• Job Description

  Req#: req33436

  E T Consultant - Inclusive Supply Chains

  Job #:	req33436
  Organization:	IFC
  Sector:	Gender
  Grade:	EC3
  Term Duration:	1 year 0 months
  Recruitment Type:	Local Recruitment
  Location:	Washington, DC,United States
  Required Language(s):	English, Spanish
  Preferred Language(s):	French
  Closing Date:	6/23/2025 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC

  Description

  IFC — a member of the World Bank Group — is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. We work in more than 100 countries, using our capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities. Our mission is to leverage the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity on a livable planet.

  
  

  IFC is deeply committed to advancing gender equality and economic inclusion as laid out in IFC's 2030 Roadmap for Gender and Inclusion to deliver game-changing private sector partnerships and programs to accelerate gender equality and inclusion in emerging markets. Aligned with the new World Bank Group (WBG) Gender Strategy (2024-30): Accelerate Gender Equality to End Poverty on a Livable Planet, IFC’s Roadmap is built on six priorities offering high potential for impact in and through the private sector. These areas aim to (1) Allocate Capital that Drives Inclusion, (2) Make Supply Chains Inclusive, and (3) Remove Barriers to Employment, and Leadership (including addressing gender-based violence). Equally important are three cross-cutting themes that are foundational to achieving sustainable results across the priority areas and require action: (4) Bridging the Digital Divide; (5) Accelerating Inclusive and Gender-Smart Climate Action; and (6) Ending Gender-based Violence and Harassment.

  
  

  As part of its mandate, IFC’s Gender and Economic Inclusion (GEI) Department (GEID) works with IFC’s investment and advisory teams to support private and public sector clients in providing all genders and underserved communities with equal economic opportunities as leaders, employees, entrepreneurs, consumers, and community members. GEID leads strategy development and implementation for the organization’s gender strategy, provides tailored operational solutions and client advice, innovates, and incubates novel approaches, serves as a thought leader and disseminator of knowledge on GEI issues, supports mobilization through impact investing and sustainable financing; and forges public and private sector partnerships with the aim of creating economic opportunities and development for all.

  
  

  GEID is establishing a new operating model built around Global Operations in four Regional Gender Hubs and two new units focused on Thought Leadership and Innovation. The Innovation unit within GEID (The Innovation Center) will drive initiatives to identify/generate, design, pilot, and expand new advisory and investment mechanisms to mobilize capital that incentivizes private sector action on inclusion with a strong focus on women’s economic opportunities. The Innovation Center will be designed to enhance closer collaboration with industry and regional operations and investments officers, and external partners, to deliver new models/processes that enable cross-department co-creation of solutions that meet a range of client business needs and are adapted to country contexts. The Innovation Center will focus on solutions that accelerate results while deepening and scaling impact in alignment with the priorities of IFC’s 2030 Roadmap on Gender and Economic Inclusion.

  
  

  IFC is seeking an experienced gender, trade & supply chains expert to help design and implement the next phase of IFC’s inclusive supply chains program. This role sits within GEID’s Innovation unit that drives initiatives to identify/generate, design, pilot, and expand new advisory and investment mechanisms to mobilize capital that incentivizes private sector to increase women’s economic opportunities.

  Scope of Work:

  The Consultant will spearhead the implementation of IFC’s efforts to boost women’s entrepreneurship in supply chains (including value chains) through access to finance, access to markets, capacity building and partnerships across public and private sectors. The role will lead efforts to scale the Sourcing2Equal program and develop gender-lens supply chain financing solutions on which the program will be anchored upon. The Consultant will work closely with the Supply Chains Lead, to identify opportunities for IFC to increase financing to Women Micro, Small and Medium Size Enterprises (WMSMEs) in supply chains through expanding opportunities in existing investment operations and the development of new investment instruments that target women entrepreneurs in trade and supply chains. The Consultant will be responsible for leading the delivery of programs, identifying new areas of opportunity and supporting the internal solutions development process.

