Operations Officer - Local Champions Initiative (LCI)
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Job #: |
req39347 |
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Organization: |
IFC |
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Sector: |
Operations |
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Grade: |
GG |
| Term Duration: | Open-Ended Staff (OPEN-OP) |
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Recruitment Type: |
International Recruitment |
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Location: |
Harare,Zimbabwe |
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Required Language(s): |
English |
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Preferred Language(s): |
French and Portuguese |
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Closing Date: |
11/17/2026 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC |
Description
At the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group (WBG), you’ll join a diverse, global community working across cultures, disciplines, and borders to address the world’s most pressing development challenges. With 1.2 billion young people reaching working age in the decade ahead, the challenge of job creation has never been greater. Through partnerships across 145 countries and more than 182 offices worldwide, we work with governments, private sector, development partners and other stakeholders to invest in people, strengthen markets, and deliver scalable, data-driven solutions that generate more and better jobs and improve lives. In fiscal year 2026, IFC committed a record $105.6 billion to private companies and financial institutions in developing countries. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.
The IFC Africa Vice Presidency Unit (VPU) leads IFC’s investment and advisory operations across the African continent, supporting private sector development, economic growth and job creation. It works across key sectors, including infrastructure, financial services, agribusiness, manufacturing and services, mobilising private capital and leveraging World Bank Group expertise to address Africa’s development challenges. A particular focus is expanding investment in low-income and fragile and conflict-affected situations (FCS), strengthening local businesses, developing markets and creating opportunities for inclusive and sustainable growth.
Fragility, conflict, and violence (FCV) contexts present significant barriers to private sector development. IFC’s FCS Africa program supports the scaling up of IFC engagement in these markets through advisory, upstream, and investment support, aligned with the WBG FCV Strategy. Advisory programs are delivered across the key workstreams of local domestic private sector, forced displacement and conflict sensitivity. A key focus of the unit is the scale up of the Local Champions Initiative to scale IFC’s engagement with strong local corporates in FCS and non-FCS countries.
Duties and accountabilities:
• Coordinate IFC FCS Africa engagements across Mozambique, Madagascar, Comoros, Burundi, DRC and Zimbabwe;, ensuring delivery against agreed work programs and priorities.
• Lead the rollout of LCI in these markets, in line with agreed CMU and Industry priorities and in support of the MSME strategy.
• Provide strategic oversight of FCV strategy roll out and program delivery in markets of responsibility in conjunction with Country Management Units (CMUs), Industry, WB and FCS regional/thematic leads to define priorities and sequencing of interventions.
• Lead and coordinate private sector engagement in forced displacement contexts across the region.
• Support the WBG Country Manager and CMU in shaping and implementing IFC's re-engagement approach in Zimbabwe
Selection Criteria
• Master’s degree in business, economics, finance, public policy, or related field
• At least 8 years of relevant experience
• Strong experience in IFC advisory/upstream/project delivery, preferably in FCS contexts
• Proven track record in private sector engagement and pipeline development
• Experience working across IFC/WBG and with development partners
• Strong stakeholder management and client engagement skills
• Experience in forced displacement contexts and/or PROSPECTS-type programs is an advantage.
Note: This internal requisition is open to WBG and IMF staff only (including short-term and extended term consultants/ temporaries). External candidates are requested not to apply. In case an external candidate applies, their application will not be considered.
As the World Bank Group continues to evolve, we value candidates who:
- Demonstrate the ability to collaborate effectively across teams, disciplines, cultures, and institutional boundaries.
- Responsibly leverage digital and AI-enabled tools to enhance productivity, learning, and decision-making.
- Bring experience working in fragile, conflict-affected, and violent (FCV) contexts and are encouraged to highlight relevant experience in their application materials, where applicable.
WBG Culture Attributes:
1. Sense of urgency: Anticipate and quickly respond to the needs of internal and external stakeholders.
2. Thoughtful risk-taking: Challenge the status quo and push boundaries to achieve greater impact.
3. Empowerment and accountability: Empower yourself and others to act and hold each other accountable for results.
World Bank Group Core Competencies
The World Bank Group offers comprehensive benefits, including a retirement plan; medical, life and disability insurance; and paid leave, including parental leave, as well as reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities.
We are proud to be an equal opportunity and inclusive employer with a dedicated and committed workforce, and do not discriminate based on gender, gender identity, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability.
Learn more about working at the World Bank and IFC including our values and inspiring stories.
