E T Consultant

Job #: req22833

Organization: IFC

Sector: Investment

Grade: EC1

Term Duration: 1 year 0 months

Recruitment Type: Local Recruitment

Location: Panama City,Panama

Required Language(s): English, Spanish

Preferred Language(s): Closing Date: 6/2/2023 (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 in developing countries. In fiscal year 2022, IFC committed a record $32.8 billion to private companies and financial institutions in developing countries, leveraging the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity as economies grapple with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.

The Regional Country Office in Panama (CCMPA), as part of IFC’s Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) Department, plays a central role in the functioning of IFC’s matrix organization to bring regional information and perspective to IFC decision making. CCMPA is responsible for: (a) leading the formulation of IFC’s regional strategy; (b) monitoring and communicating IFC’s project pipeline, portfolio performance and strategy implementation in the country; (c) monitoring political, macro-economic, sectoral and financial markets developments, and keeping senior management informed of these developments and potential impact on IFC’s activities and strategies; (d) maintaining dialogue with the government, locally based stakeholders, and other parts of the World Bank group; and (e) coordinating the Investments and Advisory Services program in collaboration with Regional Industry Departments. To fulfill this role, CCMPA is seeking for an ET Consultant to be based in Panama City, Panama and who will report directly to IFC Central America Country Manager. 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.

Roles and Responsibilities:

•  Support the Country Manager and Country Officers in the development of a comprehensive IFC strategy for Costa Rica, Panama and other countries in the Central American region; including providing the economic context of IFC’s activities as needed. A key skill for this role is to help “translate” the macroeconomic context/assessment into the regional/country operational strategy.
•  Act as a local focal point for the Country Manager/Country Officers, working closely with operational staff and liaising with the Regional Strategy Team to ensure adequate support to Operations on the economic front, at the project level and strategy level.
•  Together with Regional management, prepare IFC inputs to WBG initiatives in Costa Rica, Panama and other Central American countries, including Systematic Country Diagnostics, Country Partnership Frameworks, progress and completion reports and other joint initiatives.
•  Participate in all other aspects of IFC’s investment and advisory project processing cycle (business development, project development, due diligence, etc.). Such participation includes revisions to relevant sections of Board papers for investment project approval (macro-economy and country context).
•  Support the development of documents reflecting IFC’s activity in Costa Rica, Panama and other Central American countries, providing inputs on project pipelines, opportunities, events, trends and risks for management briefs, reports, presentations, and country economic updates.
•  Conduct market analysis and client mappings to identify new target clients; perform desktop reviews of potential clients including detailed financial analysis and background checks.
•  Conduct analysis and research support across sectors and regions to prepare communication materials (i.e pitchbooks and proposals to clients) as necessary.
•  Serve as the ‘go-to’ person for data/research and all operational/resource support work for the region as directed by the Country Manager and the regional team.
•  Extract data from internal and external databases, organize and present the data in a variety of formats for a variety of audiences to a high degree of accuracy and consistency and regularly update/maintain the information in the database.
•  Monitor and update a pipeline of current and upcoming projects and update management as needed; maintain a client pipeline database as well as other Excel based trackers.
•  Establish and maintain quality client relationships.
•  Support the Country Manager in terms of outreach to stakeholders and relationships with development finance institutions, donors and IFC member governments.
•  Contribute to and share knowledge on new corporate initiatives relevant for the country.
•  Other tasks that may arise in the day-to-day coordination of activities.

Selection Criteria

•  Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Economics, Finance or other relevant graduate degree with a background in Economics/Finance.
•  At least two years of relevant full-time professional experience, preferably in an international environment. Consulting and private sector experience will be a plus.
•  Experience in and strong knowledge of the economic context and challenges of Central American countries.
•  Strong analytical and problem-solving skills and sound business judgment to identify issues and present creative and practical solutions.
•  Familiarity with IFC’s or similar Development Finance Institutions’ areas of focus and relevant experience in country context.
•  Demonstrated quantitative, financial analysis and modeling skills.
•  Write in a logical and comprehensive, yet concise manner.
•  Demonstrates active listening skills by being attentive and listening to others to identify client and stakeholder needs.
•  Team player with an ability to execute tasks timely and effectively.
•  Ability to manage and complete multiple projects simultaneously and to meet deadlines under high pressure.
•  Utilize graphics and tables to effectively and creatively present data. Advanced user level proficiency in PowerPoint, Excel, Word is a must.
•  Distill and summarize large amounts of information from various sources to prepare business documents and presentations.
•  Languages – Excellent verbal and written communication skills in Spanish and English.

World Bank Group Core Competencies

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.

Note: The selected candidate will be offered a one-year appointment, renewable for an additional one year, at the discretion of the World Bank Group, and subject to a lifetime maximum ET Appointment of two years. If an ET appointment ends before a full year, it is considered as a full year toward the lifetime maximum. Former and current ET staff who have completed all or any portion of their second-year ET appointment are not eligible for future ET appointments.