Finance Officer (Development Finance)

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is an international financial institution and a specialized United Nations agency dedicated to eradicating rural poverty and hunger. It does so by investing in rural people. IFAD finances programmes and projects that increase agricultural productivity and raise rural incomes, and advocates at the local, national, and international level for policies that contribute to rural transformation. 

The Financial Operations Department (FOD) is a dynamic financial, strategic, and responsive business partner and service provider fully supporting IFAD in developing its financial strategy and managing its financial, investments and material resources. FOD ensures that these resources are efficiently, economically, and effectively used to achieve IFAD’s objectives in the long-term and deliver on its development commitments.

The Front Office of the FOD (FFO) leads and oversees the work of three divisions: Financial Contoller’s division (FCO), Financial Management services division (FMD) and Treasury Services division (TRE) and also liaises with other departmental front offices, and the Office of the President and Vice President and their divisions for corporate matters.

The position specifics: The front office of the Financial Operations Department (FOD) comprises a specialized team which supports the AVP-FOD in (i) aligning IFAD’s operational and financial planning needs in the near and medium term, (ii) ensuring coherence and effectiveness of IFAD’s financial profile as a rated institution and (iii) playing a convergence role between the development, financial and strategic dimensions of IFAD’s operations, preserving the Fund’s reputation and sustainability. The team also coordinates with units responsible for resource mobilization, financial planning, allocation of financial resources, ongoing programme delivery in Operations and Risk Management.

The incumbent is a member of the Financial Strategy and Development Finance Team established in the front office of the Associate Vice-President (AVP-FOD). She/He will take a proactive role in the day-to-day activities associated to the scope of the team. She/He is a seasoned professional reflecting an in-depth, broad understanding of applicable development best practices and methodologies, as well as IFAD’s financial regulations, rules, and transactional procedures in one or more financial, macroeconomic, and debt management areas.

1.FINANCE BUSINESS PARTNER: The incumbent is a credible, trusted partner to the Department/Division/Unit where assigned. S/He supports the Fund’s financial strategy and plans as well as models a commitment to financial integrity by acting as a responsive and constructive business partner with a focus on results. The incumbent provides seasoned verbal and written advice and guidance to supervisors and staff on financial regulations, rules, and procedures, facilitating a mutual understanding of roles and fiduciary accountabilities in direct support of integrity in the management of the Fund’s financial resources. S/He also contributes to the development, improvement and dissemination of technical policies and procedures as required.

2. CORPORATE FINANCIAL POLICY AND STRATEGY: The incumbent is a seasoned professional with the capacity to interpret and apply a broad range of industry best practice, international and IFAD policies, rules, and regulations as well as standards and techniques.

3. AGENT OF CHANGE: The incumbent understands and applies the principles of change management and proactively serves as a role model for transformation and capacity for acceptance of change. S/He uses a seasoned knowledge of results-based management, sustainable development financing, budgeting, enterprise resource planning (ERP) and other information technology to develop, analyze and promote acceptance of innovative approaches in terms of policies and business approaches. The incumbent manages change through consultations with finance colleagues and outreach to internal and external stakeholders to build understanding of and to ensure open and regular communications pertaining to current and planned changes in the Fund’s financial standards, regulations, and rules. 

4. MANAGERIAL FUNCTIONS: The incumbent is accountable for integrity, transparency, and equity in the personal use of assigned IFAD resources, including equipment, supplies and, as applicable, staff or consultants supervised.

