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 2023, IFC committed a record US$43.7 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.
IFC’s Corporate Strategy Unit (CSMCS) is one of two units in the Strategy and Operations Management Department (CSMDR), reporting to the VP of Corporate Support (COSVP). The Corporate Strategy unit formulates IFC corporate strategy, in partnership with operations and other support functions. Bringing in external perspectives and insights, Corporate Strategy develops relevant analytics to support IFC Senior Management decision making. The unit works closely with operations to co-develop sector or thematic strategies, advises on their implementation, and reports to the Board on their implementation. CMSCS is the corporate relationship manager that both leads and coordinates corporate strategy engagements with other parts of the World Bank Group, including OPCS, the FCV Group and the Independent Evaluation Group (IEG). The unit is organized into four verticals, (i) IFC Corporate Strategy; (ii) Operational Strategy; (iii) FCS/IDA Coordination Unit; (iv) IFC-IEG engagement.
IFC is looking for a pro-active, can-do Strategy Officer to join the Corporate Strategy vertical of CSMCS. The ideal candidate should have strong capabilities in strategy articulation and development, program management, market research, writing and data analysis.
Duties and Accountabilities
The duties and accountabilities for this position include but are not limited to the following:
Strategy Articulation and Development: Lead specific workstreams to support the articulation and production of strategy documents, planning tools and other corporate papers (e.g., Strategy and Business Outlook, Development Committee Papers, Budget Paper, Board of Governors report etc.). Contribute to the strategic thought process for content development and drafting, prepare briefing materials, and strategic insights notes.
Market Research and Analytics: Independently undertake market research and analytics, leveraging internal and external data sources to inform the development of strategic positions on operationally relevant topics. Contribute to the development of core set of analytics and indicators that capture private sector trends in regions and sectors of operation, including impact of global macro environment to support IFC corporate strategy formulation.
Program Management and Stakeholder Engagement: Support the Team Lead in managing work programs – from concept design through project planning, insight generation, strategy development, and Board endorsement. Provide focused stakeholder management support on various projects and contribute to the ideation process with senior stakeholders on the strategic narrative for their regions, industries, functional areas, and socialization of corporate-wide strategy documents. Co-prepare workshops with a broader audience of WBG experts, engage with IFC stakeholders and monitor project’s progress.
Strategic Initiatives and Strategy Network: Contribute to and/or lead delivery of other projects in the CSMCS unit as they emerge, including delivery of activities related to the WBG Evolution playbook, IFC’s Strategy Network, Corporate Induction Sessions, Learning Series, and intradepartmental & firm-wide initiatives, as needed.
Data Analysis and Visualization: Contribute to the preparation of quantitative and qualitative data analysis relevant to IFC business. Prepare visualization of collected data and provide support in developing and maintaining user-friendly databases, as needed.
The selected candidate will work closely with colleagues in CSMCS, IFC Industries & Regions, Advisory and Upstream as well other counterparts in IFC / the World Bank Group.
Selection Criteria
Master’s degree in business, economics, international development, or a closely related field with a minimum of 5 years of relevant experience.
Strong research and analytical skills – both quantitative and qualitative, with demonstrated ability to distill, integrate, and translate complex issues and information from diverse sources and perspectives into clear, crips and strategically relevant insights. Demonstrated ability to leverage and build databases.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including proven experience in long form (word documents and power point presentation).
Ability to consider problems from new perspectives and expand on the thinking/solutions proposed by others; independent engagement in analysis and tasks requiring the interpretation of complex or imperfect sets of information.
Ability to work and integrate into changing project teams, get up to speed with new topics quickly and carry out analysis with minimal supervision.
Experience in private sector and development consultancies, with exposure to Emerging and Development Markets is highly valued.
Experience in data visualization tools is a plus.
Superior interpersonal skills, and ability to prioritize as well as multi-task.
