Senior Industry Specialist - Clean Technology Products (Battery & Rare Earth Minerals Manufacturing)
Overview
The role is to provide technical and business input throughout the investment cycle for clean technology product value chains, focusing on business development, new project generation, and market creation in emerging markets.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide technical and business input throughout the investment cycle, from business development, screening, appraisal, and processing through portfolio supervision.
- Identify material issues and weaknesses, recommend timely solutions, and help design advisory support where needed.
- Early screening: Help investment teams identify suitable target clients and screen out projects that lack sound business fundamentals.
- Appraisal: Produce clear and comprehensive appraisal and supervision reports. Provide technical and business parameters for financial models and support the development of robust, scenario-based analysis.
- Portfolio: Advise investment and portfolio teams on material changes in client operations and their likely impact on IFC’s investment. Work with clients and relevant teams to design interventions addressing emerging risks to project success.
- Support business development by applying sector expertise and networks to identify, assess, and pitch investment opportunities to potential clients.
- Contribute to sector and country strategies, market assessments, and WBG market creation activities, including identifying market potential and barriers to investment.
- Support WBG engagement with governments seeking to develop battery materials, battery manufacturing, rare earth processing, permanent magnet manufacturing, electric motor production, and related clean technology product manufacturing value chains.
- Conduct systematic value chain diagnostics to identify realistic country and regional entry points, competitive constraints, and opportunities to increase value addition and sustainability.
- Support the development of investment acceleration platforms, processing and manufacturing zones, supplier development initiatives, technology partner outreach, and demand aggregation mechanisms, where appropriate.
- Collaborate with WBG colleagues, governments, and external partners to identify and help implement sector and regulatory reforms, build partnerships, and enable public and private investment and project delivery.
- Anticipate the interests of Board members and senior management and maintain readiness to respond to questions regarding country and regional manufacturing programs, including commitments, portfolio performance, pipeline, and barriers to growth.
- Mentor and coach junior staff and share relevant experience.
- Contribute to internal knowledge building activities and maintenance of a lessons learned database and relevant industry benchmarks.
- Contribute to thought leadership and case studies on private sector led manufacturing, critical minerals value addition, supply chain resilience, and emerging market participation in clean technology value chains.
- Support development of guidance notes and conceptual framework for the WBG approach.
- Oversee fact-based analysis to spot Manufacturing industry shifts and to promote the WBG’s competitive advantage.
Required Experience
Minimum 8 years of relevant experience (15+ years strongly preferred) in private sector manufacturing and business. Preferably at least 8-10 years of direct industry experience within either the battery value chain and/or the rare earth permanent magnet value chains. P&L responsibility, within either the battery value chain or the rare earth permanent magnet value chains, is essential. Experience leading the establishment or ramp-up of a first-of-kind or greenfield commercial plant qualifies. Experience in developing and/or evaluating business plans, project design, project execution, project management, plant operations, marketing and business development. Experience working in emerging economies is highly desired.
Qualifications
Engineering Degree in a relevant field such as Mechanical, Industrial, Metallurgical, Materials, Process, Chemical or Production engineering with a post graduate degree (Masters level Degree or higher).