  
  

  They will work very closely with IFC’s Innovation Unit Leads, Regional Gender Leads, IFC’s Country teams and IFC Industry teams including Supply Chain Finance, Manufacturing, Agribusiness and Services and Infrastructure and Energy teams to ensure the successful implementation of country pilots and programs.

  
  

  Duties and Accountabilities

  
  

  Specific duties and accountabilities include, but are not limited to:

  
  

  Inclusive Supply Chains Program Delivery and Solutions Development:

  a) Sourcing2Equal Global Program Delivery: (approximately 45%)

  • Working closely with the Supply Chains Lead, Supply Chain Finance team and IFC industry teams, to support the design of the next phase of IFC’s Sourcing2Equal program and lead efforts to scale globally in selected markets.

  • Conduct business development for expansion of IFC’s Sourcing2Equal program.

  • In deep collaboration with supply chain finance team, engage with financial services companies to identify and deploy solutions for scaling gender-lens supply chain finance, increase data and insights to support the business case for investing in solutions for WMSMEs.

  • Develop tailored advisory interventions for private sector companies as financial intermediaries to help them deepen reach and access for WMSMEs.

  • Colombia: Lead IFC’s Sourcing2Equal Colombia project delivering corporate peer learning events, client advisory solutions and capacity building solutions for WMSMEs.

  • Kenya: Lead the design and implementation of Sourcing2EqualKenya phase two incorporating access to finance.

  • Other markets (including, but not limited to Mexico, Nigeria, India): Work closely with IFC industry and regional teams to design and deliver integrated Sourcing2Equal programs at scale.

  • Serve as a resource to industry investment, upstream and advisory teams on how to integrate a focus on women entrepreneur’s access to markets and finance in investment and advisory projects by supporting peer review of internal project documentation such as concept notes, implementation plans, and publications, developing analytical tools, conducting gender value chain mapping and client engagements as necessary.

  
  

  Inclusive Supply Chains Solutions Development: (approximately 30%)

  • Work closely with the Supply Chains Lead to identify opportunities to increase access to finance and markets for WMSMEs through IFC’s investment and advisory operations.

  • Support the internal innovation process through solutions mapping and engagement with IFC’s industry colleagues to develop solutions for women owned/led enterprises in private sector supply chains.

  Project Management and Coordination: (approximately 15%)

  • Structure and prepare project workplans with timelines and deliverables.

  • Prepare Terms of Reference for consultants and firms. As needed, manage the work of thematic experts and other consultants and firms.

  • Monitor, measure and report on program results (outputs, outcomes, impact) according to the monitoring and evaluation plan using IFC reporting systems (iPortal), track performance indicators against targets, and produce annual project supervision reports.

  • Coach IFC junior consultants and staff on project design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation and use of IFC project management systems as needed.

  • As needed by the Supply Chains Lead, support procurement, contracting, and payments of external consultants and contractors.

  Partnerships: (approximately 5%)

  • Coordinate with IFC GEIG Strategic Engagements Lead in the Thought Partnership Unit in GEID

  • Build and maintain stakeholder relationships and engage partners to implement Sourcing2Equal including but not limited to industry associations, business service providers, development partners and private sector partners.

  • Support the development of a global strategic partnership to develop a private sector framework for accelerating inclusive sourcing through target setting, benchmarking and reporting guidelines

  Research, Knowledge Management and Learning: (approximately 5%)

  • Coordinate with IFC GEIG Research, Knowledge Management, and Learning team.

  • In collaboration with the team above, coordinate and lead learning sessions, brown bag lunches and breakfasts, and other events related to Women’s Entrepreneurship and access to markets.

  • Contribute to or conduct research in collaboration with the WBG and other partners in the private sector on access to markets for women-entrepreneurs.

  • Develop specific reference, learning materials, client tip sheets, case studies and training initiatives in response to staff and client demand.

  • Systematically consolidate and analyze lessons learned from project implementation experience and share with team members and colleagues across the region.

  • Continuously improve the S2E Diagnostic Tool by integrating learnings from client projects, and research.

  • Support with the organization of events, including event logistics and administration.

  
  

  Communications (approximately 5%)

  • Coordinate with IFC GEIG Communications team.

