Investment Officer

Investment Officer

Job #: req29554
Organization: IFC
Sector: Investment
Grade: GF
Term Duration: 3 years 0 months
Recruitment Type: Local Recruitment
Location: Kathmandu, Nepal
Required Language(s): English
Preferred Language(s):
Closing Date: 10/9/2024 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC

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. Our mission is to leverage the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity on a livable planet. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.

The Financial Institution Group (FIG) is a crucial department within IFC, responsible for a significant share of IFC’s business volume (approximately 40%), profitability, and development impact. FIG engages in various sub-sectors, including Microfinance, SME, Gender, Climate, Insurance, Capital Markets, Housing, Distressed Assets, and more. Investment and advisory services are provided globally through IFC’s extensive network. FIG focuses on three main objectives: 1) financial inclusion, 2) servicing the real economy, and 3) mobilizing third-party resources.

The FIG South Asia Regional Industry Team is looking for an Investment Officer with extensive market and industry experience to help grow and develop its business throughout the region.

The selected candidate will be based in Kathmandu, Nepal, concentrating on new business development and portfolio management across the region. With a diverse market network, the region’s pipeline includes equity investment opportunities in financial institutions and fintech companies, as well as structured finance products aimed at developing local capital markets.

Roles and Responsibilities

•  Analyze operational and financial performances, along with credit and integrity risks of potential clients and projects. Present recommendations to the business development team regarding straightforward deals and alternative structuring options.
•  Collaborate in creating client strategies, engagement plans, and pitchbooks for various sectors and countries, including IDA and FCS nations, while conducting sector analysis to inform strategies.
• Gather financial and operational data from clients, research pricing information, and review policies and procedures.
• Build complex financial models, perform due diligence and financial analysis, and provide quality control over financial analysis developed by an analyst to assess the benefits and risks of straightforward transactions.
• Ensure systematic capture of project, sector, and country benchmarking information to document lessons learned and inform future decision-making.
•  Assess and articulate the development impact, IFC’s role, and additionality in straightforward transactions. Collaborate with the IFC economics team to start developing the AIMM narrative, including any market creation impact.
• Prepare persuasive content adhering to investment banking quality standards, with financial models reflecting various transaction structures and company valuations.
•  Draft memos and concept notes for repeat business. Independently manage waivers, amendments, and ESAM for straightforward portfolio projects in coordination with relevant departments under the general supervision of senior investment officers.
• Follow up with mid- and senior-level clients to resolve issues related to straightforward projects.
• Engage with mid-level clients on straightforward projects to understand their business directions and challenges, potentially leading to new opportunities. Assist in designing client engagement plans as needed.
•  Build relationships with mid-level clients and stakeholders (government, development partners, WBG) to explore straightforward business opportunities.
• Monitor macroeconomic indicators, sector, and country market conditions, as well as relevant social and political information impacting the assigned portfolio.
•  Perform credit and risk assessments, financial projections, and covenant compliance reviews (debt), while monitoring risk flag changes to evaluate performance within the portfolio, with limited supervision.
•  Assess project development impact and articulate the realization of the AIMM story and any market creation impact.
• Contribute to structuring the blended finance components of projects, including providing insights for modeling risks and subsidies and evaluating solutions to rebalance the risk/return profile.
•  Prepare investment committee materials for straightforward transactions, ensuring alignment with IFC’s policies and procedures.
• Coordinate with internal stakeholders (legal, ES&G, economists, and sector specialists) to identify strategies for enhancing project development impact and financial sustainability.
•  Assist senior investment officers in preparing and presenting investment proposals to the IFC Blended Finance Committee, ensuring quality in investment committee materials focused on financial and non-financial risk assessments and deal structuring for straightforward transactions.
• Prepare quarterly portfolio reports analyzing trends over time, key issues, and potential concerns.
• Compile brief documents summarizing postmortem insights from portfolio reviews and reporting to identify improvement opportunities and best practices.
•  Oversee and ensure the quality of portfolio reporting information prepared by junior staff, integrating broader industry, subsector, and country perspectives into project risks and issues.
• Lead efforts to synthesize information from past transactions, extracting lessons learned within targeted areas and identifying topics that require deeper analysis.
• Research untapped markets to identify barriers to private sector investment, contributing to upstream market creation decisions or Country Private Sector Diagnostics.
• Conduct quarterly rating reviews of loan loss reserves for the assigned portfolio and run equity valuation models to assess the need to adjust the exit strategy.
• Structure straightforward transactions to enhance client value and mitigate risks, incorporating lessons learned from previous transactions and portfolio management.
• Lead straightforward investment transactions, ensuring timely processing, thorough due diligence, and client satisfaction, while applying lessons from IFC’s earlier investments and portfolio management.

Selection Criteria

• Master’s degree in a relevant field and at least 5–8 years of relevant experience. Fields of education include business, finance, or economics, or specific sector expertise.
• CFA or CPA accreditation is a plus. Relevant experience may include a proven track record in business consulting, investment banking, private equity, or operational experience in a relevant sector.
• Ability to evaluate investment transactions to concretely assess business opportunities and develop market solutions.
•  Capacity to identify barriers to market creation opportunities in specific countries by leveraging internal expertise and synthesizing information on local regulatory contexts, industry structures, and client challenges.
•  Ability to propose innovative and scalable approaches, such as utilizing WB instruments or de-risking/blended finance tools.
•  Understanding of relevant country strategies.
• Knowledge of IFC ES&G standards and their application in client engagement, WB products, and operations.
• Evidence of strong active listening skills, with the ability to ask clarifying questions to gather client and stakeholder needs.
• Capability to interact effectively with clients and stakeholders, acting professionally, fulfilling commitments, and meeting deadlines.
• Ability to build productive relationships and networks internally and externally to identify business opportunities and resolve issues.
• Maintain a relevant network within the sector, country, and region to spot new business opportunities and markets.
•  Excellent written, verbal communication, and presentation skills to effectively influence clients/stakeholders.
• Ability to draft concise, well-organized documents and reports focused on critical points relevant to the audience.
• Utilize visual aids like charts and graphs to communicate complex data and concepts effectively.
• Capable of sharing insightful opinions and observations relevant to project outcomes in a concise manner.
• Ability to tailor IFC’s value proposition to specific clients and share pertinent industry information.
• Understanding of market and sector drivers, business cycles, regulatory environments, and performance metrics within a sector.
• Proven analytical, financial analysis, equity valuation, and financial modeling skills to assess company financial information and industry indicators. Capable of overseeing and providing quality control on financial models prepared by analysts.
• Capacity to consider the transactional aspects of opportunities created through Upstream initiatives.
•  Expand transaction experience by engaging in straightforward investment transactions with diverse clients across multiple financial subsectors and gaining exposure to various funded, unfunded, corporate finance, and structured finance products.

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.