Associate Operations Officer - Financial Institutions Groups -MEPA Job #: req34413 Organization: IFC Sector: Upstream Grade: GF Term Duration:ย 3 years 0 months Recruitment Type: Local Recruitment Location: Amman,Jordan Required Language(s): English Preferred Language(s): Arabic Closing Date: 10/8/2025 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC
Description
Build a career with impact. Working at the World Bank Group (WBG) provides a unique opportunity to help countries solve their greatest development challenges. As one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries, the WBG is a unique partnership of five global institutions dedicated to ending poverty, increasing shared prosperity, and promoting sustainable development. With 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide, the WBG works with public and private sector partners, investing in groundbreaking projects and using data, research, and technology to develop solutions to the most urgent global challenges.
The International Finance Corporation (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 2025, IFC committed a record $71.7 billion to private companies and financial institutions in developing countries, leveraging private sector solutions, and mobilizing private capital to create a world free of poverty on a livable planet. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.
The Associate Operations Officer role is integral to realizing this vision by helping develop high-impact financial solutions and opportunities across the Middle East and Central Asia.
As part of the Financial Institutions Group (FIG), you will support a broad portfolio of initiativesโfrom microfinance and SME lending to climate finance and capital markets. Youโll help design, originate, and manage advisory projects that enhance financial inclusion, foster resilient financial systems, and accelerate economic development in frontier and fragile markets.
FIG is seeking an Associate Operations Officer with expertise in the banking and financial sector and, preferably, in one or more of the following areas: SME banking, microfinance, digital financial services, and climate finance. The selected candidate will provide hands-on implementation and supervision support, helping to deliver IFCโs expanding advisory portfolio in fragile and conflict-affected situations (FCS), as well as strengthen engagement with GCC partners to advance IFCโs mobilization agenda. The role will also support intensified collaboration with the World Bank Group on priorities such as jobs, SME finance, the digital economy, and climate. Under the supervision of the Regional Advisory/Upstream Manager, the candidate will contribute to building a high-quality pipeline across the Middle East and Central Asia (MECA) region, and directly support the investment team in originating, managing, and monitoring IFCโs financial sector investments, including those linked to IFCโs regional strategy.
Role & Responsibilities:
The roles and responsibilities of the position will include but not be limited to:
Core Project Delivery-ย Support preparation, approval, and implementation of upstream/advisory projects, ensuring adherence to IFC operational policies, governance, and results measurement requirements.-ย Engage regularly with IFC investment teams to ensure advisory work creates clear pathways for investment and supports portfolio clients, with a strong focus on MSME access to finance and job creation.-ย Coordinate day-to-day project management tasks, including work planning, procurement and management of consultants, budgeting and disbursements, deliverable quality control, and client/partner coordination.-ย Lead or support supervision cycles and implementation reviews; track milestones; escalate risks; implement corrective actions to maintain scope, quality, timeline, and budget.-ย Contribute to results measurement, baselines, indicators, and data collection plans; support evaluations and completion reports.FCS-Focused Engagement and Execution-ย Work with country teams to scope, design, and implement advisory solutions tailored to FCS contexts, including market diagnostics, feasibility assessments, and early-stage structuring to unlock private sector solutions.-ย Integrate conflict sensitivity, inclusion and jobs into project planning and delivery; apply adaptive management to respond to rapidly evolving operational environments.-ย Support security-compliant field missions, local stakeholder engagement, and coordination with development partners active in FCS.
Pipeline Development and Upstream-ย Contribute to market scoping, pipeline origination, and upstream solution design in priority sectors (e.g., SME finance, digital financial services, agribusiness value chains, climate-smart solutions, and jobs-focused programs).-ย Prepare concept notes, implementation plans, budgets, results frameworks, and support internal review and approval processes.-ย Coordinate knowledge capture and dissemination of lessons to inform scale-up and replication.WBG Coordination and Stakeholder Engagement-ย Coordinate with World Bank country teams and global practices on joint initiatives in jobs, SME finance, digital economy, and climate, aligning with CPF/CPF-equivalent and country diagnostics.-ย Maintain strong client relationships with public and private counterparts; organize and support multi-stakeholder workshops and capacity-building activities.
Operational Excellence and Knowledge-ย Ensure accurate and timely entry of project data, milestones, and results in IFC systems; maintain audit-ready documentation.-ย Support internal portfolio reviews, management updates, and board/management briefings as needed.-ย Contribute to middle office reporting functions, including preparation of periodic operational and financial reports, consolidation of project-level data, and coordination with regional teams to ensure accuracy, consistency, and timely submission of required inputs/deliverables.
Selection Criteria
Education-ย Master's degree in finance, economics, public policy, international development, business, or a related field with 5 years of relevant experience.
Experience-ย 3โ6 years of relevant experience in advisory/technical assistance, project management, development finance, consulting, or related fields.-ย Prior experience working in, or on, fragile and conflict-affected situations (FCS) strongly preferred.-ย Experience engaging with MSMEs, jobs-focused programs, or financial inclusion initiatives is a plus.
Technical Skills-ย Demonstrated project management and supervision capabilities, including budgeting, consultant procurement, and results measurement.-ย Familiarity with private sector development themes such as SME finance, financial sector development, digital economy, investment climate, and climate solutions.-ย Strong quantitative and analytical skills, with the ability to design and monitor results frameworks and apply data-driven insights.
Soft Skills-ย Excellent stakeholder management and client engagement skills, with the ability to navigate complex, multi-stakeholder environments.-ย Strong written and oral communication skills; proven ability to prepare clear briefs, reports, and presentations under tight deadlines.-ย Adaptability, resilience, and a problem-solving mindset suited to FCS contexts; strong teamwork and cross-functional collaboration.
Language-ย Fluency in English required; Arabic strongly preferred.-ย Knowledge of additional regional languages is an asset.
Core Competencies-ย Plans, prioritizes, and delivers high-quality outputs on time; proactively manages risks and operational challenges.-ย Works effectively across IFC and the World Bank Group; builds trusted relationships with clients and partners.-ย Focuses on practical solutions and measurable development outcomes.ย -ย Captures and disseminates lessons, particularly from FCS delivery, to strengthen future operations and scale impact.-ย Demonstrates WBG values, upholding diversity, inclusion, and safe/secure operations.