Program Manager

Washington D.C.

Organization: World Bank Group
Location: Washington D.C.
Grade: Level not specified - Level not specified
Occupational Groups:
- Project and Programme Management
- Managerial positions
Closing Date: 2025-09-04

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. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.

The Institutional Risk and Governance Department (IRG), under the IFC Legal, Institutional Risk and Governance Vice-Presidency (CLSVPU), is responsible for setting business standards and providing advice and guidance to the IFC Board, Management, and business teams in relation to four areas of non-financial business risk that may arise in IFC investments, advisory work and corporate functions. These four areas include:

• Integrity, Sanctions, Anti-Money Laundering/Combating Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) and Tax Good Governance: managing integrity/know your customer risks arising in IFC’s investment, advisory and corporate operations, such as corruption, fraud and economic sanctions risks; conducting AML/CFT due diligence; and promoting tax good governance;

• Operational Conflicts of Interest (COI), Corporate Confidentiality, Data Access Governance, Data Privacy, Business Technology and Regulatory Risk: advising on risks that converge around IFC’s management of operational COI when IFC has legal obligations to a client that conflict with IFC’s own rights or interests or with other IFC obligations; around corporate confidentiality obligations and commercially sensitive data, data access governance and data privacy; cyber and other business technology risks facing IFC; advising on IFC’s market conduct, mobilization, and treasury activities; handling of material non-public information; investment advisor standards; and aspects of IFC’s privileges and immunities;

• Corporate Governance: advising on corporate governance risks in IFC’s investment operations and investee companies, with associated knowledge development/leadership and client capacity building;

• Nominee Director Center: managing IFC’s nominee director program, where IFC appoints directors to boards of investee companies in which it holds equity positions, including expanding and leveraging the nominee director cohort and promoting thought leadership of the center.

Within the IRG Department, the role of the ND Center is to serve as a trusted advisor in guiding Management and Equity teams in more strategically and effectively exercising board nomination rights and support nominee directors with performing their board duties, overseeing risk and adding value consistent with IFC’s values and development mandate.

The selected candidate for this position will lead and oversee a team of about 8-10 staff and consultants and play a vital role in supporting the delivery of IFC’s equity strategy and will be expected to have a strong professional background, a strong track record and in-depth knowledge of governance and corporate board processes, as well as familiarity with IFC’s approach to nominee directorships.

The selected candidate’s priorities will be to:

1.) Manage the day-to day operations of the ND center and support NDs in proactively adding value and effectively exercising their oversight duties by (i) enhancing ND’s sectorial and market knowledge, and (ii) strengthening their oversight skills.

2.) Provide guidance to equity teams and strengthen IFC’s stewardship of directorships by enhancing communication between investment teams and NDs and facilitating sharing of knowledge and expertise.

3.) Support IFC’s equity business growth by leveraging ND networks and raising awareness (within the guardrails) about IFC’s products and expertise in support of the company’s needs.

4.) Bring to the forefront the development impact created through the added value of diverse NDs by better telling the IFC story.

5.) Update and monitor IFC’s Directorship Policies & Procedures to better reflect current industry practices while maintaining best practice standards.

The position is based in IFC Headquarters in Washington, DC and reports to the Institutional Risk and Governance Director.

Duties and Accountabilities:

ND Center Management and Oversight

• Manage the ND Center team comprised of 8-10 staff and extended consultants with a diverse set of experience. Oversee the implementation of the Nominee Directorship strategic priorities and ensure scorecard target are timely achieved. Oversee budget planning and staffing including, developing junior professionals, recruiting and retaining talent as the team grows.
• Collaborate with other business units within CLSVPU, particularly in the IRG Department, to identify opportunities and synergies to improve risk management and enhance value addition in supporting IFC clients.

Guiding Equity and Portfolio Teams

• Lead the ND Center team in supporting investment operations. Provide frameworks, tools and hands on guidance for the effective management of IFC nominee directorships, including analytics informing the exercise of nomination rights, the sourcing & selection of candidates, compensation and engagement with nominee director.
• Lead the development and manage IT-based solutions for directorship management systems (e.g. iDMS; NDAC) to effectively facilitate directorship nominations and evaluations.

Supporting Nominee Directors

• Provide comprehensive onboarding, ongoing education and best practice resources for nominee directors to perform their fiduciary duties in the best interest of the companies they serve in line with IFC’s mandate and values.

Advising on Policies and Procedure

• Serve as a trusted adviser and guardian of IFC Nominee Directorship Policies and Procedures. Review and approve all nomination / appointment memos, with provision of structural and personal conflicts of interest analysis for internal and external nominees, respectively. Provide advice to the Management team on policy waivers and keep Directorship Policies and Procedures up-to-date, in consultations with the business.

Fostering Thought Leadership and Partnerships

• Position the ND Center as a center of excellence and foster IFC’s brand and leadership on nominee directorship management practices globally through analytics and knowledge management.
• Oversee the delivery of research and good practices notes on equity stewardship and board directorship practices.
• Develop and maintain strong partnerships and networks to enable knowledge sharing, strengthen the data base of potential candidates, and enable business introductions.

Improving Board Diversity

• Promote diversity in the boardroom by nominating women nominee directors at parity with male nominees and increase the nomination of nationals from Emerging Markets.

We do our best to provide you the most accurate info, but closing dates may be wrong on our site. Please check on the recruiting organization's page for the exact info. Candidates are responsible for complying with deadlines and are encouraged to submit applications well ahead.

Before applying, please make sure that you have read the requirements for the position and that you qualify.
Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.

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