In addition to the representative functions listed above, activities performed by the incumbent at this level may include:

5. FINANCE BUSINESS PARTNER:

• Performing research and ongoing monitoring of aspects related to macro-economic debt management at country level. This function will call for a continuous gathering of qualitative and quantitative data/inputs externally and internally to IFAD from other Departments and Divisions, and preparation of memos.
• Active Contribution and involvement in drafting policy papers and analysis on financial strategy and development finance matters.
• Ensure continuous intelligence on aspects related to Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) Initiative matters, or any other similar initiatives related to macro-debt, debt settlement, and/or debt rescheduling being discussed in international fora, including update of IFAD’s corporate Debt page.
• Provide detailed analytical inputs on the trends, challenges, risks, and opportunities on matters related to IFAD’s global loan portfolio, including ongoing monitoring, and forward-looking assessment of borrower uptake within the Programme of Loans and Grants (POLG), i.e., IFAD’s Performance Based Allocation System (PBAS) and Borrowed Resource Access Mechanism (BRAM) and other vehicles.

6. CORPORATE FINANCIAL POLICY AND STRATEGY: Activities performed by the incumbent may include:

• Collecting inputs as needed from other divisions, contribute to the building of Balance Sheet management analytics, performing quantitative and qualitative assessments of the following:

1. Provide analysis on IFAD’s financial planning, including projections of IFAD’s Balance Sheet and Income Statement, Undisbursed Balance, and Cancellations
2. Analysis of current and forward-looking IFRS9 staging and arrears management, and other debt management/project lifecycle matters that can affect IFAD’s financial profile.
3. Collaborate in the financial scenario production process, monitoring borrowing country income categories, preparing lending term breakdowns, and perform ongoing concessionality assessment of IFAD’s financial offer.
4. Prepare/update IFAD’s lending terms and knowledge dissemination, and analysis on the determination of IFAD’s loan pricing methodology.
5. Consolidation of the impact to IFAD’s development profile deriving from capital consumption, liquidity management, funding and resource mobilization, and Asset Liability Management matters, including balance sheet projections, loan and grant approvals, and ongoing programme delivery.

• Financial performance and reporting:

1. Support data gathering and Monitor the FOD metrics of IFAD’s Corporate Risk Dashboard (CRD)
2. Preparatory work and analytical inputs in building a CFO Dashboard that can support decision making processes
3. Contribute to the monitoring of the reported financial risks and assess the likelihood and magnitude of the potential impact to IFAD’s financial and operational profile.

Incumbents at this level work independently and with authority and are accountable for the results of her/his work and of the staff they may supervise. Based on extensive knowledge of financial principles, concepts and systems accrued through her/his education and experience, the incumbent independently performs a wide range of functions within her/his role to ensure implementation of sound financial strategies and policies. She/He will seek supervisory guidance for the analysis of complex and/or innovative strategies, structures and scenarios for pre-emptive input, direction, and advice, and to ensure consistency in the interpretation and application of regulations and policies at global level. 

The work typically requires the identification of tasks, time-management and organization of resources needed to achieve each task, interaction with internal personnel and external counterparts, delegation of activities to supervised staff, implementation of activities, decisions, strategies (modelling, definition/amendment of policies, other documentation), analysis and reporting of results through appropriate means of communication (e.g. verbal update, memorandum, presentation, policy paper). 

The incumbent’s responsibilities also include supporting the supervisor in key decision making.

The key performance indicators for the incumbent include:

• Independent and responsible performance of her/his tasks
• Demonstration of the highest technical quality and accuracy for the results of her/his work
• Contributing to the resolution of complex financial issues
• Planning of resources to achieve objectives in a timely manner
• Adopting a creative approach to problem solving
• Showing maturity and control in difficult, unforeseen, and unusual situations
• Showing leadership when managing and coaching supervised staff

Internally, the incumbent will report to the Lead of the Team and will interact with several stakeholders within FOD and other departments for the compeltion of her/his work. She/He will be required to interact with other departments for the planning and execution of fInancial strategies, financial procedures and policy changes, and for financial data gathering and reporting. 

The incumbent could be required to participate in senior management meetings (e.g. financial risk committee, Audit Committee or Executive Management Committee), and deliver presentations on matters related to her/his function. The main points of contact are with FOD Front Office, treasury, accounting, financial management, risk mananegement, resource mobilization, and programme management staff mainly at IFAD headquarters as well as in country offices. 

