(Senior) Investment Officer

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. Our mission is to leverage the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity on a livable planet.

The Financial Institution Group (FIG) is one of IFC’s key Departments responsible for a significant portion of IFC’s business volume, profitability, and development reach, approximately 40%. FIG engages in a wide range of sub-sectors including Microfinance, SME, Gender, Climate, Insurance, Capital Markets, Housing, Distressed Assets, and other areas, with both investment and advisory services delivered globally to IFC’s clients through IFC’s global network.  FIG has three main objectives: 1) financial inclusion 2) servicing the real economy and 3) mobilizing third-party resources.  

• FIG’s East Asia and the Pacific (EAP) team is based across the region, including main offices in Singapore, China (Beijing), Indonesia (Jakarta), Vietnam (Hanoi and HCMC), the Philippines (Manila), and Thailand (Bangkok), as well as other smaller offices across the region. The team members work on both new business development (including transaction processing) and portfolio supervision/client relationship management across the region. Both new business and portfolio supervision activity of the FIG team entails engagement with all types of Financial Intermediaries (e.g. commercial banks, microfinance companies, insurance companies, NBFIs, etc.) across multiple products ranging from senior debt to straight equity investments.
• FIG is recruiting a GG-level (Senior) Investment Officer to join its investment team that originates, manages and monitors IFC’s financial sector investments in Viet Nam.  The (Senior) Investment Officer will be based in Hanoi or HCMC, Viet Nam and will report to the FIG Regional Industry Manager covering North East Asia.
• If the selected candidate is a current Bank Group staff member with a Regular or Open-Ended appointment, s/he will retain his/her Regular or Open-Ended appointment. All others will be offered a 3-year term appointment.

Duties and Accountabilities:

The candidate is required to know and effectively use fundamental business concepts and practices and to provide analytical, research and other professional support to the program.

• Develop long-term relationships with key clients and other stakeholders at the working level to identify and act on opportunities for repeat business and engage effectively with other syndicate lenders at the working level, with a focus on climate finance.
• Work independently and with senior staff and management to develop a strong pipeline of good quality investment opportunities in Viet Nam.
• Shape business leads into actionable concepts ready for mandate by identifying and screening potential investment opportunities, preparing the investment thesis, and leading the concept structuring of those opportunities.
• Lead the processing of investment proposals including internal approval process and client negotiations.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with FI partners in Viet Nam to develop specific investment opportunities.
• Supervise the gathering of lessons learned on important topics across the portfolio, connect trends from different areas of the portfolio, and make recommendations on how these could improve business development and transaction structuring.
• Coordinate closely with credit, legal, treasury, blended finance, climate business department (CBD) and other internal support units to find solutions to the specific investment or client challenges to enable transactions and identify ways to strengthen development impact and financial sustainability of projects.
• Assess and articulate the development impact of more complex transactions at the sector or subsector level.
• Perform complex, credit risk rating assessments, covenant compliance reviews, and development impact assessment. Review the quality of portfolio review work performed by more junior staff.
• Prepare investment committee materials focusing on financial and nonfinancial risk assessment and deal structuring.

Required Skills

• Possesses an extensive network with key players in the FI sector in Viet Nam, and an ability to leverage the network to maintain expertise, identify and capitalize on business opportunities, and bring deals to closure.
• Able to read and anticipate shifts in market trends and the implications for IFC’s current and future business.
• Ability to direct and review complex financial information and financial analytical work performed by team members and quickly assess what it means as well as identify where there are gaps, inaccuracies, or inappropriate applications.
• Capacity to lead successful negotiations with clients and different stakeholders based on an in-depth understanding of IFC requirements, policies, and practices as well as client and stakeholder interests. Ability to offer alternative solutions to capitalize on opportunities and overcome impasses.
• Ability to develop a client engagement plan and implement it by maintaining ongoing relationships with senior-level clients, developing a deep knowledge of their business and priorities, anticipating their unexpressed needs, and helping them look beyond markets where they are currently active.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to describe complex issues, approaches, and lessons in a manner that is relevant and understandable to clients/stakeholders. Ability to communicate fluently in Vietnamese would be a strong plus.

Selection Criteria

• Master’s degree in finance, Economics, Accounting, or similar relevant education.
• Minimum of 8 – 12 years of relevant experience in the financial sector, including a solid operational understanding of commercial banks and other financial entities in the region.
• Demonstrated network of top-level contacts in the financial services and investment industries in Viet Nam.
• Demonstrated success developing new business and deals that add value to a diverse group of clients.
• Advanced financial, credit and risk evaluation skills, with demonstrated ability to structure and negotiate a variety of complex financial instruments (debt and equity); experience in portfolio management.
• Documented experience identifying, originating, and qualifying new business opportunities developing and executing results-driven client engagements.
• Sound business judgment and strong problem solving/negotiation skills, as well as ability to work effectively on simultaneous projects under time pressure.
• Capacity to deal with conflicting priorities and deliver high quality work on schedule; facility to work successfully in multicultural teams and across boundaries.
• Ability to build and maintain relationships with the business community and governmental authorities, as needed.
• Demonstrated strong written, presentation, and business level communications skills in English.
• Ability to communicate fluently in Vietnamese would be a strong plus.
• Ability to synthesize and present information effectively and tailored to different audiences.
• Genuine commitment to sustainable development.
• The position requires regional and international travel.

Source: https://worldbankgroup.csod.com/ats/careersite/JobDetails.aspx?id=29100&site=1