Industry Specialist

Industry Specialist

Job #:
req18952

Organization:
IFC

Sector:
Infrastructure

Grade:
GG

Term Duration:
3 years 0 months

Recruitment Type:
International Recruitment

Location:
Washington, DC,United States

Required Language(s):
English

Preferred Language(s):
French, Spanish

Closing Date:
9/23/2022 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC

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 in developing countries. In fiscal year 2022, IFC committed a record $32.8 billion to private companies and financial institutions in developing countries, leveraging the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity as economies grapple with the impacts of global compounding crises. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.

Infrastructure and Natural Resources Department: The Infrastructure and Natural Resources Department (INR) is responsible for sourcing and executing investment transactions in the transport, telecom, water, or mining areas. The department also works closely with its counterparts in the World Bank to provide policy-based assistance to governments.

Global Transport Group: Within INR, Global Transport is a group of experienced professionals who help review, structure, and manage IFC's transport pipeline and portfolio in sectors such as ports, airports, roads, rail, logistics, freight, and urban transportation. The Group consists of experienced professionals from a variety of infrastructure spaces including business development, financial and technical/engineering backgrounds. Within the Group, Industry Specialists are generally staff with technical and engineering backgrounds who are staffed on sector specific reviews of projects, providing technical leadership for IFC transaction teams throughout the infrastructure investment cycle.

Industry Specialist: The Industry Specialist, which is the subject of this terms of reference, will provide knowledge and criteria regarding business feasibility, assessment, or diagnosis of the assigned projects. Also involved in the supervision of IFC's ongoing transport investments along with other Industry Specialist colleagues.

Competencies:
• Solid technical expertise in the transport sector based on operational experience in the field.
• Demonstrated analytical, quantitative and risk management skills.
• Good understanding of market, operations, economics, subsectors, and key players within the transport sector.
• Able to research market trends to identify potential risks and opportunities for both new and existing portfolio projects.
• Ability to produce clear and concise written inputs for appraisal and supervision reports in English.
• Good understanding of how IFC and WBG work, their corporate strategies, and priorities, and how they assess risk-reward trade-offs as well as how the World Bank's work intersects with IFC.
• Demonstrate active listening skills by paying full attention and asking questions to clarify client and stakeholder needs and gather required information.
• Team builder profile, used to work in teams and share responsibilities.

Duties and Accountabilities:

Among other duties, the Industry Specialist will provide support to investment or advisory activities by evaluating transport projects, providing sector advice and guidance, and monitoring transport portfolio. More specifically:

• Upstream-related activities:

o Identify opportunities to further support clients through advisory services at business development, appraisal, and supervision stages.

o Support the development of the sector strategy and the creation of new business opportunities.

o Advise investment teams in early-stage assessment of investment proposals from a technical, managerial, commercial and development impact perspective.

• Investment-related activities:

o Apply sector knowledge in evaluating transport projects and helping other specialists appraise new investment proposals, including the following subsectors: ports, roads, railways, urban transit, airports, transportation logistics & warehousing, shipping, and barging, airlines, electric vehicles, and new mobility patterns.

o Liaise with client's technical staff, project engineers, consultants and lenders' engineers as needed.

o Review and opine on major contracts, including EPC, O&M, and Concession agreements.

o Provide market assessment and identify potential for market development and revenue growth.

o Provide financial analysts with revenue projections and key operational and capital cost assumptions for incorporation in financial models.

o Draft Terms of Reference, hire and supervise technical and market consultants as necessary.

o Prepare timely project appraisal reports alone or collaborating with other specialists, including risk assessment, mitigation measures and impact evaluation.

• Portfolio-related activities:

o Provide technical supervision of IFC's portfolio of transport sector investments, including field inspection as necessary.

o Identify and assist in resolving operational weaknesses and take notes of lessons learned and best practices to apply on future projects.

• Other activities:

o Assist Industry Analysts and help them develop their knowledge and capabilities while working with them.

o Support other specialists in their duties when necessary.

o Maintain an active WBG network that provides visibility of WBG activities relevant to the sector, and coordinate activities as appropriate.

o Keep updated on sectoral and industry news, trends, related technology developments and cost references.

o Develop industry knowledge to share within IFC and with external clients as part of IFC's knowledge management programs in a permanent format (lessons learnt, industry trends, basic technical knowledge, benchmarking, etc.)

Selection Criteria
• Civil engineer with a post graduate degree.
• At least 10 years of experience in the transport industry, with experience in specific sub-sectors, plus broad-based knowledge/familiarity with several other transport subsectors.
• Significant work experience in the private sector.
• Solid understanding of transport economics.
• Broad range of responsibilities within the industry in several of the following areas: development of commercial feasibility/market studies, business plans, competitive bids, design, project management and procurement, construction contract administration, project commissioning, commercial operations and concessions, tariff setting, environmental compliance, project due diligence.
• Up-to-date knowledge of capital costs, operating parameters, and productivity benchmarks for a diverse range of transport subsectors and geographic regions.
• Significant experience in emerging economies.
• Experience as lenders or sponsors' engineer and/or consultancy background would be a plus.
• Proven ability to communicate effectively in English, both orally and in writing.
• Proficiency in Spanish, French or other languages relevant to IFC's emerging market focus would be a plus.
• Ability to travel to/work in emerging market countries for up to 30% of the time.

World Bank Group Core Competencies

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.

Learn more about working at the World Bank and IFC, including our values and inspiring stories.