Head, Strategy and Impact Unit- Washington, DC

Job #:	122353
Title:	Head, Strategy and Impact Unit
Job Stream:	Technical Assistance & Advisory Services
Location:	Washington, DC
Closing Date:	10/18/2012
Background / General description:
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector investment arm of the World Bank Group, pursues its mission of reducing poverty and improving people’s lives by promoting private sector development through investment and advisory services. IFC’s Sustainable Business Advisory (SBA) teams work with companies to adopt environmental, social, and governance practices and technologies that create a competitive edge. We seek the broad adoption of these practices to transform markets and improve people's lives. We work in agribusiness, infrastructure, oil, gas, mining, manufacturing, services, and other sectors. Our programs promote good corporate governance and strategic community investments; advance women in business, small scale farmers, and small firms; and engage the private sector in climate-change solutions. The Strategy and Impact unit is one of three within the Sustainable Business Advisory Department. It comprises a team of 10 global staff (plus consultants) who deliver on business line priorities including strategy development and governance, results measurement, portfolio management, donor relations & fundraising, procurement, communications and knowledge management.
Duties and Accountabilities:
The Head, Strategy and Impact Unit reports to the Global Business Line Leader and Director of the Sustainable Business Advisory Department (CSB). S/he is a member of the Sustainable Business Advisory Management Team, which is comprised of the Global Business Line Leader, two Global Managers and six Regional Business Line Managers (RBLMs). The Head, Strategy and Impacts Unit leads and supervises a team of global staff that are responsible for strategy development, knowledge management, communications, donor relations and impact evaluation for the SBA Business Line. S/he provides leadership in developing and sharing knowledge on SBA, communicating results, and in contributing to IFC’s thought leadership position on sustainability. S/he is expected to promote cooperation across the four IFC Advisory Services Business Lines. S/he is expected to contribute actively to the SBA Management Team and sharing collective leadership responsibility with other SBA Management Team members. Specific accountabilities would include oversight over: Strategy Development • Development and progress monitoring of the SBA strategy, including conceptualizing key issues, and supporting the Global SBA Managers and RBLMs – in close coordination with INR and MAS – in managing a dynamic product mix and defining effective delivery models to maximize the impact of SBA interventions. • Annual strategy cycle, specifically to design and document the SBA Business Line strategy and manage its adoption, plus monitor progress towards corporate and business line targets on quarterly basis. Global & Regional Operations • Operations and governance of Business Line Committee, including setting agenda for quarterly meetings and following-up on identified priorities. • Operations and governance of the Department Leadership team. • Works closely with the Global SBA Managers and SBA RBLMs in all phases of the business cycle and builds strong ties with the SBA RBLMs and the product lines to foster a programmatic approach to client delivery. • Ensures the consistency and helps the product lines to define the expected results and impact of SBA products and ensures that teams have strong results-focus. • Is accountable for knowledge management internally as well as for advancing key thought leadership initiatives externally and acts (directly or through her/his expert team) as a final reviewer during preparation of analytical and knowledge deliverables that have a relevant SBA component. • Monitors quality standards and performance of the SBA portfolio, evaluates development effectiveness and progress using the SBA-BL M&E frameworks, and advises Global Managers and RBLMs to take corrective actions where and if necessary. Communications & Knowledge Management • External and internal communications for SBA. • Knowledge agenda and identifies the best delivery models to transform knowledge into action and increase the impact of SBA work. • Encourages cross-support and cross-fertilization of knowledge among staff to ensure the incorporation and dissemination of SBA good practices across IFC. • Creation and organization of technical training events and opportunities (including online) to disseminate innovative and operational knowledge to all staff affiliated with SBA. • Supported by the Global Managers, builds, actively manages and maintains a knowledge management platform for SBA that is closely integrated with investment operations. • Learning events for both internal stakeholders (e.g., global and regional staff, investment staff) and external stakeholders (e.g., client counterparts). • Communication channels (such as e-mail distribution lists, newsletters and internet sites) to core, affiliate, and outside members to ensure for an interactive and vibrant community of experts. Donor Relations • Fundraising for the Global Facility for Sustainable Business Advisory to include current and new donors. • Compliance to and reporting against donor agreements and coordinate the production of the SBA business line annual report. • Organize the SBA donor meeting and keep donors engaged on SBA updates. • Facilitate donor engagements, providing intelligence and materials. Results Measurement and Portfolio Management • Monitoring & Evaluation relationships and work programs, continued adoption of results measurement frameworks for products and guidance to regional and corporate M+E staff on best practice and expectations on quality assurance from SBA. • Analysis of portfolio and results, in particular for managing by data, and portfolio / product reviews, prepare quarterly portfolio reports and manage ‘exceptions’. • Development of SBA indicators and reach targets, and contribute to the development of the IFC Development Goals. • Development of efficiency metrics, and application within SBA.
Selection Criteria:
• Master’s degree in economics, law, finance, business or equivalent professional qualification. • Strong conceptual thinker who is able to push and develop the SBA agenda, and link it with broader development goals and priorities. • A successful candidate would typically have at least 10 years of relevant experience, including management of multidisciplinary teams in complex organizations. • Proven track record of meeting or exceeding goals and objectives in challenging, multicultural work environments and in responding in a flexible and agile manner to a rapidly changing professional environment Note: If the selected candidate is a current Bank Group staff member with a Regular or Open-Ended appointment, s/he will retain his/her appointment type
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