Roles & Responsibilities
• Blended finance anchor for Africa: The SIO will work with other blended finance and partnership colleagues on the ground to be the first “port of call” for blended finance inquiries in Africa, coordinating with the blended finance global team and providing preliminary advice/response to operation colleagues in the region. He/she is expected to manage relationship with regional/country and industry management in Africa, facilitates effective collaboration between blended finance and Africa operation team.
• Financial structuring: Technical ability to translate risk tolerance of individual contributors across a wide spectrum ranging from Returnable Capital to Consumable Capital to a financial structure and model. Flexibility to dovetail this understanding to financial structuring needed for an investment, which neither the client nor IFC could complete without a Blended Finance co-investment.
• Origination proactiveness: Help project teams put IFC’s best foot forward in front of clients to help origination in areas of strategic importance for IFC investments, particularly in FIG and MAS in Africa. Attend relevant pipeline meetings of industry departments.
• Deal processing: Maintain accountability to the Blended Finance Committee with clear, unbiased presentation of the financial and impact rationale of the Blended Finance co-investment(s). Attend appraisals where necessary, especially if the Blended Finance co-investment has significantly different interests from IFC’s own account investment. Attend IRM, pre-IRMs etc. Focus on parallel processing of the Blended Finance co-investment from PDS-Concept to Commitment.
• Supervision: Liaise with project teams to fulfill reporting requirements to contributors (both financial outcomes and impacts). In addition, particularly for projects benefiting from a de-risking tranche from Blended Finance, monitor early warning signals of cascading risks with assistance from the project’s supervision team including on existing projects. Also process disbursements, waivers, amendments pertaining to the Blended Finance co-investment etc.
• Fund-raising assistance: Contribute to new concessional fund-raising efforts to provide color and nuance on projects benefiting from a Blended Finance co-investment. Gather lessons of experience for shaping future fund-raising activities and impact stories to be shared with contributors and other internal and external stakeholders.
• Knowledge Management: Build up understanding of competitive landscape in the region, especially pertaining to the use of Blended Finance co-investments for challenging FIG and MAS sector projects.
Selection Criteria
• 10+ years relevant experience in working on cross-border emerging market investments with a track-record of structuring / executing investment transactions.
• Keen commercial interest in development financing and strengthening sustainable development using tailored Blended Finance co-investments.
• Familiarity with application of the DFI Enhanced Blended Finance Principles to Blended Finance co-investments alongside investment on commercial terms from DFIs.
• Experience with IFC’s investment and portfolio management processes, IFC’s loan and investment documentation, accounting and financial statement analysis is preferred.
• Understanding of FIG and/or MAS investment practices with knowledge of current issues, challenges and opportunities in implementing blended finance co-investments will be a plus.
• Strong knowledge of IFC products, operations and IFC’s loan pricing model, preferably also, its approach to blending concessional finance alongside IFC’s investments for its own account.
• Ability to grasp details, problem solve, identify key issues for action and manage/incorporate stakeholder interests, and explain issues clearly and confidently.
• Clarity in the presentation and delivery of information, and adaptability to work well under time and workload pressure with minimal supervision.
• Ability to manage and complete multiple projects simultaneously and to meet deadlines under pressure.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English. Fluency in other languages, such as French, Portuguese would be a plus.
• MBA or Master degree, specialization in finance/investment strongly preferred.
