World Bank Hiring World Bank – Nairobi

WFACS Finance Officer

 Description

Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? The World Bank Group is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries; a unique global partnership of five institutions dedicated to ending extreme poverty and promoting shared prosperity. With 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide, we work with public and private sector partners, investing in groundbreaking projects and using data, research, and technology to develop solutions to the most urgent global challenges.  For more information, visit www.worldbank.org.

The WB Finance & Accounting (WFA) Vice Presidency is responsible for all aspects of the financial reporting and internal control framework for IBRD and IDA, and the extensive Trust Fund/Partnership portfolio of the WB entities. It supports an appropriate fiduciary control framework and administering disbursements for Bank lending and leads the client service function for the WB’s corporate expenses.

WFACS – Client Services unit of the Trust Funds and Loan Operations Department 

Within WFA, WFACS provides “front-end” client services and related operations to business and external clients and is organized along business lines serving the regions and global practices. The Services within the area of WFACS responsibilities fall under three categories: regional coordination, country focal point assistance, and project-level fiduciary and portfolio management.  

WFACS is currently seeking a highly motivated Finance Officer (FO) for its team in Nairobi.

How your contributions will help us achieve our goals

The WFACS FO plays an important role in disbursement related activities during the entire project cycle, including but not limited to the following:

•  Focal point for an assigned portfolio countries within or across regions. 

•  Review and clear key documents for WB financed operations.

•  Build strong partnerships and lead stakeholder engagement in support of key initiatives and strategic priorities. 

•  Leverage technology to improve impact and operational efficiency and modernize disbursement systems and processes.

•  Effectively engage with clients to address complex issues in a solution-oriented and collaborative fashion.

•  Perform and manage a broad variety of responsibilities while embracing a global team approach.

As FO you will report to the Regional Team Lead in Zagreb.

What you will do:

A) Country Team Focal Point:

•  Act as the main point of contact for internal and external client inquiries regarding countries assigned.

•  Provide country-specific inputs to the WFACS Senior Regional Team Leader (RTL) and Manager to support dialogue with Country Management Units (CMUs) on country coordination.

•  Collaborate with Team Task Leaders (TTLs) to address financing and disbursement issues during project preparation and advise CMUs and borrowers on new financial products and loan instruments to resolve disbursement bottlenecks and explore debt service options with the Ministry of Finance (MoF).

•  Participate in regular meetings with RTLs, Finance Officers (FOs), Finance Analysts (FNs), Senior Finance Assistants (SFAs) and the Manager to share insights and foster knowledge-sharing across countries.

•  Attend country team meetings to advise on initiatives affecting portfolio disbursement issues.

B) Clearance, Advisory, and Disbursement Support:

•  Lead the Country Team (FO, FN, SFA assigned to a country) responsible for supporting task teams during the entire project cycle.

•  Review and clear key project documents (Concept Notes, Appraisal Documents, Financing Agreements), providing timely inputs, identifying disbursement issues, and escalating matters requiring management action during project preparation.

•  Advise task teams on disbursement-related aspects of loans, credits, grants, and TFs, ensuring alignment with Bank policies and effective project implementation.

•  Prepare disbursement and financial information letters (DFIL), loan repayment terms, and amortization schedules; participate in project preparation meetings and negotiations.

•  Review and clear project negotiation and board packages in compliance with WFA standards and Bank policies.

•  Set up loan financing terms and loan data in the loan system (iLAP) and update disbursement risk ratings for all portfolio projects.

•  Conduct disbursement risk assessments and ensure compliance with WFA’s control framework.

•  Design and deliver disbursement training in coordination with FNs and TTLs and provide job shadowing to enhance FN’s client service capabilities.

•  Conduct quality assurance on FN work and contribute to their performance appraisals.

•  Manage complex restructurings and resolve implementation issues requiring coordination with other units (e.g., INT, CMUs, GPs, FM, Procurement).

•  Advise on financial terms and disbursement issues at the country level, including managing lapsed loans impacting advances.

C) Stakeholder Engagement:

•  Serve as a solution provider for advice to internal clients and external on preparation and implementation issues in the assigned countries.

•  Partner with Legal, Financial Management and Procurement to provide cohesive approach to engaging with TTLs.

•  Appropriately handle other tasks that may be assigned by WFATL’s management.

•  Coordinate/lead special project/initiative assigned by the management.

Selection Criteria

Education:

•  Recognized professional accounting qualification such as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) License, Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Certificate, Chartered Institute of Public Finance Accountants (CIPFA) qualification is required.

•  A bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting or a relevant discipline, is required.

•  Master’s degree in a relevant discipline – such as business administration, finance, or accounting is a plus.

Experience:

•  Minimum of five (5) years of relevant work experience.

•  Experience with a financial institution or an accounting firm is a plus. 

•  Preferrable: Big Four or equivalent public accounting experience would be advantageous.

Languages:

The ideal candidate should have advanced fluency in both English and one other language such as French or Portuguese, with the ability to clearly communicate in both written and spoken forms and to conduct meetings in the referenced languages. Proficiency level will be tested during the recruitment process.

Knowledge and Skills:

•  Relevant knowledge and experience with banking operations.

•  Relevant knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), internal controls and financial management. 

•  Knowledge and application of the World Bank’s Operational Policies and Procedures and how they relate to disbursements and loan portfolio management.

•  Ability to exercise professional judgment and appropriately interpret and apply operational policies, as they relate to disbursements and loan portfolio management.

•  Willingness to travel and participate in short-term assignments.

•  Strong quantitative skills with superior attention to detail and numerical accuracy.

•  Ability to manage complex tasks, deal with rapidly shifting priorities, provide professional support to senior staff and deliver against ambitious deadlines.

•  Demonstrates good understanding of risks and internal control procedures pertaining to various activities in own functional areas.

•  Ability and familiarity working with automated systems, experience with AI, and generative technologies considered a plus.

•  Strong client focus including good interpersonal, diplomatic and team building skills required for building and maintaining collaborative relationships.

Abilities:

•  Strong communication skills, including the ability to explain and express views/opinions clearly and confidently.

•  Ability to deal with sensitive and confidential information.

•  Sensitivity and skill managing themselves in a multi-cultural environment.

•  Ability to build effective working relationships with clients and colleagues.

•  Willingness to work in different time zones where team members and clients are located. 

•  Willingness to work in the US EST time zone on an ‘as-needed’ basis.

World Bank Group Core Competencies

The World Bank Group offers comprehensive benefits, including a retirement plan; medical, life and disability insurance; and paid leave, including parental leave, as well as reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities.

We are proud to be an equal opportunity and inclusive employer with a dedicated and committed workforce, and do not discriminate based on gender, gender identity, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability.

Learn more about working at the World Bank and IFC, including our values and inspiring stories.

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