Operations Officer - Access to Finance- Chengdu, China

Job #:	111233
Title:	Operations Officer - Access to Finance
Job Stream:	Technical Assistance & Advisory Services
Location:	Chengdu, China
Closing Date:	10/12/2012
Background / General description:
The Organization: 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 Advisory Services is structured into four business lines – Access to Finance, Investment Climate, Sustainable Business Advisory and Public-Private Partnerships. IFC’s Access to Finance (A2F) business line aims to increase the number of individuals/firms with access to basic financial services, to increase the diversity of financial services available to poor households, and to lower the costs of essential services. The Program: IFC’s Access to Finance Program in China (the “Program”) provides policy advice to help develop the necessary infrastructure for FIs to lend sustainably to MSME and rural enterprises and aims to improve the capacity of individual banking and non-banking FIs to serve the lower end of the market. In China, the financial sector serving micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) is severely under-developed, particularly in rural areas. Financial policy, regulations and infrastructure require further reform to facilitate lending to the underserved. Through mainstreaming microfinance and introducing SME banking, leasing, and sustainable energy finance, IFC is helping Chinese banks to diversify their products to underserved markets, greatly extending the reach of secure and reliable banking services. IFC also supports institutional change in the financial sector to increase access to finance, including the establishment of credit bureaus and movable assets registries in China. Reporting Line: This position reports directly to the Program Manager for Access to Finance in China. Scope of Work: The Operations Officer (“OO”) will work closely with other team members in A2F and will be an important source of knowledge and expertise on financial sector issues in China. S/he is expected to independently lead the development of advisory projects, particularly in the areas of (1) microfinance - including policy advice to government agencies on microfinance regulation and promotion, and business development/capacity building for individual FIs to assist them to better serve rural, micro, and small (RMS) enterprises, and (2) mobile banking – including advice on policy and regulatory reforms, building up efficient sector level institutions, and the development of specific pilot projects targeted to the RMS population. In close cooperation with other team members, the OO will focus on: a) Developing project concepts, including project logical frameworks, preparing and vetting concept notes, and preparing internal approval documents; b) Guiding project implementation, including managing consulting teams; c) Measuring and reporting project results; d) Identifying potential clients and stakeholders and managing relations with them; e) Conducting applied research in areas relevant to microfinance and mobile banking; and f) Providing leadership in gathering and sharing knowledge about IFC Access to Finance experience in China, particularly relating to microfinance and mobile banking. The work requires extensive coordination with other IFC teams including regional/global resources. The OO must be a well-organized, proactive person, with the ability to represent IFC in large and small gatherings to private and public sector stakeholders.
Duties and Accountabilities:
• Assist in the design of projects, if necessary, including preparation of internal approval documents: logic models, monitoring and evaluation frameworks, cost-benefit analysis, and project concept and approval documents; • Prepare project workplans, budgets and other operational documents, consistent with overall IFC objectives, plans and budgets. Maintain compliance of the project(s) with IFC’s overall financial market strategy and IFC procedures; • Work closely with other team members to ensure that program objectives are met, including monitoring and reporting the output, outcome and impact of the project(s). Document the progress of projects, resolve issues and initiate improvements for projects when needed; • Prepare project monitoring documents, including all required supervision reports and completion reports; • Select and monitor consultants including the preparation of TORs, negotiation of fees, contract issuance and quality control; work alongside consultants in technical assistance assignment, often in client’s office; coach and direct the work of consultants; • Maintain active contacts with regulatory and monetary authorities, financial institutions, SME community, research institutes and donors as well as other parts of the World Bank Group to keep abreast of the financial sector development in China; • Organize training sessions, and deliver selected contents of training; develop and/or review training materials in both Chinese and English; Design and carry out baseline and thematic studies on financial sector policy and regulatory issues; • Prepare documents intended for external release, briefings for the World Bank Group management, Chinese/English translations, etc.; • Provide ad-hoc advice to clients on various financial institution management, sub-sector development and policy/regulatory issues, including written inputs; • While performing the above duties, proactively seek out international best practices on microfinance and mobile banking, share information, work in teams with other officers; and report any procedural/policy issues to the Program Manager; and • Travel as necessary to areas/cities inside and outside China; and undertake ad-hoc tasks assigned by the Program Manager and/or Country Manager / Regional Business Leader.
Selection Criteria:
• At least a Master degree in Finance, Business, Development, Law or Economics or other relevant discipline required; • Minimum 7 years of relevant experience in financial industry, preferably some years of overseas study/working experience; • Experience with international banks, regulatory agencies and/or bilateral/multilateral development institutions would be an advantage, as well as prior work in FS training; • Good knowledge of Chinese business environment, in particular policies and regulations on the financial sector; • Excellent knowledge of finance theory and practice; • Proven ability in writing concise and persuasive materials; • Good strategic and policy sense, interpersonal skills and team spirit, as well as good intellectual capacity; • Ability to communicate ideas clearly, confidently and properly with clients in the Chinese context; build consensus, articulate issues and recommend solutions; • Ability and willingness to lead task management, collect and aggregate information from a variety of sources, and distill essential elements with policy and strategic implications; • Ability to work effectively under time pressure with high degree of accuracy and with a strong capacity to produce quality work; • Proven ability to demonstrate initiative, monitor issues and tasks, meet deadlines and priorities, and ability to work in a team; • Strong oral and written English and Chinese skills, including ability to write and edit project/program documents; • Strong computer skills, with an emphasis on Word, Excel and Powerpoint; IFC offers a challenging and rewarding work environment, attractive compensation and excellent career opportunities. All applications will be treated in strict confidence. Please note that only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
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