Job Opportunities at World Bank Group - 2 Positions

Role & Responsibilities:

• Provide leadership for developing Infrastructure’s climate strategy, including developing new products
• Provide an Infrastructure-wide view of climate business and key issues to management, staff and other departments as needed
• Build a structure and system for proactive climate business management (e.g., pipeline monitoring) and monitoring progress towards implementing Paris Alignment commitments
• Business development: work with regional and sectoral climate anchors to support climate-related business development initiatives
• Raise climate awareness and helping equip Infrastructure staff with climate knowledge (e.g., training, knowledge management, etc)
• Coordinate Infrastructure’s needs and views in working with other IFC departments, with an emphasis on identifying and removing roadblocks to achieving climate goals
• Serve as the key counterpart representing Infrastructure vis-à-vis climate anchors in various departments within IFC and with the World Bank
• Cross-fertilize knowledge / best practices / business ideas within Infrastructure (across sectors and regions) and with other IFC industry departments
• Engage and support complementary Infrastructure initiatives such as sustainability financing
• Thought Leadership and Innovation: Identify new trends, opportunities and ideas that are emerging in the infrastructure climate space. Support the external dissemination of Infrastructure’s climate work; and
• Communications skills, public speaking, and presentations: represent IFC Infrastructure at relevant industry and or climate events. Excellent communications skills, strong command of spoken and written English, and strong public speaking are a must.

Selection Criteria

• MBA or relevant Master’ s qualification and at least 12-15 years of relevant experience with an investment bank, consulting firm, an international financial institution, or a development organization with tasks related to climate aspects of infrastructure financing.
• Knowledge of climate infrastructure financing, as well as of broader sustainability, energy transition and climate issues.
• Experience in investing in core infrastructure sectors (power, transportation, utilities, mining, telecoms etc).
• Experience with behavior change initiatives a plus and promoting behavior change relating to climate a strong plus.
• Excellent people interaction and management skills. Openness to feedback, new ideas and ability to guide direct reports and colleagues in finding solutions to problems.
• Ability to develop innovative solutions and challenge the status quo to build the business.
• Recognized as a team player and leader, ability to integrate, manage and resolve conflict, working in a complex matrix and gaining influence with or without using direct authority.
• Strong written and verbal communications skills. 
• Highest standards of ethical integrity, transparency, and fairness.
• Ability to interact directly and independently with the senior management of potential clients, financial and technical partners as well as senior government officials.
• Capacity to innovate and challenge the status quo and a proven track record in new idea generation
• Outstanding analytical and critical thinking skills; demonstrated ability to synthesize complex information and make concrete strategic and tactical recommendations
• Proven ability to mentor junior investment staff.

Closing Date: 5th, April 2022

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The Africa Infrastructure Climate Lead candidate will play a key role:

• Business development, identify climate business investment opportunities in the infrastructure sector 
• Structuring climate investments
• Designing new products and financing structures that can drive climate business. 
• The Africa Infrastructure 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 one of the Africa regional hub offices in Cairo, Dakar, Nairobi, or Johannesburg. 

The Africa 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 infrastructure sector. 
• 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.

Closing Date: 22nd, April 2022