Principal Investment Officer - International Finance Corporation

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. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.

The Africa Infrastructure Unit, an open and dynamic unit which annually processes several large-scale infrastructure transactions, ranging from transportation, logistics, power, and telecoms to natural resources, is seeking a Principal Investment Officer (‘PIO’) to join our team.

The selected candidate will be based in Lagos or Accra and will work under the oversight of the New Business Manager, Infrastructure and Natural Resources, Western and Central Africa.  

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Duties and Responsibilities: 

The candidate is expected to perform the functions of a new business PIO at all material stages of the IFC deal cycle, from deal origination to portfolio management:

• Play a senior leadership role for the Africa Infrastructure team with a foreseen emphasis on power and transportation sub-sectors with added responsibilities for business development across all infra sectors
• Develop a strong pipeline of good quality investment opportunities in the Africa region by anticipating market trends and employing sector/country knowledge
• Supervise a commensurate number of Infrastructure projects in the African region
• Work closely with the country managers and officers – joint work to include developing client, country and sector strategies
• Work in close collaboration with the Africa INR Upstream team to support the development and execution of selected Upstream initiatives and projects 
• Work closely with the Africa INR Portfolio team to ensure a sound portfolio including the generation of repeat business
• Evaluate, structure, negotiate, and close new transactions, portfolio restructurings, capital increases, equity sales, etc
• Review and analyze business opportunities, synthesize information into internal reports for decision-making purposes 
• Develop innovative and appropriate financial structures for complex transactions
• Lead negotiation/documentation teams; use strong negotiation skills to develop solutions and overcome impasses in straightforward and complex transactions
• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, global and regional private businesses, banking and multilateral partners and government officials to further develop investment opportunities
• Lead and manage project teams, mentor and develop junior staff in the team
• Coordinate closely with social, environmental, and technical assistance colleagues to add value to our client's businesses, find pragmatic solutions to specific sector challenges, and achieve sustainable development impact

Selection Criteria

• MBA or equivalent qualification;
• At least 15 years of experience with a development finance institution (DFI), a commercial and investment bank or a private equity firm with tasks related to private sector infrastructure financing;
• Proven and recent deal track record of sourcing, structuring and closing investments in infrastructure sectors, including investments in the Africa region;
• Regional knowledge of countries and understanding of infrastructure challenges faced by countries within the region;
• Knowledge of the various infra core sectors (power, transportation, utilities, telecoms, natural resources); equity investment, project finance and renewable energy finance experience is essential; Prior exposure to the transport sector is a plus;
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English, French is a plus; 
• Strong credit skills backed by references;

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• Strong business development and client relationship skills, demonstrated network relevant for the team’s business, track record and ability to focus on clients’ needs effectively;
• Willingness to travel extensively;
• Financial skills: demonstrated ability to structure a variety of complex financial instruments (debt and equity);
• Strong track record of portfolio management of complex projects;
• Sound business judgment in identifying potential business partners;
• Ability to interact directly and independently with the senior management of potential clients, financial and technical partners as well as senior government officials;
• Strong interpersonal skills, ability to interact effectively with clients and colleagues from various cultural backgrounds;
• Proven ability to mentor junior investment staff;
• Highly motivated, and committed to the highest ethical standards;
• Genuine commitment to sustainable development.