Senior/Principal Industry advisor - Banking Sector- Mexico City, Mexico

Job #:	122121
Title:	Senior/Principal Industry advisor - Banking Sector
Job Stream:	Technical Assistance & Advisory Services
Location:	Mexico City, Mexico
Closing Date:	09/30/2012
Background / General description:
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. In addition to its investment work, IFC provides advisory services to a number of its clients to support them in meeting specific development goals. IFC’s support to the financial sector is implemented via its Access to Finance Business (A2F) Line and is organized around the following main themes: • Retail and Micro: Microfinance, Mobile Financial Services, Housing Finance, Rural Finance, Responsible Finance and Insurance. • SME and Business: SME Finance, Sustainable Energy Finance, Agrifinance, Leasing, Trade Finance, Gender, Risk Management and Corporate Governance. • Financial Infrastructure: Credit Reporting, Collateral Registries and Secured Transactions, Securities Markets. Other Institutional Capacity Advisory Services with a cross-cutting theme include Risk Management and Corporate Governance. These services are delivered through regional Advisory Services (AS), and in partnership with IFC’s Investment Services (IS) teams. Banking Advisory Services IFC provides advisory services to financial institutions around the world, focusing in particular on helping banks develop and improve their operations, and grow their business in a healthy and responsible manner. The objective of such advisory services is to increase access to sustainable and responsible financing in the developing world. The work leverages IFC’s long track record of investment and advisory services in commercial and retail financial institutions, and will achieve the following strategic objectives: 1. Ensure consistent delivery of banking knowledge and advisory services in emerging markets through IFC Regional Advisory Services. 2. Support IFC investment portfolio, with a focus on equity investments, with institutional foundation capacity building e.g. risk management, corporate governance, etc. and institutional growth capacity building e.g. SME Banking: Women in Banking, Sustainable Energy Financing, Agrifinance, etc. 3. Establish a strong knowledge management and dissemination function to formalize and share IFC’s experience, best practices in OECD and emerging markets, with respect to banking advisory. This banking advisory work is expected to have a strong developmental impact, namely by: (1) addressing the finance gap; (2) helping to develop a sustainable banking sector through capacity-building; (3) deepen financial markets and stimulate competition in the banking sector; (4) disseminating banking best practices and skills in developing markets; and (5) generating employment through the resultant growth of SMEs.
Duties and Accountabilities:
IFC is seeking to recruit a highly-motivated Senior / Principal SME Banking Specialist for the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region, with extensive hands-on experience in designing and managing projects related to the implementation of banking advisory in emerging markets based on international best practices. The Specialist will be responsible for developing a strategy and leading the delivery of the LAC banking advisory program. He/she will work closely with the Regional Access to Finance (A2F) advisory services team and will coordinate with Investment Services teams. He/ she will report to the A2F Regional Business Line Manager and will lead the support of existing portfolio clients and expand the new client base in the region. He/she will also support the knowledge and learning agenda for banking in partnership with the global banking team, and will be expected to contribute to tools and standards that are disseminated globally. The position will be based in Mexico City, Bogota, or Panama City, to be determined. The Specialist will be expected to spend the bulk of his/her time working on client support and project implementation in LAC, but should plan on contributing some of his/her time (about 10%) to the global learning agenda and potentially supporting projects in other regions, to ensure knowledge and learning across regions. Specific tasks include: Strategy and Innovation: • Contribute to a global strategy for advisory banking, based on best practices and learning in LAC; • Implementation of regional industry strategy for IFC's LAC Banking Advisory and for delivering on business targets and development outcomes for A2F strategy in LAC, with a focus on 1) achieving high developmental impact (defined as expanding access to finance for SMEs, women owned enterprises, etc.) and 2) supporting our equity financial markets investments in the LAC region; • Ensure innovative approaches are developed/ imported, tailored and applied in relevant markets in LAC; Business Development • Lead the further development of a project portfolio in banking in LAC, identifying and vetting prospective clients in partnership with other banking and regional IFC A2F operational staff, the global specialist team and investment teams, with a focus on SME financial services; • Develop partnership proposals for prospective clients on the basis of appraisals of their operations and on-going business development discussions; • Coordinating with IFC Financial Market’s investment team including vetting of potential investment clients, pipeline identification and participation in joint investment-advisory appraisals, where appropriate; Project Implementation and Technical Support • Manage implementation of the LAC banking activities; • Monitor implementation and progress of banking projects and recommend corrective actions where/if necessary; • Supervise consultant work, as needed, to ensure high quality and on-time delivery of work program; Advisory for Equity and Portfolio Management • Support IFC banking equity investments, by interacting closely with the LAC Investment Services and LAC A2F teams; this will include working closely with Investment Services teams in developing comprehensive equity management plans for selected clients in both pipeline stage as well as post-investment portfolio stage. Results Measurement and Learning • Review of necessary approval documents, supervision and completion reports for technical input and quality control; • Contribute to the design and development of internal and external knowledge management events to share product lessons and experience, and to learn from others; • Support global dissemination of knowledge through participation in regular practice group meetings with peer specialists. Resource Management • Provide technical support to the LAC team working on IFC’s banking client engagements; • Recommend allocation and deployment of relevant internal technical specialists to client projects; • Support the identification and selection of short-term consultants/firms to deliver agreed programs of work with clients, as needed and overseeing implementation and deliverables to ensure quality; • Support fund raising efforts for the banking program in the region;
Selection Criteria:
• MBA, Master of Finance, or other relevant qualification. • At least 15 years of operational banking and consulting experience in financial services internationally in developed and emerging markets, with direct experience in all aspects of banking operations: strategy, organization, market segmentation and product development, risk management. Experience in SME banking to expand access to financial services to SMEs is highly desirable. • Experience in designing banking advisory programs is essential and in LAC is a plus. • Recognized leadership in the banking, consulting or development finance communities. • Strong familiarity with international best market practices and global trends in banking. • Experience in due diligence exercises for advisory or investments engagements in emerging market financial institutions with a demonstrated ability to identify problems and propose solutions to clients. • A keen interest in development finance and in working in a multicultural environment; experience in a multilateral finance institution would be an advantage. • Strong business development and client relationship management skills and ability to establish credibility among clients. • A strategic thinker with the ability to work effectively in teams, communicate ideas clearly and confidently, articulate issues and recommend solutions. • Fluent written and spoken English and Spanish a requirement. Ability to operate in Portuguese and/or French would be an advantage. • Willingness and ability to travel extensively. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Details (vacancy # 122121) are available in the World Bank Careers website: www.ifc.org, click on ‘Careers’ and then on ‘Current opportunities. Applications should be sent in English. All applications must be submitted through this website. The World Bank Group is committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, nationality, culture and educational background. Individuals with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered. Cover letter 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. The contract for this position has an initial duration of 2 years (renewable), with a one-year probation period and subject to be renewed. This is international hire (paid in USA Dollars currency). The appointee will be stationed in Mexico City, Mexico; Bogota, Colombia or Panama City, Panama. Closing date is October 1, 2012.
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