Job: Senior Operations Officer - Secured Transactions

Location: To Be Determined 
Deadline: Wednesday, 09 October 2013 

Description

Background / General description

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, promotes sustainable private sector investment in developing countries as a way to reduce poverty and improve people’s lives. IFC’s Advisory Services have become a core part of IFC’s business and a critical tool for extending reach and expanding impact. Access to Finance is one of four Advisory Services Business Lines that correspond to IFC’s operational strategy. The Access to Finance Advisory Service Group through the Secured Transactions and Collateral Registries product focuses on helping countries improve their financial infrastructure to facilitate access to credit to micro, small- and medium- sized enterprises (MSMEs) and women entrepreneurs. We do this by creating the conditions to allow the use of movable assets/property (such as inventory, accounts receivable, equipment, crops, livestock, etc.) as collateral guarantees to generate loans. The team works with government institutions, financial institutions and the private sector to increase financial inclusion and help create the necessary conditions for firms to access the credit they need to expand their businesses. Within this context, IFC is seeking to recruit an experienced specialist to be part of the Global Secured Transactions (STCR) team with a particular focus on successfully implementing our regional portfolio of secured transactions projects in three priority regions – Middle East/North Africa (MENA), South Asia (SA), and Europe and Central Asia (ECA) as well as limited support to other regions. The selected candidate will be responsible for product development, knowledge management, and successful implementation throughout the region of the Secured Transactions and Collateral Registries product. Primary objectives are to ensure high quality implementation and achieve measurable impact across the three regions’ portfolios and to effectively liaise with regional leadership and global product leaders to ensure effective dissemination of best practice.

Duties and Accountabilities

It is expected that the specialist will support STCR projects in all three of the regions, ensuring that the projects are being implemented in line with best practice and aligned with IFC portfolio goals for STCR reform. Specific activities include: - Provide technical support for implementation of secured transactions and collateral registries projects, dividing time between MENA (40%), SA (40%) and ECA (20%). Limited support also possible for other regions with an active portfolio. - Evaluate secured transactions systems, including relevant legal, institutional and/or technical (registry) components, in order to provide clients with comprehensive recommendations and actionable plans to develop new, or improve, existing systems. - Educate creditors and other stakeholders in asset-based lending through workshops, trainings and/or other targeted learning programs. - Undertake business development to expand regional portfolios of projects, including through market assessments, network development, and representation and communications that build understanding and commitment to secured lending reforms, particularly in countries with high potential development impact. - Manage client and stakeholder relationships with for example, government clients, financial institutions and NBFIs, business associations, as well as legal experts and practitioners. - Develop and implement monitoring and evaluation plans, and conduct periodic supervision and impact assessments in line with IFC tracking systems and Institutional Development Goals, and learning objectives. - Contribute to Knowledge Management, including through development of benchmarking, diagnostic and appraisal methodologies, tools, and implementation manuals; systematically capture global trends, practices and lessons learned. - Identify opportunities to further link secured transactions reforms to MENA, SA and ECA’s regional strategic priorities and broader corporate objectives relating to gender, agribusiness, and SME development. This includes through deepening coordination with financial sector investments and Advisory Services products, particularly Credit Bureaus, and Investment Climate. - Work closely with World Bank counterparts and other development partners to enhance coordination and application of global best practice. - Support regional and global fundraising efforts. - Coach and mentor junior staff. - Perform other general project administration work.

Selection Criteria

- Advanced degree in law, finance/banking, business or economics. - Minimum of 10 years of relevant professional experience. - In-depth knowledge and recognized expertise in secured transactions and collateral registries reforms, as well as adequate knowledge of MSME access to finance, financial sector infrastructure and investment climate development issues. - Consistent track record of performance as a task manager or program manager with a clear focus on results on the ground. Proven ability to implement programmatic approaches and work in interdisciplinary teams. - Excellent track record in dealing with clients from both the public and private sectors. - Proven ability to plan, direct, organize and administer diverse activities to ensure successful and timely delivery of work program. - Strong leadership and teamwork skills, and proven ability to work in a culturally diverse environment. - Work that demonstrates innovation and creativity. - Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English are essential; other languages are a plus. - Willingness and ability to undertake significant international travel mostly in the MENA and SA regions Applications without a Statement of Interest will not be considered. The Statement of Interest should clearly describe the relevant results the candidate has delivered in prior positions, rather than simply listing responsibilities. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. This is international hire. The appointee will be stationed in either one of the three regions being covered (exact location TBC).

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