(Associate) Operations Officer - Access to Finance- Sydney, Australia

Job #:	121751
Title:	(Associate) Operations Officer - Access to Finance
Job Stream:	Technical Assistance & Advisory Services
Location:	Sydney, Australia
Closing Date:	08/28/2012
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. Of these, IFC’s Access to Finance business line aims to increase the numbers 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 is expanding its operations in the Pacific – covering Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, and the Pacific Islands. The Access to Finance Program in the Pacific develops partnerships with banks, other non-bank financial institutions, microfinance institutions, regulators and related market players and provides them with technical assistance in policy reforms, capacity building, market outreach, product development and system & tools to expand their business operations with a view to increasing access to financial services for the under-served population in the Pacific. Reporting Line: This position reports directly to Senior Operations Officer (“SOO”) for Access to Finance in Sydney, Australia. Scope of Work: The (Associate) Operations Officer (“OO”) will work closely with other team members in A2F and will provide critical support for the above mentioned objectives. S/he must be an experienced professional whose knowledge and skills enable him/her to provide valuable assistance in project design, project implementation, and knowledge management initiatives with limited direct supervision. The OO is expected to provide support in the development of advisory projects, particularly in the areas of microfinance, mobile banking and financial infrastructure. In close cooperation with other team members, the OO will focus on providing support in: 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 financial infrastructure, and f) Providing leadership in gathering and sharing knowledge about IFC Access to Finance experience. The work requires extensive coordination with other IFC business lines and regional/global resources. The OO must be a well-organized, proactive person, who is envisioned, over time and with proper guidance and training, to have the ability to represent IFC in large and small gatherings to private and public sector stakeholders.
Duties and Accountabilities:
• Work with task team leaders to identify, develop, implement, monitor and evaluate A2F projects, which can contribute to the deepening and broadening of the financial industry and, in particular, improve Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs’) access to financing. • 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. • Assist in the preparation of project workplans, budgets and other operational documents, consistent with overall IFC objectives, plans and budgets. • Assist in the preparation of terms-of-reference and identification, selection and scheduling of consultant assignments, guiding consultants in the effective delivery of their services, including monitoring their work to ensure that agreed deliverables are met and that they are captured in appropriate reports. • Prepare of project monitoring documents, including all required supervision reports and completion reports, and all related financial reports. • Proactively facilitate contact between prospective clients and IFC. • Communicate the progress of the project(s) and overall program to IFC and related partners, and proactively engage with IFC communications to ensure external and internal communications issues are well addressed. • Liaise and work closely with the IFC investment team. • Identify key lessons learned to be shared with the wider IFC Access to Finance team, and develop IFC SmartLessons and other internal knowledge management documents. • Travel as necessary to support program and project design and development, and implementation. • Accept ad-hoc tasks consistent with the aims of the position as assigned.
Selection Criteria:
• Master’s degree from a reputable university with concentration in finance, business, economics, or other relevant discipline required. • At least 5 years of relevant working experience in a position with significant analytical work, preferably at least three years with financial institution(s) in an emerging market environment or prior work in financial sector advisory. • Experience being a key team member in a project, preferably donor-funded, including project set-up and completion. • Ability and comfort working with limited supervision and to think independently. • 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. • Ability to communicate ideas clearly and confidently, articulate issues and recommend practical solutions. • Strong oral and written English skills, including ability to write and edit project/program documents. • Demonstrated ability to prepare proposals, concept papers and reports to a high-level of English proficiency. • Strong interpersonal skills and proven ability to build cooperative networks. • Strong analytical and organizational skills. • 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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