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.
CES has a mandate to enhance IFC E&S risk management and is responsible for developing IFC E&S policies, standards and procedures and providing oversight, advice, and independent review in the management of E&S risk within the Corporation. More details can be found at www.ifc.org/sustainability.
CES delivers four cross-cutting functions:
• Policy and Standards: CES maintains and updates IFC's sustainability policies, standards, and procedures as a world-class resource for IFC clients and external networks.
• Risk Management: CES ensures that IFC has appropriate systems, procedures and capacity in place to deliver on E&S risk management. CES adds value to the management of E&S risks, reviewing E&S aspects and classification of all projects at origination and providing oversight, guidance, and support for high-risk projects in the pipeline, as well as for high-risk and non-performing projects in IFC's investment portfolio.
• Stakeholder Grievance Response: CES facilitates and improves IFC's ability to resolve stakeholder complaints quickly and effectively and address both Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO) and direct complaints.
• Knowledge, Learning, and Systems: CES fosters the E&S community of practice, transforms lessons learned into guidance, E&S risk management tools and systems, learning, certification of E&S staff and knowledge products that enhance IFC's E&S performance.
CES is looking for two seasoned and highly motivated E&S Risk management professionals as Principal E&S Risk Officer leading the South Asia and East Asia regions respectively. The Principal E&S Risk Officer will be responsible for performing E&S risk management function for regional transactions covering East Asia and South Asia respectively. The Principal E&S Risk Officer will also, in cooperation with other E&S Risk Officers, provide regional guidance, strategic support and quality assurance on transactions, ensuring global consistency and helping CES set the global agenda on ES risk management. The Principal E&S Risk Officer will interact with the IFC operations and investment departments at regional level and will closely interact with regional ESG Managers, Regional Industry Leads and other E&S Risk Officers to ensure consistency of delivery across all regions. Providing leadership and guidance to operational teams and management on complex risk and issues in the region, the Principal E&S Risk Officer will promote adherence with IFC’s E&S policies and standards. The successful candidate will also contribute to CES policy work, lead training for the region on E&S and delivery knowledge products with a focus on E&S risk management. In addition, he/she will work closely with the CES Stakeholder Grievance Response team on CAO cases or other directly project complaints involving E&S issues in the region. The position will report to the Manager, E&S Risk Management Unit within CES.
Duties and Accountabilities:
New business: Together with the relevant regional E&S risk officers, lead regional E&S risk management for new business by reviewing project concept documents, E&S categorization, scope of proposed E&S diligence, client E&S requirements, contextual risk, etc. and delivering related internal analysis as required. In addition:
• Advise on complex and high-risk projects.
• Advise on structuring appropriate mitigation measures and contractual requirements to promote client action to address E&S risks.
• Opine on risks and mitigants as presented by the teams in project disclosure documents, board papers and E&S provisions in legal agreements.
• Produce high-quality work products that clearly and logically frame and concisely communicate risks and mitigants.
• Participate in select Investment Review Meetings (IRM), T3PC briefings and Board engagements as required.
• Advise CES Director and CESRM Manager on their inputs to investment discussions at the Project Committees.
Portfolio: Together with the relevant regional E&S risk officers, lead regional E&S risk portfolio monitoring. This includes reviewing client reporting, investment team E&S monitoring reports, overseeing portfolio reviews and performing independent analysis of IFC’s portfolio to:
• Contribute towards High-Risk Project in Portfolio (HRP-P) list, non-performing or complaint generating/CAO projects.
• Perform assurance/audit reviews of IFC diligence and monitoring of selected projects.
• Conduct thematic/sector portfolio analysis to identify risks and trends identify issues that are systemic or of a policy nature and propose adjustments as needed (see Policy).
• Contribute to regional supervision program reviews.
Global Consistency, Knowledge Management & Leadership:
• Ensure, in coordination with other E&S Risk Officers, global consistency and quality among IFC’s projects, including dissemination of standards/ approaches / training as needed.
• Identify and elevate operational issues to management that are systemic, thematic, or of policy nature and, in collaboration with regional teams and E&S Risk Officers, propose policy and knowledge product work program.
• Coordinate internal and external E&S training programs with other E&S Risk Officers and CES’s Advisory, Knowledge & Learning team.
• Review regional supervision programs. Capture portfolio trends; gather and disseminate E&S lessons across teams.
• As needed and in consultation with E&S Risk Officers, coordinate with IFC’s legal department to determine adequacy of E&S provisions, lead discussions on necessary updates in legal templates.
• In coordination with E&S Risk Officers, promote strategic liaison with other DFIs on emerging issues and consistency of approach on E&S in the region.
• Identify and participate in forums or conferences to showcase IFC experience, approach and value proposition, which includes serving as a panelist or moderator for internal and external events related to thematic area.
Grievance Response:
• Advise CES grievance response function and regional project teams in responding to CAO and direct complaints related to regional projects working with project teams.
• Serve as an independent Peer Reviewer on CAO compliance investigations when necessary and guide the teams in developing various Management responses as described in the CAO Policy.
Policy and Knowledge Management: Advise CES’s policy and knowledge functions in reviewing and updating policy documents and developing guidance and procedures based on lessons learned in the new business, risk, portfolio and grievance response functions.
• Develop / contribute to the development and dissemination of internal and external knowledge products including research, drafting, reviewing, and providing feedback to good practice notes, lessons learnt, tip sheets, etc.
• Capture and codify precedents and benchmarks across transactions.
• Lead or contribute to corporate E&S initiatives and publications.
Selection Criteria
• Master's degree with minimum of fifteen years of relevant professional experience, including private sector experience in sustainability and E&S risk management, and relevant experience in the financial sector.
• Knowledge and experience with the IFC’s Sustainability Framework and Performance Standards.
• Familiarity and proven experience in managing E&S issues related to complex transactions in different sectors in the South Asia and East Asia regions.
• International experience required with experience in developing countries preferred. Willingness and ability to travel to developing countries.
• Strong analytical skills, ability to think strategically, analyze/synthesize diverse information sources, and draw conclusions from sometimes limited data.
• Exemplary project management skills and ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously under tight deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to adapt to changing circumstances, organize and prioritize deliverables, and maintain attention to detail.
• Pragmatic, solution-oriented, problem solver with a high degree of responsiveness and proactivity, coupled with the ability to recognize when a solution is not available.
• Ability to communicate effectively and concisely in spoken and written English is essential, ability to articulate thoughts with clarity and make logical, concise and persuasive arguments to non-technical colleagues.
• Excellent interpersonal, listening and communication skills including the ability to relate well with a wide range of internal and external parties (including senior staff, management, IFC’s accountability mechanism, NGOs, labor unions, industry associations and clients) and develop solutions in potentially tense or conflicting situations.
• High personal integrity and emotional intelligence, with demonstrated ability to handle sensitive matters in a discreet and respectful manner. Diplomatic approach and calm under pressure. Ability to have difficult conversations and make tough judgement calls in a collegial manner.
• Ability to work effectively as a member of a multi-disciplinary, multi-cultural team, influence and negotiate point of view within teams, superior mentoring skills.
• Proven experience working on high-risk projects with challenging and complex issues.
• Strong analytical skills, ability to think strategically, analyze and synthesize diverse information sources, and draw conclusions from sometimes limited data.
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.