Senior Operations Officer - Partnerships and Fundraising, Africa

Senior Operations Officer - Partnerships and Fundraising, Africa Job #: req34488 Organization: IFC Sector: Operations Grade: GG Term Duration: 3 years 0 months Recruitment Type: International Recruitment Location: Accra,Ghana Required Language(s): English Preferred Language(s): French Closing Date: 10/15/2025 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC

Description

Build a career with impact. Working at the World Bank Group (WBG) provides a unique opportunity to help countries solve their greatest development challenges. As one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries, the WBG is a unique partnership of five global institutions dedicated to ending poverty, increasing shared prosperity, and promoting sustainable development. With 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide, the WBG works with public and private sector partners, investing in groundbreaking projects and using data, research, and technology to develop solutions to the most urgent global challenges.

The 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 2025, IFC committed a record $71.7 billion to private companies and financial institutions in developing countries, leveraging private sector solutions, and mobilizing private capital to create a world free of poverty on a livable planet. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.

The Partnerships & Fundraising (CBFPF) unit within the Economics and Private Sector Development Vice Presidency (CEDVPU) supports IFC operations by fundraising for IFC priority areas and maintaining ongoing relationships with development partners, including sovereign partners, foundations, and private philanthropies. In addition to directly engaging with partners to support IFC activities with Blended Finance and Upstream Advisory funding, CBFPF facilitates partnership development across IFC and advises all IFC operational units on establishing and maintaining meaningful partnerships that help advance IFC’s strategic objectives.

The Blended Finance and Upstream Advisory funding mobilized by the Africa Partnerships team enables the operational work of all IFC industry departments, as well as cross-cutting teams such as Public Private Partnerships, Climate Business, E&S, Gender and Inclusion. As such, the Africa Partnerships team engages closely with all regional teams as well as 7 Africa Regional Directors.

The Senior Operations Officer will report to the Principal Operations Officer, Africa Region.

Roles and Responsibilities:

Support the management of strategic relationships and partnership development with key development partners’ funding agencies—both at the regional and embassy levels across the Africa region. This role will work in close coordination with IFC’s Regional Heads of Operations, as well as investment and advisory teams, to align partner engagement with regional priorities and business opportunities.

Work in collaboration with Partnerships and Fundraising staff working on global relations with European Partners and Non-European Partners/Foundations in Africa to coordinate partner engagement.

Provide support in:

Fundraising to support IFC’s priorities in Africa:

• Developing a cohesive fundraising and partnership strategy for Africa regional partners and implement it across the region;

• Tactical engagement with Africa regional development partners and coordination across operational teams to develop and implement fundraising initiatives and partnerships to support IFC’s Advisory and Investment Services;

• Mobilize blended finance resources to support and scale IFC’s operations, with a focus on catalyzing private sector investment in high-impact sectors and frontier markets. This includes identifying potential donors, developing fundraising strategies, engaging with stakeholders to support IFC’s operations in Africa;

• Facilitating the structuring of Africa regional partnerships, coordinating the development of concept notes, proposals, negotiating agreements, and supporting the implementation of partnership agreements (including helping to resolve any emerging challenges);

• Coordinating cross-regional and cross-departmental fundraising efforts with Africa regional partners;

• Sharing information on fundraising initiatives with Africa regional partners across IFC;

Partnership relationship management:

• Organize meetings and periodic events with IFC development partners at the country and regional levels (e.g., annual partner consultations; semi-annual partnership steering committee meetings; IFC partner days).

• Liaise closely with IFC operations and Country Management teams on a regular basis to review project funding needs and develop project funding plans and tactical funding advice for IFC projects in collaboration with IFC finance and the Regional Head of Operations.

• Support IFC’s AS Portfolio Management Team in reviewing reports to Africa regional partners;

• Ensure that key reports are delivered to Africa regional partners and that IFC operational teams understand partner needs, priorities, and requirements under the agreement;

• Providing insights on Africa regional partners, their strategies, and processes to IFC operational teams and Senior Management (ex. meeting briefs);

• Providing insights and global knowledge about IFC to Africa regional partners;

• Exploring new innovative ways to partner.

• Provide practical advice to IFC’s operational teams in engaging with Africa regional partners to help them:

• Articulate funding needs and propose funding options

• Identify specific partners to help support their work; and

• Develop fundraising strategies and specific fundraising initiatives.

• Support the planning and execution of donor field visits, roundtable discussions, and strategic events involving IFC’s partners, ensuring these engagements effectively showcase impact, strengthen relationships, and advance fundraising objectives;

• Contribute to maintaining partnership standards across IFC through capacity building, training, and policies and procedures, in collaboration with other departments, such as strategy, budget, trust funds, etc.

• Ensure that fundraising initiatives with Africa regional partners follow the governance process for fundraising and implement the Fundraising Accountability and Decision-Making Framework (ADM);

• Provide regular updates to the fundraising pipeline database and inputs to reports for Senior Management on IFC’s fundraising efforts;

• Maintain close coordination and liaise with various partnership and DFI counterparts at the IBRD on key WBG initiatives at both regional and country level, working closely with the Joint Country Representatives.

Selection Criteria

·   • Master’s Degree reflecting course work in areas relevant to IFC’s role as a private-sector oriented development institution.

• A minimum of 15 years of relevant professional experience, ideally in international development and private or public-sector fundraising. Prior experience in Africa is advantageous;

• Experience in donor engagement and proposal development i.e.; developing compelling proposals, concept notes, and pitches to bilateral/multilateral donors and foundations.

• Experience in identifying and building relationships with new and existing development partners

• Knowledge of key development partner agency strategies, priorities, and structures, and demonstrated success in engaging and influencing key partners;

• Knowledge of how concessional finance works, experience working with instruments like guarantees, first-loss capital, technical assistance facilities is an added advantage.

• Private sector investment experience: Ability to identify synergies between development partner goals and private sector-led development initiatives across Africa.

• Strong diplomatic and people skills, high political acumen, including critical thinking skills; ability to represent IFC in high profile networks;

• Understanding of development economics, especially in areas aligned with IFC’s mandate such as infrastructure, financial inclusion, gender, etc

• Excellent oral and written communication skills with a demonstrated ability to think strategically and synthesize complex issues;

• Strong team orientation, with an ability to work effectively with a range of clients and colleagues including operational staff and senior management, and senior officials of IFC member countries;

• Demonstrated ability to manage relationships and deliver results in a matrix organizational structure;

• High degree of professional integrity, discretion, tact, and sensitivity in dealing with internal and external clients, colleagues, and stakeholders;

• Willingness to travel

• WBG Core Competencies for all staff: Client orientation; Drive for results; Teamwork of collaboration and inclusion; Knowledge, Learning, and communication; and Business judgment and analytical decision-making.

• Knowledge of SAP and Trust Fund agreements is a plus.

• Fluent French would also be an asset.