Country Officer

Contract

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

Country 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.

IFC in Pakistan & Afghanistan is looking to hire an experienced Country Officer to join the team covering business development and execution related initiatives and engagements, with a primary focus on real sectors (infrastructure, manufacturing and agri). The selected candidate will be based in Karachi, Pakistan, and will be an integral part of the team focusing on in helping enhance IFC’s engagement in the country.

IFC has embarked on an ambitious new growth strategy (IFC 3.0) to business develop and stimulate more investment activity. This strategy calls for generating unique 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 regulatory and 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.

Duties and Accountabilities:

The role and responsibilities of the position will include but not be limited to the following:

• Help develop and implement, in consultation with the IFC’s regional and industry teams, an integrated investment and advisory/upstream strategy that will enhance IFC’s engagement on priority sectors such as infrastructure, agribusiness and manufacturing.

• Help develop a strong pipeline of investment and advisory opportunities by following market trends, employing sector and country knowledge, and using market intelligence.

• Contribute to drafting strategies with a focus on real sectors and help develop and execute effective implementation plans.

• Proactively engage with clients with a focus on demonstrating and delivering IFC’s value-add, optimizing risk-return profile and development impact of IFC’s investments as well as exploring future business possibilities.

• Cultivate and maintain senior level relationships with key real sector public and private sector stakeholders in Pakistan. Participate in putting together sector interventions and client engagement plans for IFC’s strategic clients.

• Keep abreast of macro-economic developments that can impact IFC’s activities in Pakistan and provide regular inputs to regional and industry teams. Gather market intelligence, analyze strategically important portfolio trends, and emerging risks and opportunities.

• Provide business intelligence to investment teams to enable them to identify integrity issues, devise appropriate investment structuring, and to inform them adequately in the management of portfolio projects.

• Help develop innovative and appropriate financial structures for complex transactions. Participate in structuring of moderately complex investment or advisory transactions incorporating lessons of project evaluations and portfolio management experience.

• Actively participate in negotiation/documentation teams; use strong negotiation skills to develop solutions and overcome impasses in new business and portfolio transactions.

• Help perform credit risk rating assessments, covenant compliance reviews, and development impact assessment. Review the quality of portfolio review work performed by more junior staff.

• Collect insights and lessons learned from IFC’s portfolio experiences, connect trends from different areas of the business and portfolio, ensure portfolio experience and perspective is fed into strategy development and make recommendations on how these could improve business development and transaction structuring.

• Collaborate closely with IBRD colleagues and other IFIs working in relevant sectors and help develop and implement joint sector engagement strategies.

• Provide strategic input into “upstream” initiatives that create, deepen, and expand markets, and require the imagination, design and implementation of investment projects.

• Coordinate closely with global colleagues, social, environmental, and technical assistance colleagues to add value to our clients' businesses, find pragmatic solutions to the specific sector challenges, and achieve sustainable development impact.

• Mentor and coach more junior team members and help provide leadership in actively managing the portfolio and client relationships.

Selection Criteria

• Master's degree or equivalent professional qualification in Business, Finance, Economics, or another relevant field.

• At least eight-ten years of relevant experience in infrastructure project investment and financing activities.

• Prior working experience in Pakistan and IFC/World Bank operational countries in the MCT Region (Middle East, Central Asia, Turkey, Afghanistan and Pakistan).

• Ability to interact directly and independently with the senior management of potential clients, financial and technical partners as well as senior government officials. Prior experience of working with IBRD and MIGA will be a plus.

• Genuine commitment to development and to the World Bank Group and IFC's mission, strategy and values.

• Understanding of IFC’s strategic priorities and changing business model against the backdrop of IFC’s 3.0 strategy.

• Capacity to innovate and challenge the status quo. Proven track-record of sourcing, structuring and closing investments in real sectors.

• Strong understanding of real sectors, such as power, transportation, utilities, natural resources, telecoms, technology, manufacturing and agri sectors.

• Strong business development, asset management and client relationship skills demonstrated by track record and ability to focus on clients’ needs effectively.

• Experience across a number of financial products, including project finance, corporate debt, and equity a plus.

• Excellent people skills, openness to feedback, new ideas, and ability to guide, and motivate others.

• Strong inter-personal skills, ability to interact effectively with clients and colleagues from various cultural backgrounds.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English are required; fluency in other languages such as Urdu, Turkish, Russian, Arabic or other local languages spoken in Central Asia is a plus.

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.