Country Officer - Pakistan

Job #: req38755

Organization: IFC

Sector: Operations

Grade: GG

Term Duration: Open-Ended Staff (OPEN-OP)

Recruitment Type: International Recruitment

Location: Islamabad, Pakistan

Required Language(s): English

Preferred Language(s):

Closing Date: 10/26/2026 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC

Description

At the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group (WBG), you’ll join a diverse, global community working across cultures, disciplines, and borders to address the world’s most pressing development challenges. With 1.2 billion young people reaching working age in the decade ahead, the challenge of job creation has never been greater. Through partnerships across 145 countries and more than 182 offices worldwide, we work with governments, private sector, development partners and other stakeholders to invest in people, strengthen markets, and deliver scalable, data-driven solutions that generate more and better jobs and improve lives. In fiscal year 2026, IFC committed a record $105.6 billion to private companies and financial institutions in developing countries. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.

The IFC 3.0 strategy aims to stimulate more investment activity across emerging markets, especially in Low Income Countries (LICs) and Fragile and Conflict affected States (FCS). Its goal is to create new investment opportunities by working "upstream" to create, deepen, and expand markets and design and develop potential investment projects.

IFC’s Middle East, Central Asia, Türkiye, Pakistan & Afghanistan (MCA) region covers 21 diverse countries, including middle income, lower middle income and fragile and conflict states, with an active investment portfolio exceeding $12.6 billion as of end of September 2026. In addition, the region is implementing an active advisory and analytical portfolio of $153.3 million across 186 projects.

The MCA region is hiring a Regional Operations & Country Officer to support the implementation of IFC's program, with a broader focus on supporting IFC's strategy and engagement in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Iran (CPC) and as a core member of the Pakistan Country Management Unit (CMU). This is a unique role that provides an opportunity to contribute to IFC’s business strategy across the region; investment, advisory, and upstream operations; and the management responsibilities of the CPC Division Director. The selected candidate must be a self-starter, capable of strategic thinking, taking initiative to cover a range of tasks and be able to work independently with minimal supervision. S/he will be required to handle sensitive information, exercise good judgment, and provide well-reasoned advice and support to the Division Director and the regional management team. The position will be based in Islamabad, and report to the Division Director.

Duties and accountabilities:

• Coordinate across IFC industry departments, Upstream, Advisory, Economics, Treasury, MIGA, and World Bank counterparts and with the Regional Head of Operations to ensure integrated delivery of WBG solutions and maximize development impact in the broader CPC region. Work closely with the Division Director and the MCA Regional Head of Operations to coordinate CPC-wide operational priorities, annual business planning, resource allocation, management reviews, and implementation of regional strategy across Investment, Advisory, and Upstream operations.
• Support the development, implementation, and monitoring of IFC and WBG country strategies, Joint Engagement Plans (JEPs), country diagnostics, and private sector development initiatives in Pakistan and broader CPC region.
• Support country portfolio performance, pipeline development, investment trends, and key operational risks, providing recommendations to optimize IFC's market creation and investment outcomes for Pakistan.
• Support the Division Director in managing relationships with senior government officials, development partners, private sector leaders, investors, and multilateral institutions, helping position IFC as a trusted partner on policy reform and private investment mobilization in Pakistan.
• Build project pipelines, sequence upstream activities, and cultivate stakeholder relationships to develop high-impact investments in Pakistan. Support project structuring and integrated IFC delivery, sharing accountability for country portfolio quality and performance.
• Coordinate preparation of high-level briefings, speeches, management notes, Board materials, ministerial talking points, country updates, and strategic communications for internal and external audiences for Pakistan and broader CPC region.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen collaboration across IFC, the World Bank, MIGA, and external stakeholders to advance reform agendas and unlock private investment within CPC region.
• Build market intelligence to identify suitable partners and business opportunities aligned with IFC and WBG priorities, while assessing and mitigating reputational risks.
• Coordinate with regional and corporate partnerships team on funding for strategic regional initiatives and oversee implementation of country/regional trust funds in line with governance to ensure fiduciary compliance.
• Strengthen relationships and foster close collaboration with key IFIs and multilateral and bilateral stakeholders active in Pakistan and broader CPC region.
• Coordinate implementation of the CPC region’s communication plan with the WBG Communications team.
• Work with the Division Director and the Regional Head of Operations on handling various organizational matters and undertake any other tasks including ongoing updates of regional budget, program management reporting and dashboards.

Selection Criteria

• Master’s degree in Economics, Finance, Public Policy, Business Administration, International Development, or a related field.
• Minimum 8 years of relevant professional experience in international development, investment operations, strategy, policy reform, economic analysis, management consulting, or private sector development.
• Demonstrated experience working across investment, advisory, policy, and stakeholder engagement functions in emerging markets.
• Strong understanding of Pakistan’s political economy, reform agenda, private sector constraints, and investment climate; knowledge of Central Asia and experience in fragile and conflict-affected contexts will be considered as an advantage.
• Proven ability to provide strategic advice to senior management and translate complex issues into actionable recommendations.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to synthesize complex operational, economic, and political information into clear strategic insights.
• Demonstrated success in stakeholder management, including engagement with senior government officials, development partners, investors, and private sector clients.
• Strong understanding of IFC and WBG business models, instruments, and country engagement frameworks.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including preparation of executive-level briefings, speeches, Board materials, and strategic reports.
• Strong judgment, diplomacy, and ability to operate effectively in politically sensitive and high-profile environments.
• Ability to manage competing priorities, build consensus, drive implementation, and lead teams effectively in a matrixed organization.

Note: This internal requisition is open to WBG and IMF staff only (including short-term and extended term consultants/ temporaries). External candidates are requested not to apply. In case an external candidate applies, their application will not be considered.

As the World Bank Group continues to evolve, we value candidates who: Demonstrate the ability to collaborate effectively across teams, disciplines, cultures, and institutional boundaries. Responsibly leverage digital and AI-enabled tools to enhance productivity, learning, and decision-making. Bring experience working in fragile, conflict-affected, and violent (FCV) contexts and are encouraged to highlight relevant experience in their application materials, where applicable.

WBG Culture Attributes:

1. Sense of urgency: Anticipate and quickly respond to the needs of internal and external stakeholders.
2. Thoughtful risk-taking: Challenge the status quo and push boundaries to achieve greater impact.
3. Empowerment and accountability: Empower yourself and others to act and hold each other accountable for results.

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.