Operations Officer

Role overview

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), part of the World Bank Group, is seeking an Operations Officer to join its Country Advisory and Economics team for the Eastern and Southern Africa region. The role will be based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and will support work across Ethiopia and, where needed, other countries in Eastern Africa. This position is intended to help remove policy, legal, and regulatory barriers that limit private investment and to strengthen market opportunities.

IFC is the World Bank Group’s private-sector-focused institution, operating in more than 100 countries to mobilize capital, expertise, and partnerships that support sustainable development. The broader IFC 3.0 strategy emphasizes greater investment activity in emerging markets, especially in low-income and fragile settings, by improving diagnostics, strategic engagement, and the pipeline of investable projects.

Team context

The Country Advisory and Economics team supports the region through country and regional diagnostics, strategy work, engagement products, and direct support to operational teams and country units. The team works closely with economists across the World Bank Group and contributes to analytical products, country strategies, lending operations, and advisory initiatives that help improve the investment climate.

• Prepare regional and country-level economic assessments that inform IFC strategy and operations.
• Work with regional and industry teams on analytical products such as Country Private Sector Diagnostics and IFC Country Strategies.
• Contribute to broader World Bank Group work, including Systematic Country Diagnostics, Country Climate and Development Reports, and IBRD/IDA lending operations.
• Translate country strategy and diagnostic recommendations into advisory work with governments, regulators, civil society, development partners, and other stakeholders.

Key responsibilities

The selected professional will help deliver market-creating client solutions by using local and regional resources effectively, ensuring that country advisory programs align with IFC priorities and support private investment opportunities.

• Lead existing government engagements on regulatory reform, investment promotion, and investment facilitation, while developing new initiatives aligned with country and market priorities.
• Analyze major constraints to investment and support reform delivery through public-private dialogue and hands-on technical advisory assistance.
• Work with senior government and private-sector counterparts to make the case for business environment reforms that can attract and sustain domestic and foreign investment, especially in agribusiness, healthcare, housing, infrastructure, logistics, and retail trade.
• Provide technical oversight for country advisory programs in Ethiopia and other regional markets, ensuring consistency and quality.
• Coordinate with IFC investment and advisory colleagues to build a pipeline of private investment opportunities and improve the enabling environment for priority sectors.
• Collaborate with World Bank teams to create complementary programs and contribute to lending operations that support better market conditions.
• Review and help prepare project documents and client deliverables so they meet IFC advisory governance standards.
• Join senior client meetings, offer technical guidance, and track progress on reform implementation.
• Strengthen client solution design by applying global best practices, lessons learned, theories of change, and results frameworks.
• Maintain strong quality control over supervision and completion documents, client outputs, and resource use, while helping clients implement recommendations and communicate reform impact.
• Represent IFC at conferences and events, including panel and moderation roles, and help showcase IFC’s offerings and value proposition.
• Run knowledge-sharing sessions across the region and develop reform communication tools, guidance materials, and client testimonials.
• Design and deliver training and communications approaches that help staff and external stakeholders understand and support investment climate reforms.
• Strengthen advisory value through new partnerships and help build a roster of experts and consultants across thematic areas.
• Supervise assigned staff and consultants, including coaching, mentoring, training, and on-the-job learning.
• Manage work quality, resource planning, donor reporting, budgets, and staffing needs.

Selection criteria

• Master’s degree in Economics, Law, Finance, Business, or another closely related discipline.
• At least 10 to 12 years of experience in private sector development, including senior-level work with governments on advisory programs.
• Proven background in legal and regulatory reform, public policy, and private-sector-enabling initiatives.
• Strong record of delivering impact through advisory work on business environment improvement, regulatory streamlining, and investment climate reform.
• Experience with sector-focused work, particularly in infrastructure and advanced manufacturing, is an advantage.
• For internal candidates, solid understanding of IFC and World Bank Group products and opportunities for cross-organization collaboration is important.
• Ability to design, negotiate, and lead client offerings with strong thematic knowledge and a clear business case for impact.
• Capacity to spot market, regulatory, and competitive changes that could open new private investment opportunities in Eastern Africa.
• Ability to design research and analytical work for complex issues and to build innovative programs and partnerships across sectors.
• Excellent command of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and related systems; familiarity with project management tools is helpful.
• Experience with IFC tools such as RfX and Iportal would be an asset.
• Strong written, verbal, and presentation skills, with fluency in English required.

Additional information

This role is graded at GG and has a term duration of 3 years and 0 months. It is an international recruitment position based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The required working language is English. The closing date is 6/27/2026 at 11:59pm UTC.

Workplace values

• Act with urgency by anticipating the needs of internal and external stakeholders.
• Use thoughtful risk-taking to challenge the status quo and pursue greater impact.
• Practice empowerment and accountability by taking initiative and holding each other responsible for results.

Benefits and inclusion

The World Bank Group provides a benefits package that includes retirement coverage, medical, life, and disability insurance, and paid leave such as parental leave. Reasonable accommodations are available for individuals with disabilities. The organization describes itself as an equal opportunity and inclusive employer and does not discriminate on the basis of gender, gender identity, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability.

Eligibility

This opening is intended for candidates with strong international advisory experience and the ability to work in Ethiopia and across the Eastern Africa region. Applicants must have fluency in English and the education, experience, and technical background listed above.