Senior Operations Officer

IFC — a member of the World Bank — 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. Our mission is to leverage the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and promote shared prosperity in a sustainable way. 

IFC is deeply committed to advancing gender equality and economic inclusion as laid out in IFC’s 2030 Roadmap for Gender and Inclusion to deliver game-changing private sector partnerships and programs to accelerate gender equality and inclusion in emerging markets. Aligned with the new World Bank Group (WBG) Gender Strategy (2024-30): Accelerate Gender Equality to End Poverty on a Livable Planet, IFC’s Roadmap is built on six priorities offering high potential for impact in and through the private sector. These areas aim to:

• Allocate Capital that Drives Inclusion
• Make Supply Chains Inclusive
• Remove Barriers to Entrepreneurship, Employment, and Leadership (including addressing gender-based violence). Equally important are two cross-cutting themes that are foundational to achieving sustainable results across the priority areas and require action
• Bridging the Digital Divide
• Accelerating Inclusive and Gender-Smart Climate Action, and
• Ending Gender-based Violence and Harassment.

As part of its mandate, IFC’s Cross-Cutting Vice Presidency includes a dedicated team, the Gender and Economic Inclusion (GEI) Department (GEID), that works with IFC’s investment and advisory teams to support private and public sector clients in providing all genders and underserved communities with equal economic opportunities as leaders, employees, entrepreneurs, consumers, and community members. GEID leads strategy development and implementation for the organization; provides tailored operational solutions and client advice; innovates and incubates novel approaches; serves as a thought leader and disseminator of knowledge on GEI issues; supports mobilization through impact investing and sustainable financing; and forges public and private sector partnerships to create economic opportunities and development for all. 

• GEID is establishing a new operating model built around Global Operations in four Regional Gender Hubs, and two new units focused on Thought Leadership and Innovation. The Regional Gender Hubs will serve as comprehensive “one-stop shops,” providing dedicated knowledge, expertise, and resources on gender and economic inclusion to IFC regional operations. The Hubs are designed to enhance closer collaboration with regional industry leadership and investment officers and expand the presence of gender experts closer to the clients.
• Each Gender Hub will also host a Center of Excellence focused on the most pressing gender and inclusion issues/opportunities of the region and provide leadership on that theme globally. The Center of Excellence in Asia focuses on Entrepreneurship. The area has one of the lowest rates of women-led companies globally and a significant financing gap. An estimated $4.5 trillion could be added to Asia and the Pacific’s gross domestic product by 2025 by closing the gender disparities in economic opportunities, including entrepreneurship.
• Each Hub will be led by a Regional Gender Hub Lead, who reports to the GEID Manager for Global Operations. The Head will also have a dotted reporting line for IFC’s Regional Director, who is responsible for the country where the Hub is located. The Lead will supervise a team that includes Program Officers and their teams[1] working at the sub-region level.

Roles and Responsibilities

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Regional portfolio and business development 

• Portfolio: Manage the delivery of   regional gender portfolio ensuring the provision of high-quality services to internal (industry/regional) and external clients
• Accelerate Opportunities to include Gender and Inclusion Solutions: Support regional and industry leadership in identifying and embedding gender and economic inclusion solutions in their existing and pipeline investment and advisory projects by screening the project pipeline, identifying opportunities, and helping implement solutions
• Strategic Initiatives and Country Programs: Identify, develop, and support initiatives aligned with IFC’s 2030 Roadmap and projects that advance gender and economic inclusion in the region. Oversee the design of Country Programs to address gender barriers through a coordinated, country-level set of interventions to deliver measurable gender outcomes. The program’s specific themes, activities, and targets are co-designed and implemented in collaboration with IFC Industry teams.

Regional strategy, KPIs reporting, fundraising, and partnerships

• Advise IFC regional and country management on gender issues
• Coordinate and provide consistent inputs into regional, country, and industry/sector projects, programs, and strategies for IFC regional and country management
• Coordinate monitoring and tracking of gender results and outcomes/impacts in alignment with IFC Gender KPIs and the World Bank Group Corporate Scorecard. Provide IFC regional and country management with regular updates
• Manage in coordination with the regional IFC Partnerships Team relationships with regional development partners and donors
• Support the regional communications team and regional and country management on gender and economic inclusion topics externally, such as at regional events, with partners, and in the media

Innovation and Thought Leadership 

• Ensure a consistent feedback loop to share stories of impact and lessons learned with GEID’s Thought Leadership and Innovation Units. In turn, share best practices when piloting and scaling solutions and tracking outcomes
• Foster innovation, encouraging new private sector solutions that help accelerate equality (gender, disability, SOGI/LGBTQ, base of pyramid, anti-racism, Indigenous people, ethnic minorities, etc.) based on client demand and market opportunities
• Represent IFC on gender and economic inclusion topics externally, such as at regional events, with partners, and in the media

Regional team 

• Recruit, oversee, and mentor regional operations staff and consultants, including staff performance management and effective onboarding of new hires
• Recruit the thematic Lead and develop the Center of Excellence in Asia focused on Entrepreneurship
• Build, convene, and nurture a community of gender experts across regional industries

Selection Criteria

• The candidate should be a seasoned candidate with in-depth experience working with the private sector and across institutional structures to deliver impactful solutions. S/he routinely leads staff, initiatives, programs, and projects and integrates the work of others (often multidisciplinary). S/he confidently delivers quality output and can work and inspire others with a sense of urgency. S/he can proficiently interact with companies’ senior management and development partners and confidently communicate with senior government counterparts and other organizations on the topic.
• Master’s degree in economics, finance, business, or other relevant discipline required
• Eight to twelve years of professional experience in private sector development in emerging markets (required) with decision-making responsibility, ideally with a focus on gender and inclusion
• Experience in structuring investment and advisory projects, including results frameworks to capture gender/inclusion outcomes and impacts
• Broad experience across gender and economic inclusion topics and the demonstrated ability to engage with credibility and confidence
• Ability to self-manage, multitask, and work under time constraints
• Successful record of managing staff/consultants/temporaries in a project, monitoring project issues and tasks, meeting deadlines, and setting priorities
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, sound business judgment to identify issues, and present creative and practical solutions
• Excellent oral and written communication and interpersonal skills in English, including a strong ability to communicate ideas clearly and confidently, articulate issues, and recommend solutions
• Demonstrated commitment to IFC core values, including excellence, mutual respect, collegiality, teamwork, diversity and inclusiveness, integrity, innovation, transparency, and accountability

Source: https://worldbankgroup.csod.com/ats/careersite/JobDetails.aspx?id=29142&site=1