External work relationships for the incumbent normally require exchange of information with a wide range of outside counterparts in the financial community and development finance, including UN agencies, DFIs, MDBs, rating agencies, investment banks, financial service providers and other institutions, individual professionals and vendors/suppliers. 

The incumbent may represent the Financial Strategy and Development Finance Team and other organizational units at internal and external meetings, conferences and at other events as requested by her/his supervisor.

Organizational Competencies 

• Strategic thinking and organizational development: Personal influence
• Demonstrating Leadership:  Personal leadership and attitude to change 
• Learning, sharing knowledge and innovating: Continuously seeks to learn, shares knowledge, and innovates
• Focusing on clients:  Focuses on clients
• Problem solving and decision making: Demonstrates sound problem solving and decision-making ability
• Managing time, resources, and information:  Manages own time, information, and resources effectively 
• Teamwork: Contributes effectively to the team 
• Communicating and negotiating: Communicates effectively: creates understanding between self and others 
• Building relationships and partnerships: Builds and maintains effective working relationships 

Education: 

• Level - Advanced university degree (Masters’equivalent) from an accredited institution in a technically relevant area. The advanced university degree may be substituted by a first university degree (Bachelor or equivalent) and at least four (4) additional years of relevant professional experience in international financial institutions, multi-lateral development banks, investment banks, private sector financial sector, consultancies, and auditing.
• Areas - Finance, Business Adminsitration or any other related fiels or an equivalent professional certification.
• Degree must be an accredited institution listed on https://www.whed.net/home.php.

Work experience: 

• At least 5 (five) years' of progressively relevant professional experience in a similar position and/ or a finance and debt background in International Financial Institutions, audit firm, or other relevant institution.
• Three (3) years preferably in the United Nations or an international financial institution, or another multi-cultural organization or institution or a national organization providing support on a global scope.

Languages: 

• Required English (4 – Excellent) 
• Desirable: French, Spanish, or Arabic 

Skills: 

• Strong know-how in Development Finance matters pertaining to country debt management, lending terms, income category analysis
• Knowledge of financial policies in the areas of loan pricing, concessionality, debt management and resource allocation 
• Strong knowledge of Development economics, e.g., macro/micro-economic analysis and conducting of economic research. Know-how in applied econometrics preferred
• Strong understanding of corporate finance and balance sheet management theories and techniques including modeling
• Knowledge of private sector investment methodologies and Blended Finance principles
• Change Management, Role modelling, anticipation of key risks & conflicts and formulation of contingency plans/solutions, action-oriented;
• Risk management (e.g., reputational), Identification and assessment of potential liabilities and risks in IFAD's development finance activities
• Business acumen, outstanding ability to synthesize and simplify complex technical information for a variety of (non-technical) audiences
• Time Management, Adherence to deadlines under time constraints and pressure (e.g., to deliver governing body documents on time); ability to coordinate and manage complex workflows and in-house and external teams
• Problem solving, Strong systemic and structured thinking, ability to identify and dissect problems into components and formulate a comprehensive set of creative viable and sustainable solutions and strategies
• Client orientation, Strong critical thinking combined with communication skills to liaise between the business and technologies to understand business problems and needs, document requirements and identify solutions
• Written communication, Clear, succinct, and convincing written communication; highly professional, balanced, and diplomatic language (e.g., for drafting of position papers, briefings, etc.)
• Verbal communication, Clear, succinct, and convincing verbal communication; highly professional, balanced, and diplomatic language
• Corporate approach, Ability to bring in corporate vision and priorities into one's area of work taking into account strategic priorities

IFAD staff members are international civil servants subject to the authority of the President of IFAD. In accordance with IFAD's Human Resources Policy, the President can decide to assign them to any of the activities of the Fund. All International Professional staff members are required to be geographically mobile and positions in the professional category are subject to changes in location at any time in line with strategic priorities and reform initiatives in IFAD.

IFAD is committed to achieving gender diversity. Women are particulary encouraged to apply.