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 2022, IFC committed a record $32.8 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.
With climate change a strategic pillar of IFC’s business, the Climate Business Department (CBD) is charged with helping IFC build its portfolio in climate-smart sectors. CBD is responsible for driving growth across the corporation for projects that help mitigate or build resilience to climate change impacts. CBD works closely with other groups within IFC, including Infrastructure and Natural Resources, Manufacturing Agriculture and Services, Financial Institutions Group, Telecom Media and Technology, and Upstream and Advisory teams, as well as appropriate counterparts within the World Bank Group. More about IFC’s climate business is available from www.ifc.org/climatebusiness.
CBD is recruiting a Research Officer in IFC's Washington, D.C. office on the Strategy and Business Development team (CBDSB).
Duties and Accountabilities:
Support the team’s Manager with strategic initiatives in climate technology and finance, including research, analysis, and communications tasks.
Use all available sources to stay informed on climate business and technology developments. Develop initiative to spot new business opportunities through analysis of internal and external sources, through synthesis of research, and through internal communication of the findings.
Conduct desk review and market/competitive analysis for potential clients and projects in line with industry specialists’ business development efforts. CBD specialists currently cover renewable energy, waste, energy storage / smart systems, green buildings, and electrified transport. Areas of responsibility will include Sector scans, strategy development, and deal support for emerging climate business areas e.g., agtech/foodtech, carbon capture/use/storage, advanced materials, earth observation, etc.
Preliminary screening of proposals for waste-to-energy projects using advanced thermal conversion technologies. Linked to this, track the commercialization of emerging plastics chemical recycling technologies/firms.
Supporting the scale-up of IFC investments in grid-scale battery storage
Support IFC’s scale-up of plastics circularity investments by creating increased supply and demand. Specifically, co-lead Climate’s conceptualization and implementation of a sustainable plastics standard or other potential solutions/tools to drive climate smart investments in plastics circularity.
Access, analyze, and categorize externally available data on climate markets and trends across a variety of industries and available resources (subscriptions, databases, etc.).
Support contracting and procurements relevant to the research function (e.g., for subscription renewals).
Coordinate and collaborate on certain work programs / priorities with the Associate Operations Officer, as well as counterparts in other parts of CBD.
Create presentations for external and internal talks and briefings, including gathering and synthesizing content, writing concise and clear text, creating tables and charts, and creating visually clear Power Point presentations.
Support planning, content development, and logistics as needed for key events such as the Climate Cup and various conferences with participation of CBD staff/management. This may involve providing input for briefings, talking points, blog posts, podcasts, and other communications beyond the event proper.
Selection Criteria
Master’s degree in business, finance, economics, international relations, environment, or related field
Foundational understanding of climate technologies (e.g., through a technical undergraduate degree, internship, etc.) and/or a proven ability to quickly understand, analyze, and “translate” between technical and business perspectives
10 years’ relevant professional experience would be highly desired.
Experience in corporate strategy, management consulting, investment banking/venture capital, any of these climate thematic areas: agribusiness, waste, renewable energy, energy efficiency, water, sustainable cities, transport, green buildings
Entrepreneurial experience is especially valuable for the role
Excellent writing, verbal, and visual communication skills (mastery of PowerPoint, Word, and Excel)
Knowledge of social business software (e.g., Spark, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn)
Attention to detail and an ability to manage multiple priorities under time pressure
Ability to draw on internal and external sources/network to seek and synthesize knowledge
Demonstrated track record of delivering quality output under tight timelines
Team player with strong client focus and proven capacity to build and manage effective relationships with clients and colleagues from various cultural backgrounds
A natural sense of curiosity with initiative, self-motivation, creative thinking, and a readiness to look for ways to add value
Fluency in spoken and written business English. Other languages are a plus.
