World Bank Group

Donor Funded Staffing Program

Background

As part of the World Bank Group (WBG), the International Finance Corporation’s (IFC) Infrastructure Department provides investment and advisory services for private sector and municipal clients across the energy, mining, transport, utilities, and telecom/media/technology sectors, and mobilizes private sector capital from commercial lenders, institutional investors, and other financial institutions. In the last decade, IFC invested over $64 billion in infrastructure and energy across emerging markets.

Global Infrastructure’s Innovation and Strategic Initiatives unit supports the development and growth of innovative financial products and solutions to be deployed at scale across infrastructure sectors. The team works closely with IFC’s client relationship managers, WBG team leaders, regional and global investment teams, and other client-serving and internal policy teams to design and execute investment and advisory products and services, including sustainable finance instruments, that address our clients’ needs, and help IFC deliver on its mission and IFC 2030 strategy.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Innovation and Strategic Initiatives unit within IFC’s Global Infrastructure department seeks a talented and motivated professional to support IFC client relationship managers and investment officers in engaging with clients on their sustainability strategies and priorities and in originating, structuring and executing innovative transactions, including sustainable finance transactions, in energy, mining, transport, telecommunications, water, waste and municipal finance sectors globally.

The selected candidate will focus on (i) supporting the integration of sustainability strategies of Infrastructure clients and structuring related investments, in alignment with IFC 2030 strategy and the WBG outcomes scorecard; (ii) piloting innovative sustainable finance and impact finance instruments in emerging markets; (iii) contributing to pitching, structuring and executing sustainable finance transactions (e.g. thematic and sustainability-linked financing products) for IFC’s Infrastructure sector clients across IFC geographies, in collaboration with Investment Officers, IFC’s sustainability and climate experts, impact specialists and wider WBG communities of practice; (iv) developing and delivering strategic knowledge pieces related to resilient infrastructure and sustainable finance; and (v) supporting blended finance fundraising efforts across Infrastructure sectors, with a focus on resilient infrastructure, jobs and access agenda.

The main roles and responsibilities of the selected candidate will include the following:

• Contribute to the structuring of innovative sustainable finance products (green/blue and sustainability-linked financings, nature finance, outcome bonds, etc.). Work will include the development of sustainable finance frameworks, engagement / leadership of second party review processes, and continuous support to deal teams up to financial closing (including guidance across the legal documentation stage).
• Proactively contribute to IFC’s resilient infrastructure agenda, including nature-based solutions, sustainable and outcome-based finance, while staying current on key trends and innovations across IFC’s infrastructure sub-sectors (energy, mining, transport, waste & water, cities, telecommunications) and regions by actively participating in internal and external knowledge sessions, as well as business development activities.
• Engage with market participants and stay abreast of the latest trends in the sustainable finance space, across market participants like commercial banks, institutional investors, development finance institutions, Second Party Opinion providers, and sustainability experts.
• Support client relationship managers and Investment Officers in establishing strategic dialogue with clients and investors around a beyond-compliance sustainability agenda. Engagements to include strategic, tailored presentations clearly narrating the IFC’s additionality and expertise; promotion of sustainability-related financing solutions, aligned with the WBG’s scorecard (access to resilient infrastructure, renewable energy, e-mobility, water treatment and savings, etc.) and social priorities (job creation, women economic empowerment, access to essential infrastructure services, etc).
• Support blended finance fundraising efforts, including pipeline coordination across all IFC’s Infrastructure sectors, and donor engagement with a focus on sustainability themes.
• Support the administration of the unit’s sustainable finance platform financed by trust funds.
• Produce monthly pipeline updates and reports for climate and sustainable Finance transactions, as well as periodical and ad hoc updates (newsletters, presentation materials, briefings), in coordination with colleagues within the IFC Infrastructure and with other functions (Sustainable Infrastructure Advisory, Climate Business Department, etc).
• Support, as relevant: (i) internal knowledge management and training events in coordination with IFC Infrastructure’s Knowledge Management team, and (ii) external knowledge pieces for client and broader public dissemination, in coordination with the Communications team.
• Support IFC’s Infrastructure Strategic Initiatives and Innovation team in organizing external sustainability-related events, in coordination with client relationship managers and regional offices.

Note:

The selected candidate will not be assigned to programs involving their own government such as donor coordination and trust fund management.

Selection Criteria:

• Master’s degree in finance, business, economics, environmental sciences, international development, engineering, or related field.
• At least 3 years of experience with an investment bank, global asset managing fund, a development finance institution, or a private sector infrastructure developing /operating company with tasks related to sustainable finance / investments and infrastructure financing.
• Good knowledge of sustainable finance and investment products (e.g. labeled and sustainability linked financings), market participants, as well as of broader sustainability, energy transition, climate and nature-related issues.
• Hands-on experience in infrastructure financing transactions (ideally including capital markets transactions and /or asset management) would be a plus.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, in particular ability to effectively dialogue with and relate to clients and stakeholders.
• Ability to work effectively with colleagues in a multi-cultural team environment, and to work on multiple client projects across a given time.
• Efficiency in using the Microsoft product suite (PowerPoint, Word, Excel, Power BI, others) with a special focus on strong presentation design and preparation skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to proactively build and maintain productive relationships and influence decision-making, tailoring approach depending on the seniority level of business contacts.
• High level of energy, initiative, autonomy and flexibility in quickly adjusting to changing work project requirements.
• Fluency in English is mandatory; Spanish or French would be a plus.