Financial Sector Analyst

The Finance & Markets Global Practice aims to help countries build deep, diversified, inclusive, efficient and stable financial systems, which are essential to promoting economic growth, reducing poverty and increasing shared prosperity. The practice is committed to delivering public and private sector tailored solutions to development challenges by leveraging the whole range of the Bank Group’s financial, knowledge/advisory and convening services for clients. In doing so, the practice not only partners with the broader World Bank finance team (IFC, WB, MIGA and WB/IFC Treasuries) but also acts as an enabler for all of the other GPs and Cross-Cutting Groups.
As a joint World Bank-IFC practice, the Finance & Markets Practice brings together the World Bank’s knowledge, financing products (loans, credits, guarantees, risk management), convening services, and IFC private-sector advisory services into a single suite of development solutions. These are intended to support our clients and the global community in reaching the twin goals of eliminating extreme poverty and promoting shared prosperity.
Led by a Senior Director and two Directors, the practice is managed by a cadre of 15 Practice Managers who oversee its regional teams and global solutions groups, and CGAP, which has a dedicated Director. Thematically, the practice is organized into three Global Solutions Groups. The first group’s activities are aimed at strengthening the foundations of stable financial systems and markets by supporting global financial sector oversight frameworks and policies; strengthening banking regulation and restructuring regimes; improving financial sector integrity efforts and deepening capital markets, insurance, pensions and investment funds. The second group’s activities are aimed at improving financial infrastructure and access through its work on credit infrastructures; payment and market infrastructures; responsible financial access and SME finance. The third group’s activities are aimed at partnering with other practices on frontier development finance initiatives such as climate change finance, disaster risk finance and insurance, infrastructure finance, agriculture finance and housing finance.
The World Bank Group serves 30 client countries in the Latin America and the Caribbean Region (LCR). Clients range from large sophisticated middle income clients to IDA countries to small Caribbean states to one fragile state. Despite immense resources, dynamic societies, and an average annual per capita income of about $4,000, deep inequalities persist in most LCR countries, with nearly a quarter of the Region’s people living in poverty. The Bank’s strategy in LCR is focused on five pillars: (a) stimulating growth and improving competitiveness; (b) reducing poverty and inequality; (c) making governments and institutions work for people; (d) providing a platform for tackling global issues (climate change, trade, disease, migration), and (e) reducing risk, whether from extreme weather events, climate change, crime and violence or other.
Note: If the selected candidate is a current Bank Group staff member with a Regular or Open-Ended appointment, s/he will retain his/her Regular or Open-Ended appointment. All others will be offered a 2 year term appointment.


Duties and Accountabilities:

The LAC Finance & Markets (GFM04) unit is looking to hire Financial Sector Analyst who will serve as key team members by contributing directly to the overall quality of the projects (lending and non-lending). The candidates’ primary responsibilities will include the following tasks: (i) providing analytical support, including financial analysis and modelling, (ii) conducting due diligence for the F&M team on financial sector issues in LAC, (iii) supporting the preparation and implementation of operations from TTLs as needed in the unit. The candidates will report to the Task Team Leaders (TTL) with whom they will be working with, and to the Practice Manager of F&M LAC. The focus areas are: 1) financial stability and integrity; 2) financial inclusion and access; and 3) long-term finance and risk management
Specifically the candidates’ duties will include:
1. Analytical support on financial sector issues in LAC
a. Conduct financial analyses and modeling for relevant project documentation
b. Collect and process main financial soundness and outreach indicators, based on data from Central Banks, financial sector authorities and other relevant external and internal sources
c. Gathering of information on current events in the financial sector of client countries
d. Support the drafting of reports and documents for annual benchmarking exercises
e. Support ongoing regional financial stability monitoring efforts
2. Support to preparation and implementation of F&M lending projects
a. Participate as team member of lending operations as needed, working to prepare project documentation, support project design and establish operational procedures
b. Work with bank fiduciary, safeguard and legal staff and Bank borrower clients to resolve operational issues
3. General Unit Support
a. Contribute to project documentation. Such documentation may include, concept notes, trust fund proposals, progress reports, outcome/impact summaries as well as case studies
b. Review and provide comments to documents prepared by other practices and teams
c. Assist TTLs with consultant recruitment and mission preparation
d. Help prepare ad hoc briefs and presentations for senior management
Output:
In carrying out the above tasks, the individuals are expected to build and present models of the results of financial analysis. These will often be couched within documents or policy briefs that the candidates will be expected to draft. Other deliverables related to the individual’s operational and general support to the TTLs will be determined by the demand of the team and will be communicated on a regular basis. Candidates are expected to join to specific country missions in support to analytical and lending project teams.


Selection Criteria:

• Master’s degree in finance, economics (with concentration in finance) or related discipline with 2 years of experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Understanding of financial sector issues (macro and micro): relationship between financial sector development and growth; and financial sector development and stability agenda
• Excellent analytical skills, including detailed balance sheet and income statement analyses
• Excellent writing skills, ability to summarize finance for non-finance audiences
• Experience in working with loan project preparation cycle at a multilateral institution, including support to design of project components, and implementation is a plus.
• Experience and knowledge of financial markets and challenges in the LAC region is a plus
• Advanced Excel skills, including VBA. Experience with statistical packages (Stata, Matlab, R) is a plus
• Advanced data handling skills. Familiarity with World Bank-IMF databases, as well as Bloomberg, Datastream, Dealogic, Haver Analytics, etc. is a plus
• Technological skills, including database management, project planning software and web applications
• Outstanding inter-personal, organizational, communication skills, and good team player
• High level of written and spoken proficiency in English and Spanish. French or Portuguese is a plus
• Ability to work under pressure and work on different projects/handle multiple tasks simultaneously
Competencies
• Deliver Results for Clients – Contributes to delivery of results for clients on complex issues. Sets challenging goals that align with the WBG mission and is always looking to improve. Understands clients’ most pressing challenges and contributes to solutions. Takes personal responsibility for producing high quality work, identifying and informing of risks, and delivering results for clients
• Collaborate Within Teams and Across Boundaries – Collaborates within team and across boundaries. Keeps others fully informed to ensure integration and work consistency. Seeks and listens to input from others to inform own decision making and openly shares information. Frames thinking/actions with a WBG corporate perspective in mind
• Lead and Innovate – Brings new and different insights. Applies critical thinking to current approaches, identifies areas for improvement, and tries new solutions that drive results. Considers own behavior in context of WBG’s values and mission and recognizes impact one has on others. Operates in ambiguity and changing needs and supports others to do the same
• Create, Apply and Share Knowledge – Actively contributes to and readily applies WBG’s body of knowledge for client solutions. Understands and leverages WBG knowledge architecture. Integrates knowledge and expertise and shares outside of the work group or team. Actively invests in own knowledge and seeks feedback. Builds personal and professional networks within and beyond the work group
• Make Smart Decisions – Leverages available data and makes timely decisions. Seeks and analyzes facts and data to support sound, logical decisions regarding own and others’ work. Applies cost/benefit analysis to meet work program objectives. Contributes to decision making by providing relevant risk-analysis. Shows initiative when necessary, and makes decisions in a timely manner within own area of responsibility
The World Bank Group is committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, nationality, culture and educational background. Individuals with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.