Principal Banking Sector Specialist- Mexico City, Mexico

Job #:	112512
Title:	Principal Banking Sector Specialist
Job Stream:	Technical Assistance & Advisory Services
Location:	Mexico City, Mexico
Closing Date:	01/22/2012
Background / General description:
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, promotes sustainable private sector investment in developing countries as a way to reduce poverty and improve people’s lives. In addition to its investment work, IFC provides advisory services to a number of its clients to support them in meeting specific development goals. IFC’s support to the financial sector is implemented via its Access to Finance Business (A2F) Line and is organized around the following main themes: • Retail and Micro: Microfinance, Mobile Financial Services, Housing Finance, Rural Finance, Responsible Finance and Insurance. • SME and Business: SME Finance, Sustainable Energy Finance, Agrifinance, Leasing, Trade Finance, Gender, Risk Management and Corporate Governance. • Financial Infrastructure: Credit Reporting, Collateral Registries and Secured Transactions, Securities Markets. These services are delivered through regional Advisory Services (AS) facilities, with support from global product specialists, and in partnership with IFC’s Investment Services (IS) teams. SME Banking Advisory Services SMEs are a primary driver of job creation and GDP growth. SMEs greatly contribute to economic diversification and social stability and they play an important role for private sector development. However, SME development also represents a significant challenge. SMEs typically face more severe constraints to growth than large companies, with their lack of critical mass resulting in reduced access to markets, skills and capital. SMEs, particularly in developing countries, have historically lacked access to financial products and services. Microfinance institutions have emerged to serve the smallest of these enterprises, while banking institutions have typically concentrated on large corporations. SMEs fall between these two markets where there is a finance gap commonly described as the “missing middle”. IFC provides advisory services to financial institutions around the world, focusing in particular on helping banks develop and improve their SME banking operations. The objective of such advisory services is to increase SMEs’ access to financing in the developing world, bridging the SME finance gap by fostering emerging markets financial institutions’ appetite and ability to efficiently target the SME segment. The work leverages IFC’s long track record of investment and advisory services in commercial and retail financial institutions, and will achieve the following strategic objectives: 1. Ensure consistent delivery of SME Banking knowledge and advisory services in emerging markets through IFC Regional Facilities. 2. Establish a strong knowledge management and dissemination function to formalize and share IFC’s experience, best practices in OECD and emerging markets, with respect to SME Banking. This SME banking work is expected to have a strong developmental impact, namely by: (1) addressing the SME finance gap; (2) helping to develop a sustainable SME banking sector through capacity-building; (3) deepen financial markets and stimulate competition in the SME banking sector; (4) disseminating SME banking best practices and skills in developing markets; and (5) generating employment through the resultant growth of SMEs.
Duties and Accountabilities:
IFC is seeking to recruit a highly-motivated Senior / Principal SME Banking Specialist for the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region, with extensive hands-on experience in designing and managing projects related to the implementation of SME banking in emerging markets based on international best practices. The Specialist will be responsible for developing a strategy and leading the delivery of the LAC SME banking program. He/she will work closely with the local Access to Finance (A2F) advisory services team and will coordinate with Investment Services teams. He/ she will work under the supervision of the A2F Regional Business Line Manager to expand the portfolio of client projects in the region. He/she will also support a substantial knowledge and learning agenda for SME banking in partnership with the global SME banking team, and will be expected to contribute to tools and standards that are disseminated globally. The position will be based in Mexico City. The Specialist will be expected to spend the bulk of his/her time working on project implementation in LAC, but should plan on contributing some of his/her time (10-20%) to the global learning agenda and supporting projects in other regions, so that knowledge and learning from LAC can be exported and lessons learned in other regions imported to LAC. Specific tasks include: Strategy and Innovation: • In consultation with the Global Product Leader/Specialists, develop the SME Banking Advisory Services strategy in LAC, with a focus on achieving high developmental impact (defined as expanding access to finance for SMEs) and ensure alignment with IFC’s strategic objectives in LAC more generally; • Ensure innovative approaches are developed/ imported, tailored and applied in relevant markets in LAC; • Contribute to a global strategy for SME banking, based on best practices and learning in LAC; Business Development • Lead