Senior Country Officer, Central America & the Caribbean, Colombia, Mexico

The International Finance Corporation (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 over 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. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.

The IFC Central America & the Caribbean, Colombia, Mexico subregion is seeking an experienced professional as a Senior Country Officer to join the team and help build IFC’s activities across all industries in Central America & the Caribbean, Colombia, Mexico. The position will be based in Mexico City, Mexico, and report to the Regional Director for Central America & the Caribbean, Colombia, Mexico.   

The Senior Country Officer will co-lead business development for investment, upstream, and advisory services along with industries and other responsible teams. S/he will support sector teams in executing transactions and handling portfolio projects. S/he will build and maintain strong relationships with business partners and high-level representatives of governments, as well as with governmental and non-governmental organizations, to maximize the impact of IFC's intervention and contribute to the overall development of the countries and their industries.

Duties and Accountabilities

•  Oversee all IFC's investment, advisory, and upstream activities in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua.
•  In conjunction with the country manager and in collaboration with the World Bank, develop and implement a strategy for IFC's Investment, Advisory, and Upstream activities in all streams in Central America and the Caribbean, Colombia, and Mexico, with a focus on the key areas as per the regional strategy.
•  Supervise and closely work with a team of regional staff.
•  Coordinate developing a client engagement strategy for key clients- existing or targeted.
•  Establish, develop, and maintain IFC's relationships with the governments of Central America and the Caribbean, Colombia, and Mexico, both at the working and ministerial levels, and represent IFC at key government and multilateral functions.
•  Work across all sectors (energy, financial, transport and logistics, light manufacturing, ICT, education, health, and agribusiness) to complete sponsor checks and due diligence. 
•  Support IFC's project development activities and provide support during transaction execution and portfolio management.
•  Develop a strong pipeline of investment opportunities based on market trends and sector/country knowledge and provide innovative and flexible financial structures for complex transactions.
•  Share accountability for the quality and performance of the countries’ portfolio; work jointly with the Regional Manager to meet scorecard targets.
•  Facilitate advisory services project identification, design, and client and partner engagement strategies.
•  Set standards for thoroughness in quality control and recommend strengthening transactions.
•  Coordinate closely with social, environmental, and technical assistance colleagues to add value to clients' businesses.
•  Propose pragmatic solutions to specific industry challenges to achieve sustainable development impact.
•  Maintain a good working knowledge of current investment, advisory, and upstream operations in Central America and the Caribbean, Colombia, and Mexico, and respond to queries from HQ management and staff.
•  Facilitate and guide to visiting missions.

Main Objectives of the Role

•  Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, global and regional businesses, banking, and multilateral partners to further develop specific investment and advisory opportunities with high development impact in Central America & the Caribbean, Colombia, and Mexico.
•  Help coordinate with World Bank Group institutions and contribute to the design and implementation of upstream initiatives and other forms of proactive collaboration to enhance business delivery at the country level.
•  Foster strong relationships to identify opportunities for knowledge transfer among the WBG institutions, which will benefit the clients.
•  Develop and manage relationships with donor agencies, other international financial institutions, and regional IFC partners.
•  Work with various stakeholders in Central America and the Caribbean, Colombia, and Mexico, and coordinate with other colleagues within the World Bank Group to deepen IFC's presence in the region.