Description

The Infrastructure Practice Group is charged with developing sustainable solutions to help close infrastructure gaps in developing and emerging economies. It comprises Energy and Extractives, Transport, Digital Development, and Infrastructure Finance, Public Private Partnerships and Guarantees (IPG) Department. The World Bank’s active portfolio in Infrastructure consists of 400 operations, implemented by a workforce of over 700 staff in headquarters and 82 country offices. The core values guiding our work include our passion for sustainable poverty reduction, our willingness to put the needs of the client at the center of all our activities, and our honesty and integrity as a common currency.

Infrastructure Finance, PPPs and Guarantees (IPG) Department Overview

The IPG Department provides, in collaboration with the World Bank Global Practices, IFC and MIGA, across the infrastructure investment cycle: (i) upstream through advice on strategic prioritization and planning for infrastructure investment programs, support for policy and regulatory strengthening, and institutional capacity building; (ii) midstream through project identification, preparation and structuring, including analysis of the most appropriate contracting and financing modes; and (iii) downstream by structuring alternative options to public finance and by deploying financial instruments of the World Bank, including World Bank Guarantees and credit enhancements to that end, while ensuring financial and technical sustainability of appropriate financial solutions.

Global Infrastructure Facility (GIF)

The Global Infrastructure Facility (GIF) was created in 2014 as a G20 initiative. The GIF’s overarching goal of increasing private sector infrastructure investment in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs) is predicated on two objectives: (1) bringing to market bankable, quality infrastructure programs and projects in EMDEs and (2) expanding the market for private infrastructure finance in EMDEs. Through its upstream advisory window, the GIF tackles head-on the dearth of bankable, sustainable infrastructure pipelines in EMDEs through the provision of end-to-end transaction advisory services to governments, including both funding and technical expertise of the GIF team. To complement its upstream advisory window, the GIF is designing a downstream financing window to provide a tailored suite of risk mitigation products to mobilize greater levels of private investment in developing country infrastructure. A financial intermediary fund housed at the World Bank, the GIF is a partnership program that works with multilateral development banks that are the GIF’s Technical Partners.

GIF Management Unit Responsibilities

The staff of the GIF Management Unit (MU) undertake the following core responsibilities:

• Pipeline Development and Project Preparation – The MU works with the GIF’s Technical Partners, and in response to country requests, to identify and develop a pipeline of infrastructure programs and projects, evaluating needs in project preparation, transaction support and financial structuring, and assessing market-readiness, government commitment, and project feasibility.  Technical Partner teams, which lead GIF-funded activities, are supported by GIF staff specializing in PPP design, technical and financial feasibility assessment, and regulation of infrastructure.
• Financial and Risk Instruments – The MU is also responsible for support in the development of appropriate project structures with a view to attracting private sector investment, and optimizing the mix of financial instruments to ensure public sector objectives are met without undue burden to the governmental balance sheet. This may involve developing and operationalizing the GIF downstream credit enhancement window. The work will be led by specialists with experience in financial structuring of complex PPPs, and in the credit enhancement and combination of financial instruments required to bring such PPPs to financial close.
• Trust Fund Management – The MU is responsible for managing the resources of the GIF; planning, implementing and reporting on uses of funds; developing and adjusting the business plans and operating procedures according to the evolving needs of the Governing Council; and responding to the audit and information requests of the Governing Council. 
• Partnership Coordination – The MU also coordinates relations with the GIF’s Funding, Technical, and Advisory Partners, as well as other partners and initiatives in the emerging market infrastructure finance ecosystem.
• Quality Assurance and PPP Knowledge – The MU is also responsible for assuring that best practices and latest approaches on PPP design are applied to each GIF project, and that the lessons learned from GIF approaches at both the platform and project level are captured, returned to the GIF and broadly disseminated.  On the knowledge side, the MU also organizes regular convocations of Advisory Partners around core themes related to the financing of infrastructure, leads efforts related to the development of PPP pipelines, and undertakes highly-targeted analytical work related to the development of infrastructure as an asset class.

GIF’s post-pilot phase commenced on July 1, 2020. The GIF is seeking a Senior Infrastructure Finance Specialist who aspires to work with a dynamic team in a global context to promote private investment in EMDE infrastructure with expertise in infrastructure finance and related partnership, communications and knowledge management strategies and activities.

Duties and Accountabilities:

• Lead and oversee GIF strategy, partnership, communications and knowledge management functions, including:
• Lead strategy planning and execution, oversee updates to the GIF post-pilot strategy, develop annual strategic workplans, prepare interim strategy and operational updates.
• Lead partnership engagement strategy and partnership management to maximize the GIF’s global collaboration platform. Lead fundraising strategy and carry out fundraising activities with public and private donors. Engage in relationship management with key external and internal constituencies, including the GIF’s Funding Partners (donors), Technical Partners (MDBs), Beneficiary Partners (representatives of EMDEs), Advisory Partners (investors and banks), and other key stakeholders (e.g. UN, GI Hub, OECD, etc.) and initiatives in emerging market infrastructure finance.
• Oversee the development and execution of GIF communication strategies and implementation plans, products and content that enhance the GIF’s public profile and drive positioning.
• Lead the development, and implementation of the GIF’s knowledge strategy and agenda, and supports the management of knowledge as a strategic asset to further the GIF’s goal and objectives. Engage with Advisory Partners related to the conceptualization, development, and implementation of knowledge activities that are aligned with interests and for which the GIF can add value.
• Advise or contribute across the GIF responsibilities described above and in particular, assuring that best practices and latest approaches on PPP design are applied to each GIF project, and that lessons learned from GIF approaches at the platform and project levels are captured, returned to the GIF and made widely available. 
• Other tasks as requested by the Head of the GIF.

Selection Criteria

• Master’s degree in finance, economics, engineering, management, public policy or a related field.
• A minimum of eight years of relevant experience in the fields of infrastructure project financing and structuring, and credit enhancement, with solid experience or exposure to related infrastructure partnership, fund-raising, communications and knowledge management.
• Solid knowledge and experience of global infrastructure financing ecosystem, its dynamics, potential challenges and recommendations. Track record of achievements in collaboration with MDBs and other development partners including donors, DFIs, and major private sector players.
• Recognized by peers and/or managers for providing high quality, pragmatic advice to clients on infrastructure PPPs, or making significant contributions to partnership, communications, knowledge management in those fields.
• Client focus and commitment to results.
• High level written and oral presentation skills in English.  Proficiency in French or Spanish strongly desirable.
• Women from developing countries are particularly encouraged to apply.

Source:https://worldbankgroup.csod.com/ats/careersite/JobDetails.aspx?id=11141&site=1