the further development of a project portfolio in SME banking in LAC, identifying and vetting prospective clients in partnership with other SME banking and regional IFC AS operational staff, the global specialist team and investment teams; • Develop partnership proposals for prospective clients on the basis of appraisals of their operations and on-going business development discussions; • Guide client projects through IFC’s internal approval process, ensuring that lessons learned world-wide are appropriately taken into account in the design of new projects; Project Implementation and Technical Support • Manage implementation of the LAC SME banking activities, under the supervision of the A2F Regional Business Line Manager and in coordination with the Global Product Leader; • Monitor implementation and progress of SME banking projects and recommend corrective actions where/if necessary; • Supervise consultant work to ensure high quality and on-time delivery of work program; • Support IFC SME banking investment efforts, by interacting closely with the Global Financial Markets (CGF) industry department; this will include supporting the vetting of potential investment clients, pipeline identification and participation in joint investment-advisory appraisals, where appropriate; Results Measurement and Learning • Collaborate closely with the LAC Monitoring & Evaluation Officer, to ensure that evaluation activities are embedded into project design and implementation; • Oversee development of necessary approval documents, supervision and completion reports, and review for quality control; • Contribute to the design and development of internal and external knowledge management events to share product lessons and experience, and to learn from others; • Ensure project materials related to SME banking are properly documented and archived, with the objective of building core product expertise and a solid knowledge base; • Support global dissemination of knowledge through participation in regular practice group meetings with peer specialists, conducting appraisal missions in other regions and on-going contribution of client-tested SME banking tools; Resource Management • Provide technical supervision support to the LAC team working on IFC’s SME banking client engagements; • As required, provide feedback on performance of specific regional staff; • Recommend allocation and deployment of relevant internal technical specialists to client projects; • Support the identification and selection of short-term consultants/firms to deliver agreed programs of work with clients; • Help raise additional donor funding for the SME banking program in the region; • Ensure appropriate utilization of budgeted resources for SME banking;
Selection Criteria:
• MBA, Master of Finance, Master of Public Policy or other relevant qualification. • At least 12 years of operational banking and consulting experience in financial services internationally in developed and emerging markets, with direct experience in SME banking to expand access to financial services to SMEs. • Experience in designing SME banking advisory programs in LAC is a plus. • Recognized leadership in the banking, consulting or development finance communities, particularly in access to finance. • Strong familiarity with international best market practices and global trends in SME banking. • Experience in due diligence exercises for advisory or investments engagements in emerging market financial institutions. A demonstrated ability to identify problems and propose solutions to clients. • A keen interest in development finance and in working in a multicultural environment; experience in a multilateral finance institution would be an advantage. • Strong business development and client relationship management skills and ability to establish credibility among clients. • A strategic thinker with the ability to work effectively in teams, communicate ideas clearly and confidently, articulate issues and recommend solutions. • Fluent written and spoken English and Spanish a requirement. Ability to operate in Portuguese and/or French would be an advantage. • Willingness and ability to travel extensively. As a representative of the World Bank Group, all professional activities are expected to be consistent with our Core Values: personal honesty, integrity, commitment, working together in teams -with openness and trust; empowering others and respecting differences; encouraging risk-taking and responsibility; enjoying our work and our families. Details (vacancy #152512) are available in the World Bank Careers website: www.ifc.org, click on ‘Careers’ and then on ‘Current opportunities. Applications should be sent in English. All applications must be submitted through this website. 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. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered. Cover letter should clearly describe the relevant results the candidate has delivered in prior positions, rather than simply listing responsibilities. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. The contract for this position has an initial duration of 2 years (renewable), with a one-year probation period. This is international hire (paid in USA dollars). The appointee will be stationed in Mexico City, Mexico; Bogota, Colombia or Panama City, Panama. Closing date is [January 22th, 2012].
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