Associate Operations Officer, LAC Regional Head of Operations

Associate Operations Officer, LAC Regional Head of Operations Job #: req33154 Organization: IFC Sector: Investment Grade: GF Term Duration: 3 years 0 months Recruitment Type: Local Recruitment Location: Panama City,Panama; Bogota, Colombia Required Language(s): English, Spanish Preferred Language(s): Closing Date: 5/27/2025 (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.

The role of the office of the Regional Head of Operations (RHO) is to support both LAC Regional Directors and the VPU front office with strategy, analysis and reporting on IFC’s investment program, portfolio and pipeline, and on the advisory and upstream pipeline and portfolio, and business development efforts in the region. It also provides recurring inputs for the quarterly Investment Operations Report, the LAC regional update for Senior Management, and the WBG Regional Updates to the Board. The RHO office coordinates the implementation of the LAC WBG Action plan to accelerate collaboration, engaging with IFC, MIGA and IBDR management. The RHO office leads the Country driven budget process, is responsible for the strategic allocation of the regional FTMAAS/CMAW budget envelopes, monitors, and reports on execution of advisory and upstream projects. It engages with the Partnerships team on donor funding and results reporting. The team manages the learning and knowledge activities across LAC and supports the corporate learning team in IFC and at the WB. The RHO office liaises with the Facilities team to plan and deliver projects across LAC country offices, coordinates high-level visits across the region and organizes regional events.

To fulfill this role, the office of the LAC RHO is seeking to hire an Associate Operations Officer to be based in either Panama City, Panama or Bogota, Colombia and who will report directly to the RHO. The candidate must be a self-starter, capable of taking initiative to cover a range of tasks, able to thrive in a small, entrepreneurial team/environment and be able to work independently with minimal supervision. Working across the aisle and coordinating with several matrix VPU and non-VPU units is an integral aspect of the day-to-day work.

Duties and Accountabilities

Monitoring and reporting
•   Provide regular updates on pipeline and portfolio of investment and advisory / upstream projects for Regional Management, including pipeline and program reports (weekly, biweekly) and liaise with portfolio coordinators and portfolio teams. 
•   Produce quarterly reports on operations for Regional Management Team, Senior Management and the Board, integrating information from industries and country offices.
•   Provide relevant and consistent KPI/dashboard reporting for LAC region.
•   Coordinate with operations data team on pipeline, program and portfolio-related matters. 
•   Categorize the development challenges addressed by new investment commitments and approved AS/UP projects using information from project documents and iPortal. 
•   Support RHO and CAE colleagues in the preparation of WBG regional updates.
•   Support the RHO in monitoring the implementation of LAC WBG collaboration Action Plan.
•   Review drafts of regional donor reporting (SECO) and provide input to Partnerships.
•   Develop reports and briefing materials for meetings with development partners and external audiences, to showcase IFC’s activity in LAC.

Support regional strategy (formulation and implementation)
•   Support update of the regional strategy for LAC, support and monitor the strategy’s implementation and IFC’s cross-cutting priorities embedded therein.
•   Support the RHO in follow up of LAC WBG collaboration Action Plan.

Support budget preparation and monitoring
•   Support the RHO in the estimation of the Country Driven Budgeting (CDB) annual proposal in collaboration with central finance and advisory portfolio management teams. Includes coordinating with all business lines and operational teams.
•   Support the RHO in monitoring FMTAAS allocation. 
•   Provide periodic updates for advisory and upstream in collaboration with the UP/AS secretariat.

Support and facilitate learning and knowledge sharing across LAC
•   Coordinate learning & KM agenda with corporate learning, industry /AS & country offices. Includes sharing knowledge on major / new corporate initiatives, new financial / advisory products that are relevant for the region.
•   Support trainings from AS/UPs and on-boarding offered to LAC staff.
•   Support the delivery of the LAC WBG training program.
•   Produce country pitch books. 
•   In coordination with industry colleagues, conduct business research and client mapping for specific sectors in support of business development.

Facilitate information flows, improve processes and close info gaps between corporate and region
•   Assist with brief preparation for Annual and Spring meetings. Work with local teams on data provision, provide ad hoc assistance and guidance throughout the brief preparation process and monitor brief status.
•   Ensure smooth information flow between Corporate Strategy and Operational Management Departments and regional teams, on template changes and data provision.
•   Suggest improvements to systems and processes (e.g., pipeline updates, IFC Dashboard, CDB) and support corporate/region-wide initiatives to improve project delivery.
•   Assist the RHO, Regional Directors or the VPU front office (as the case may be) on day-to-day activities. 

Selection Criteria

•   MBA or master’s degree in related fields such as business, finance, engineering, economics, public policy or related discipline. 
•   5+ years’ experience in business analytics, strategy, with a proven experience in preparing background materials for reports and high-level presentations.
•   Knowledge of LAC’s development challenges and of opportunities in the region, with proven experience in at least two countries in LAC.
•   Sound analytical skills; good understanding of interface between strategy and operations.
•   Knowledge of IFC’s financial and advisory/upstream products, and familiarity with IFC Dashboard reporting systems and operational portals. 
•   Basic understanding of WB products; familiarity with the WB operational portal is a plus.
•   Excellent organizational skills to work with a vast array of information. Ability to guide and train others.
•   Strong problem solving and negotiation skills. 
•   Excellent communication (spoken and written) skills, in English and Spanish. Ability to effectively prepare written reports/documentation in a clear and concise style. 
•   Demonstrated ability to prepare presentations for high-level audiences. 
•   Excellent teamwork and interpersonal skills to effectively collaborate across organizational boundaries and with colleagues from various cultural backgrounds.
•   Self-starter with the ability to work independently and balance competing demands.
•   Proven ability to collaborate across boundaries.
•   Ability to thrive in a highly dynamic work environment.
•   Committed to the highest ethical standards. 
•   Occasional travel. 

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.

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