  • In collaboration with the team above, develop new and maintain updated communication collateral for IFC’s work supporting women in corporate value chains (i.e., content for website, brochure on women entrepreneurship and value chains).

  • Maintain communications calendar up to date for activities related to access to markets.

  • Support ad hoc requests to include drafting talking points/briefings on women’s entrepreneurship and access to markets for senior management.

  • Serve as peer reviewer to relevant IFC/World Bank publications on women’s entrepreneurship, access to markets, and value chains.

  Selection Criteria

  The candidate should be an experienced professional with economics, finance, private sector expertise, experience in implementing private sector gender-smart solutions, comprehensive expertise in gender audits/assessments at the sector and firm levels, experience in designing results-oriented gender programs. The candidate should have excellent project management skills and can interact with counterparts in private, public and non-governmental sectors.

  
  

  Education: Master's degree in business or finance, marketing, economics or international development.

  
  

  Experience and Functional Competencies:

  
  

  The candidate should have expertise in responsible sourcing/procurement and/ or supplier diversity and experience in gender engagements with the private sector, preferably on technical assistance delivery on inclusive trade and supply chance, and women’s entrepreneurship programs, including experience in working directly with private sector clients. They should have experience in managing projects and integrating work of other (often multi-disciplinary) professional staff. They must be able to interact with clients, government officials, and staff from other organizations with confidence and a high degree of professionalism.

  
  

  • Minimum of 10-12 years of relevant work experience, preferably with at least 5 years in management consulting, international development consulting, or advisory/technical assistance with clients.

  • Private sector orientation and demonstrated track record of structuring project-based engagements with private companies.

  • Demonstrated track record of working with businesses in a client-facing position.

  • Experience working with gender and private sector is required.

  • Subject matter knowledge in supply chain sustainability, supply chain risk, corporate sustainability programs, corporate procurement/supplier diversity and/or supply chain financing.

  • Knowledge and understanding of the challenges women business owners face in accessing new markets and finance and how to overcome these is required.

  • Significant project management skills with proven track record of successfully managing a private sector project life cycle from end to end.

  • Excellent writing skills and an ability to synthesize technical concepts into language understandable to stakeholders who have limited experience in gender.

  • Excellent English and Spanish language skills required; additional languages helpful.

  • General knowledge of private sector development topics and a good understanding of World Bank Group activities is a plus.

  • Demonstrated ability to deliver complex projects in collaboration with large teams under tight deadlines.

  • Ability to see the “big picture” of country, regional and global private sector development context and challenges and translate into the goals and activities of work program.

  • Willingness and ability to travel and work across time zones.

  • Comfortable working in a virtual environment.

  Behavioral Competencies:

  • Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively and proactively with internal and external partners in a multicultural and virtual environment.

  • Ability to manage multiple stakeholders with varying needs and commitments.

  • Comfortable with public speaking.

  • Comfortable with client and partner interaction and interest in building relationships.

  • Positive attitude and dedication to excellence and professionalism.

  • Ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment and consistent with delivery.

  • Availability to begin work and travel on short notice.

  
  

  Reporting Duties

  The Consultant will report to the Inclusive Supply Chains Lead, IFC Gender and Economic Inclusion Group. The consultant is expected to follow WBG’s hybrid work practice of four days in office.

  WBG Culture Attributes:

  1. Sense of Urgency – Anticipating and quickly reacting to the needs of internal and external stakeholders.
  2. Thoughtful Risk Taking – Taking informed and thoughtful risks and making courageous decisions to push boundaries for greater impact.
  3. Empowerment and Accountability – Engaging with others in an empowered and accountable manner for impactful results.

  World Bank Group Core Competencies

  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.

  Note: The selected candidate will be offered a one-year appointment, renewable at the discretion of the World Bank Group, and subject to a lifetime maximum ET appointment of three years. If an ET appointment ends before a full year, it is considered as a full year toward the lifetime maximum. Former and current ET staff who have completed all or any portion of their third-year ET appointment are not eligible for future ET appointments.

• About the company

  The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of poorer countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects.

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