Lead Infrastructure Finance Specialist

World Bank Group•Washington, DC

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The World Bank Group (WBG) is a unique partnership of five global institutions dedicated to ending poverty, increasing shared prosperity, and promoting sustainable development. The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) is a member of the WBG, focused on promoting foreign direct investment into developing countries through political risk insurance and credit enhancement. In July 2024, the WBG launched the WBG Guarantee Platform (WBG-GP) to enhance guarantee access and introduce innovative solutions, aiming to triple annual guarantee issuance by 2030. The Operational Strategy and Financing Solutions (MIGIG) unit within MIGA plays a crucial role in supporting the WBG Guarantee Platform by identifying bankable private sector projects, developing new guarantee solutions, and coordinating with climate finance instruments. The Lead Infrastructure Finance Specialist, reporting to the Practice Manager of MIGIG, will support the WBG-GP by mobilizing private capital, focusing on IBRD/IDA guarantees, scaling up climate finance, and engaging in sector strategies across energy, water, digital, mining, and agriculture. This role involves coordinating with World Bank teams on sector strategies and operational policies, as well as originating, structuring, and implementing guarantee operations. The specialist will also contribute to product innovation, process improvements, knowledge sharing, and strengthening private capital mobilization for the WBG-GP.

Requirements

Advanced university degree in international business, finance, law, engineering, economics, or a related field is required.
A master’s degree, MBA, or equivalent further training is also required.
At least twelve years of relevant professional experience in investment and development banking, with demonstrated experience working on private sector projects and with governments, including state-owned utilities and infrastructure authorities.
Strong understanding of project finance, structured finance, capital markets, reinsurance markets, ESG-linked finance, green bonds and loans, sustainability-linked debt instruments, and transition bonds.
Familiarity with commercial banks, bond investors, and institutional investors, including the key motives and constraints that drive their lending and investment decisions, should be supported by a proven transaction track record.
Ability to assess market trends and innovative financing developments across sectors and regions and translate them into opportunities to expand the World Bank guarantee pipeline and mobilize private sector financing.
Demonstrated experience across multiple sectors, including real and financial sectors at the federal, state, municipal, and city levels, and a track record of leading innovative financial solutions that have reached financial close through complex structures in emerging markets.
Demonstrated experience with World Bank instruments, including IBRD/IDA guarantees, loans, and similar instruments provided by World Bank-administered trust funds.
Demonstrated understanding of, and experience working with, World Bank Group institutions, including IDA, IBRD, IFC, and MIGA, with a proven track record of collaboration.
Proven ability to interact and communicate effectively with clients at a senior level.
Ability to work flexibly across assignments, prioritize complex and evolving tasks, and travel extensively as needed.
Ability to work effectively and sensitively in a multicultural environment and build strong working relationships with clients and colleagues.
Excellent oral and written communication skills in English.

Nice To Haves

Experience with private equity and private placements would be a plus.
A thorough understanding of World Bank instruments, including their respective policies, procedures, and potential combinations or optimization, would be a plus.
Knowledge of French and/or Spanish would be a plus.

Responsibilities

Provide midstream support to develop WBG guarantee operations, with a specific focus on IBRD/IDA guarantees, including by engaging with regional and global practice teams on project pipelines, country platforms, sector programs, and opportunities to mobilize private capital and optimize the use of public, concessional, and trust fund resources.
Support WBG-wide initiatives that strengthen the role of WBG guarantees in PCM, including M300, AgriConnect, Global Challenge Programs, sector strategies, Country Partnership Frameworks, Country Climate and Development Reports, and other strategic priorities. Specifically, expand the role of WBG guarantees in key global initiatives by working across the Planet, Prosperity, Infrastructure, and Digital VPU teams.
Provide thought leadership on guarantee product development, policy and process improvements, and scalable approaches for combining WBG instruments, including MIGA guarantees, IBRD/IDA guarantees and loans, IFC instruments, concessional resources, trust funds, and climate finance instruments, while ensuring consistency with relevant policies, procedures, and institutional requirements.
Coordinate with World Bank sector teams, IFC, Knowledge Bank, WB-OPCS, DFI, WFA, IFSO, Bank Legal, MIGA Legal, Treasury, CRO, and other relevant units to support IBRD/IDA transaction preparation, quality assurance, internal review processes, and the timely resolution of operational, policy, procedural, and implementation issues.
Lead or contribute to WBG-GP corporate workstreams, including product notes, operational guidance, management briefings, guarantee projections, and business planning inputs that inform strategic decision-making and promote consistency across the platform.
Provide leadership support to MIGIG teams on transaction structures, financial solutions, risk allocation, market sounding, investor and lender considerations, and legal or commercial issues that affect the bankability, scalability, and development impact of IBRD/IDA guarantee-supported operations.
Coordinate with the Portfolio Management unit on corporate monitoring of IBRD/IDA guarantee portfolio exposure, including corporate reporting and business intelligence for guarantees, analysis of portfolio trends and results, and lessons from project implementation across the portfolio.
Represent the WBG-GP and promote its credit enhancement and risk mitigation capabilities within the World Bank Group, with public and private sector clients, and international fora.
Contribute to the WBG-GP leadership team and to MIGIG’s strategy and team development by strengthening knowledge of innovative infrastructure financing, supporting sound design, delivering customized training and knowledge dissemination, and mentoring colleagues.
Work flexibly across assignments, manage multiple priorities, and build effective relationships in a multicultural environment with clients, investors, lenders, development partners, and colleagues across the WBG.