Senior Financial Specialist

The Water and Sanitation Program (WSP) seeks to locally recruit a dynamic professional as a Senior Financial Specialist to be based in Nairobi, Kenya.

This is a two (2) year Coterminous local appointment (subject to renewal depending on funding, performance and business need).

WSP is a multi-donor partnership administered by the World Bank to support poor people in obtaining affordable, safe, and sustainable access to water and sanitation services. WSP operates in Africa, East Asia, Latin America, and South Asia.

The Water and Sanitation Program in Africa (WSP-AF) regional office is based in Nairobi.

One of the six business areas in WSP is Sustainable Services through Domestic Private Sector Participation. It is the business area for supporting client countries to further leverage domestic private sector finance and expertise to scale up water and sanitation services for the poor.

As part of the Domestic Private Sector Participation business area, the Senior Financial Specialist will provide expert advisory services in project and sector financing.

This includes:

• engaging in dialogue with clients, government actors, development partners on reform issues impacting on the ability of private sector to scale up services and financing to the low income markets;
  
• supporting local banks/financial institutions to finance water supply and sanitation investments;
  
• developing opportunities for increasing the depth and scope of commercial financing opportunities for small water and sanitation service providers;
  
• providing direct advice on public private partnership arrangements which could increase the viability or reduce the risk of small water providers to potential lenders;
  
• providing advisory services to utilities and country clients on how such potential borrowers can access debt finance;
  
• contributing to a better regional and global understanding of critical financial issues in the water and sanitation sector.
  

Selection Criteria:

The Senior Financial Specialist should have the following:

• A Masters degree in a relevant field such as economics, finance, business administration, or other relevant field;
  
• at least eight years of relevant experience with a solid understanding of financial analysis, financial accounting and financial modeling in both corporate and project finance contexts;
  
• demonstrated experience in supporting governments in strengthening WSS sector regulatory and policy environment regarding participation of private sector in service provision to the poor and/or business enabling environment;
  
• capacity support to micro-finance lenders and a demonstrated track record of proactive development of opportunities including working with community groups in accessing commercial finance;
• outstanding listening, verbal and written communications skills and ability to produce concise, well-written project documentation;
  
• Full written and spoken fluency in English.
• Knowledge of French or Portuguese is desirable.

For the full position description and complete selection criteria, qualified candidates are requested to visit and submit an online application at www.worldbank.org/careers click on > employment opportunities> professional / technical staff opportunities > current vacancies> Job # 120454.

The World Bank Group is committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, nationality, culture and educational background.

Individuals with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply.

Closing date is March 13, 2012.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.