The Principal Banker role involves building and maintaining critical relationships with internal and external stakeholders for various activities including business development, project execution, implementation and monitoring, policy dialogue, co-financing arrangements, and donor funding. The role operates with a substantial degree of independence and is expected to ensure effective project teamwork and progressively assume overall responsibility for increasingly complex transactions.
Accountabilities & Responsibilities
Structuring and Execution
- Work as a senior project team member, including with more experienced operation leaders, on complex transactions, contributing to all aspects of project structuring and execution, including management of the project team.
- Support the operation leader (when applicable) with management of the project team.
- As an operation leader:
- Lead structuring, negotiation (including review of legal documentation) and the execution of transactions, working with clients, authorities, consultants, and internal units.
- Manage the resources and the workload of the project teams under supervision.
- Oversee the project due diligence process ensuring it meets the Bank’s standards.
- Ensure quality and appropriateness of Technical Cooperation (TC) assistance components which support the investments or contribute to policy dialogue initiatives.
- Ensure that all transactions within responsibility are completed within the specified time frames to a high standard (including all internal memoranda and Board reports) and in line with the policies, procedures, and objectives of the Bank.
Portfolio Monitoring, Value Creation and Reporting
- As a senior project team member, perform assigned tasks and provide constructive portfolio monitoring advice, guidance, and supervision to more junior members of the project team.
- As operation leader:
- Take overall responsibility for the effective monitoring of all projects within their responsibility, including verifying the quality of regular monitoring reports.
- Take the lead in maintaining or supervising the management of client relationships.
- Actively manage the resolution of any implementation/monitoring issues in cooperation with relevant Portfolio Managers.
- Manage and supervise more junior bankers who assist in portfolio monitoring.
- Supervise implementation and monitoring of, and reporting on, relevant TC assignments to ensure compliance with donor reporting requirements, operational objectives, and high-quality reports.
- Take responsibility for ensuring timely notification of any critical portfolio issues to the relevant Portfolio Manager and/or Management, ensuring availability of adequate data and information for timely decisions.
Policy Dialogue
- In cooperation with relevant units within the Bank (e.g., Policy Vice Presidency) and Banking sector teams (if applicable), contribute to policy dialogue, either in a leading role (project level initiatives) or a supporting function (national level initiatives).
- Assist in providing necessary support (relevant information or documentation or meeting participation) towards efforts to procure grants and technical cooperation funds to complement investment projects or required as part of policy dialogue efforts.
Business Development
- Assist and lead (when appropriate) with marketing and business development efforts in the relevant sector and countries to build reputable market contacts and develop a broad deal flow and cross selling of the Bank’s competencies.
- Assist and lead (when appropriate) with the critical screening of project proposal flow generated through business development efforts, liaising with other colleagues and teams within the Bank to identify sound and executable investments that meet the mandate of the Bank.
Staff Management
- Assist in recruiting, training, coaching, and mentoring junior bankers, in coordination with the team Director and Associate Directors, Senior Bankers, involving them in all aspects of the project cycle (appraisal, execution, implementation, monitoring, and business development), ensuring adequate quality of project work and appropriate work load distribution amongst the project team members.
- Contribute to the professional and competency development of junior staff.
- Develop productive relationships within the organisation to be able to work effectively in a country/sector matrix structure and in a multi-cultural working environment.
- Directly accountable for the engagement and effective overall management of the Team including recruitment, compensation, performance management, coaching, and development.
- Where matrix reporting is in place, work jointly with the country counterpart when setting objectives and completing performance appraisals for relevant staff.
- Champion and role model the Bank’s Behavioural Competencies and Corporate Behaviours, ensuring adherence within the team(s) so that the highest standards of integrity and ethical conduct are exhibited at all times.
The responsibilities of the Principal Banker are designed to allow for the development of transaction expertise and expansion of responsibilities.
Qualifications & Skills / Experience & Knowledge
Qualifications and Skills:
- Bachelor’s degree. Master’s degree preferred or equivalent experience in the areas of expertise.
- Professional qualification such as ACA, CFA, ACCA, or CIMA is desirable.
- Strong quantitative/numerical skills are critical with the ability to interpret financial information and to design and use financial models.
- Credit analysis skills, with the ability to interpret accounts, understanding local and international accounting principles and practice of credit analysis.
- Computer literacy, conversant with Microsoft Office and spread sheet packages including financial analysis and modelling modules.
- Excellent understanding of relevant systems and processes.
- Stakeholder management skills.
- Coaching, mentoring & leadership skills.
- Relationship management and negotiation skills.
- Ability to work to deadlines and under time pressure.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.
- Good command over the local language is an advantage.
