials for straightforward transactions, ensuring adequate applicability of IFC’s policies and procedures.

• Coordinate with internal stakeholders (legal, ES&G, economists, and sector specialists) to identify ways to strengthen development impact and financial sustainability of projects.

• Prepare quarterly portfolio reports that include analysis of trends over time, key issues, and areas of potential concern.

• Prepare brief documents summarizing post mortem insights from portfolio reviews and reporting to identify improvement opportunities and best practices.

• Research untapped markets to identify constraints to private sector investment as input to upstream market creation decisions or Country Private Sector Diagnostics.

• Responsible for doing rating reviews of loan loss reserve on a quarterly basis for the overall assigned portfolio. Run models for equity valuations to determine the need to modify exit strategy.

• Structure straightforward transactions to add value to clients and mitigate risks, taking into consideration lessons learned from earlier transactions and portfolio management.

Selection Criteria

• Master's degree in a related field and at least 4–8 years of relevant experience. Related fields of education include business, finance, or economics or an area of expertise specific to a sector, subject matter, or industry specialty. Relevant experience could include a proven track record in business consulting or investment banking, or operational experience in the sector or technical or professional field.

• Capacity to identify barriers for market creation opportunities in a targeted country by tapping into relevant internal expertise and synthesizing information on local regulatory and economic contexts, industry and sector structure and landscape, and constraints clients are facing to grow their business.

• Demonstrates active listening skills by paying full attention and asking questions to clarify client and stakeholder needs and gather required information.

• Ability to interact effectively with clients and stakeholders by acting professionally, responding to their requests and inquiries, delivering what is promised, and meeting deadlines.

• Fluent in English, and preferably also in Chinese. Knowledge of other languages spoken in Asia will be an asset.

• Excellent written, verbal communication, and presentation skills to effectively influence the perception and support of clients/stakeholders.

• Ability to draft documents and reports that are concise, well-organized, and appropriately focused on most critical points that are relevant to the target audience.

• Utilize charts, graphs, and other presentation techniques to simply communicate complex data and concepts.

• Able to share valid opinions and new observations relevant to project outcomes with project leaders in a manner that is concise, cohesive, and focused.

• Ability to tailor explanations of IFC’s value proposition to specific clients and share relevant information on industry practices.

• Ability to apply and share knowledge of related market, industry, and sector, including best practices, and how sector dynamics may evolve within a specific country and region toward work deliverables and policies and regulations affecting investment and business growth.

• Proven analytical, financial analysis, equity valuation, and financial modeling skills to analyze and form conclusions on company financial information or projects and industry indicators. Able to oversee and provide quality control feedback on financial models prepared by analysts.

• Capacity to consider transactional aspects of the opportunities being created through Upstream initiatives.

• Demonstrate strong integrative thinking and ability to support project teams in developing an integrated viewpoint that connects projects, programs, and initiatives around a development challenge.

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.