Investment Officer

Senior Investment Officer

Job Vacancy | Wednesday, September 13, 2023

Reference Number 230590
Position Level NS 4
Department Private Sector Operations Department
Division Portfolio Management Division, PSOD
Location People’s Republic of China Resident Mission
Date Posted Wednesday, September 13, 2023
Closing Date Wednesday, September 27, 2023 11:59 p.m. (2359 Manila Time, 0800 GMT)

IMPORTANT INFORMATION :

This position is for outposting to People’s Republic of China Resident Mission (PRCM) and is open to internal and external applicants. If the successful candidate is an external candidate, he/she may initially be based in HQ prior to be outposted. If the successful candidate is an internal candidate, the outposting will be immediate.

This vacancy is a local staff position. It is open only to nationals and residents of People’s Republic of China.

Overview

Asian Development Bank (ADB) is an international development finance institution headquartered in Manila, Philippines and is composed of 68 members, 49 of which are from the Asia and Pacific region. ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific,** while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. ADB combines finance, knowledge, and partnerships to fulfill its expanded vision under its Strategy 2030.

ADB only hires nationals of its 68 members.

The position is outposted to the People’s Republic of China Resident Mission (PRCM) and assigned in the Portfolio Management Division (PSPM) within the Private Sector Operations Department (PSOD). PSPM is accountable for the pro-active management, reporting, and review of ADB’s growing private sector debt and guarantee portfolio, including overseeing project implementation and administration as well as managing client relationships over a diverse range of sectors and geographies. PSPM is responsible for managing all risk aspects of the portfolio including credit risk, safeguards risk, integrity risk, as well as the delivery of the development effectiveness goals of projects.

PSOD provides investment capital to private sector entrepreneurs, corporates, and project sponsors, as well as financial intermediaries, such as banks and private equity funds, throughout developing Asia. It catalyzes, structures, and funds investments in privately held and state-sponsored companies across a wide range of industry sectors. PSOD’s emphasis is on commercially viable transactions that generate financial returns while also delivering on ADB’s organization-wide mission to promote environmentally sustainable and inclusive economic growth. To learn more about PSOD, watch this video.

To view ADB Organizational Chart, please click here.

Job Purpose

The Senior Investment Officer will work alongside deal officers in managing a portfolio of private sector debt and guarantee transactions, assuming responsibility for all risk and client relationship aspects of assigned accounts from first disbursement to final repayment. The job holder will work closely with borrowers, PSOD colleagues, and a wide range of internal and external stakeholders. The position requires a proven technical background in credit analysis and writing, as well as strong multi-tasking, coordination, and communication skills, and the ability to operate with limited supervision.

Geographic and transaction focus: A large part of the portfolio to be covered will be corporate finance and project finance transactions in East Asia (the PRC and Mongolia), with a focus on infrastructure, followed by agribusiness and health. The role will require travel to ADB-developing member countries. Engagement with PRCM colleagues, across functions, is a requisite of the position, with robust knowledge sharing and involvement in a wide variety of PRC-focused ADB initiatives.

The staff will report to the designated PSPM International Staff (IS) on substantive technical, policy-related, and operational aspects. For administrative matters, both the designated PSPM IS and Country Director, PRCM are to be consulted.

Responsibilities

Credit monitoring

• Prepares credit monitoring reports with thorough risk analysis, develops financial models, and keeps internal risk ratings on borrowers and projects updated.
• Tracks compliance with covenants and risk triggers
• Identifies warning signals in transactions, reports potential problems on a timely basis, and design and coordinate remedial actions.
• Leads relevant sector and market research as part of transaction risk assessment.
• Participates in project monitoring missions.
• Contributes to portfolio review and reporting exercises.

Project monitoring

• Maintains strong relationships with portfolio clients through regular and effective interactions (calls, face-to-face meetings)
• Ensures timely adherence by clients to periodic information reporting obligations and follows up as needed.
• Monitors project performance in terms of development effectiveness as well as environmental and social safeguards compliance
• Drives negotiations with clients on workable solutions when covenant breaches or unexpected developments occur and processes waiver, amendment, or consent requests in an efficient manner.
• Implements technical advisory programs arranged for clients and projects.
• Coordinates with other PSOD divisions and ADB departments (Private Sector Transaction Support, Office of Risk Management, Office of the General Counsel, Treasury Department, Controller’s Department, Office of Safeguards, and others) on all aspects of project monitoring and implementation

Disbursements

• Ensures smooth processing of disbursement requests, verifies compliance with disbursement conditions and loan covenants, follows up on submission of required documents, and reviews their completeness and/or validity.
• Liaises with co-financiers and/or risk transfer arrangement counterparties (together with the Guarantees and Syndications Unit) if applicable.
• Ensures the development of disbursement projections, actual disbursements, and tracking of shortfalls and identifies the underlying causes of such shortfalls.

Database maintenance

• Ensures completeness of database of legal documentation, financing and security documents, and project contracts for new project approvals, as well as completeness of documents created in PSPM post-origination.
• Supports the creation and maintenance of project-related databases, tracking portfolio size, composition, and other characteristics, for management information.

Administrative and Planning Support

• Represents PSOD and participates in the planning of various initiatives designed to facilitate PSOD’s interactions with other ADB departments.
• Coordinates the preparation of inputs for the annual work program and/or budget and assists in finalizing PSOD’s submissions related to ADB’s annual planning and budget exercises and mid-year reviews of annual budgets.

Project Annual Reviews and Project Completion Reports

• Performs desktop review, collects data, assesses financial and developmental performance of projects, conducts interviews with clients and stakeholders, and participates in missions to evaluate projects for extended annual review reports (XARR)
• Prepares XARRs jointly with PSOD colleagues or consultants.

Others

• Assists with ad hoc tasks, as needed, related to PSOD operations.
• Participates in cross-functional initiatives at PRCM.
• Shares knowledge with colleagues on emerging best practices in project/corporate financing and takeaways from deal management experience

Qualifications

Relevant Experience & Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in finance or business or related fields, preferably with a master’s degree or equivalent
• At least 10-12 years of work experience in the field of corporate finance, project finance, or infrastructure finance preferably with a leading international financial institution, investment bank, infrastructure fund, or consultancy firm
• Excellent understanding of finance and business principles and strong skills in client management
• Ability to undertake research and analysis on difficult tasks, collect and organize information, apply appropriate computer skills in organizing and analyzing the information, and prepare notes, papers, and reports according to requirements.
• Strong analytical thinking skills, with the ability to comprehend causal links, make pros-and-cons analyses, and analyze factors to reach a decision.
• Ability to independently identify tasks and priorities within the area of responsibility and to formulate and then execute plans for the completion of such tasks.
• Skills and confidence to conduct discussions and negotiations with clients and stakeholders with limited supervision.
• Able to work constructively in a multicultural setting, be a strong team player, and guide junior colleagues to facilitate work planning, delivery, and quality review.
• Excellent written (including effective report writing) and verbal communication skills in both English and Chinese
• Please refer to the link for the ADB Competency Framework for National Staff Level 4.

General Considerations

The selected candidate, if new to ADB, is appointed for an initial term of 3 years.

ADB offers competitive remuneration and a comprehensive benefits package. Actual appointment salary will be based on ADB’s standards and computation, taking into account the selected individual’s qualifications and experience.

ADB seeks to ensure that everyone is treated with respect and given equal opportunities to work in an inclusive environment. ADB encourages all qualified candidates to apply regardless of their racial, ethnic, religious and cultural background, gender, sexual orientation or disabilities. Women are highly encouraged to apply.

Please note that the actual level and salary will be based on qualifications of the selected candidate.