Senior Environmental and Social Dev Specialist

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 2024, IFC committed a record $56.1 billion in 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 unprecedented levels of uncertainty and volatility. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.

IFC is looking for a dynamic, motivated, and detail-oriented Senior Environmental & Social (E&S) Specialist to provide cross-regional E&S leadership. This professional will provide support to clients and IFC’s investment and advisory teams on E&S risk management across sectors, especially infrastructure and manufacturing, agribusiness and services in alignment with IFC Performance Standards and Sustainability Policy with the aim to enhance E&S outcomes of IFC-supported investments and advisory mandates.

Roles and Responsibilities:

1) Early Screening, Due Diligence, Portfolio supervision

• Lead or contribute to review of E&S issues/risks in new investments and select advisory engagements in the real sector, and in the identification and development of risk mitigation measures and value-add solutions, including through transaction structuring, that support clients in addressing identified issues throughout IFC’s project cycle.
• Clear and proactive guidance to IFC investment teams on E&S risk management in project decision-making and processing throughout the investment cycle.
• When leading E&S assessments, ensure effective and efficient use of staff, consultants, and resources, ensuring the timely completion of deliverables. Provide guidance and support to team members.
• Proactively monitor portfolio clients and engage with clients and investment departments to achieve compliance with contractual E&S requirements. Clearly document and communicate any outstanding or emerging gaps between client performance and IFC requirements, and related risks to IFC.
• Support industry teams and clients in response to Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO) and Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) requests, leading discussion with CAO and IEG officers.
• Contribute to portfolio analysis to identify systemic issues and assess trends, including any issues of policy nature and propose policy adjustments as needed.
• Contribute to global / regional supervision program reviews and periodic reports.

2) Upstream and Advisory Services

• On the basis of new business processing and portfolio analysis, help identify systemic bottlenecks existing in the market that prevent adequate E&S risk management. In collaboration with Upstream officers and advisory teams, help develop upstream activities by using technical experience and expertise.
• Work proactively to identify opportunities for ESG advisory engagements that result in greater development impact and value for the client; provide expert input into new IFC advisory offering.
• Participate in strategic decision making (as needed) regarding IFC role in advisory support to enhance E&S risk management and ESG capacity building sector clients. Where relevant support the development of appropriate solutions.

3) Knowledge Management

• Participate in cross-regional and global teams responsible for the preparation of policy interpretation notes on E&S topics and contribute to the corporate knowledge base by analyzing and disseminating lessons learned from project work.
• Participate in forums or conferences to showcase IFC experience, approach and value proposition (which includes serving as a panelist or moderator for internal and external events).
• Prepare management briefs of relevant E&S matters.
• Provide guidance/mentor more junior staff and Short-Term Consultants (STCs) working on E&S risk management and supervise the timeliness and quality of their work, in coordination with the ESG Regional Manager.

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