(Manager) Head of Data-Driven Operations

Job Posting Organization:
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is a member of the World Bank Group and is recognized as the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. Established to promote sustainable private sector investment, IFC operates in over 100 countries, leveraging its capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities in developing nations. In fiscal year 2025, IFC committed a record $71 billion to private companies and financial institutions in developing countries, aiming to mobilize private capital and create a world free of poverty on a livable planet. For more information about IFC's mission and operations, visit www.ifc.org.

Job Overview:
The Head of Data-Driven Operations at IFC is a senior leadership position responsible for overseeing and advancing the organization's private sector data strategy. This role involves managing a team that focuses on data engineering, data quality, private sector data architecture, and enterprise data solutions. The successful candidate will ensure that IFC's data assets are reliable, secure, and deliver measurable business value. This position requires a blend of strong technical expertise and exceptional leadership skills to engage with senior stakeholders across IFC and the World Bank Group. The ideal candidate will demonstrate a proven ability to lead complex data programs, drive innovation, and foster a culture of data excellence that aligns with IFC's mission of promoting sustainable private sector investment in emerging markets. The role reports directly to IFC's Chief Information Officer and collaborates closely with the WBG Chief Data Technology team to align data initiatives with broader institutional objectives.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The duties and responsibilities of the Head of Data-Driven Operations include, but are not limited to: leading, mentoring, and developing a team of data engineers; spearheading the modernization of IFC's data environment by migrating critical functions to a new cloud platform; identifying opportunities to leverage data for strategic decision-making and business growth; collaborating with the Head of Analytics to implement IFC's data strategy; working closely with World Bank Group IT teams to leverage best practices and technologies; designing and maintaining a scalable and efficient data architecture; establishing standards for data and semantic modeling, database design, data transformation, and data preparation; overseeing teams to ensure adherence to best practices; establishing data quality standards and processes; managing data engineering tools and technologies; effectively communicating complex data engineering concepts to non-technical senior leaders; influencing senior leaders to adopt data-driven decision-making; aligning data engineering initiatives with business strategy; staying updated with new data technologies and advising on their implementation; and contributing to IFC's technical vision. Within the first year, the successful candidate will need to develop a plan for cloud migration, set up a strategy for sunsetting Exadata, define data lake architecture, and implement a data quality practice at IFC.

Required Qualifications:
The required qualifications for this position include a Master's degree in computer science or a related field, along with 12 to 15 years of relevant working experience leading technical teams, preferably in the Financial Services sector. Candidates should have at least 10 years of hands-on experience in data engineering and/or software development. A demonstrated ability to establish strong partnerships and drive processes across organizations is essential, particularly in managing the creation, processing, and use of instrumentation to enable impactful data use in developing data products or solutions. Proven experience leading enterprise data functions, ideally in financial institutions or development organizations, is also required. A strong understanding of modern data architecture, business intelligence, and analytics is necessary, along with certifications in relevant areas such as Data Governance, Data Privacy/security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">Security, and Cloud/Data Platforms. At least one certification in these technologies is required, preferably in Azure, along with Agile/Product Management certification. Candidates should possess strong interpersonal and influencing skills, excellent written and verbal communication abilities, and the capability to manage multiple projects independently within diverse teams. A commitment to the World Bank Group and IFC's mission and values is essential, along with core managerial competencies such as courage of convictions, leading for impact, influencing across boundaries, openness to new ideas, and building talent for the future.

Educational Background:
Candidates must hold a Master's degree in computer science or an equivalent field. This educational background is crucial for understanding the technical aspects of data engineering and management, as well as for leading a team of data professionals effectively.

Experience:
The position requires 12 to 15 years of relevant working experience, with a strong emphasis on leading technical teams. Candidates should have at least 10 years of hands-on experience in data engineering and/or software development, demonstrating a proven ability to lead complex data programs and initiatives.

Languages:
The mandatory language for this position is English. Proficiency in additional languages may be considered an asset, although specific preferred languages are not mentioned in the job description.

Additional Notes:
This position is classified as an international recruitment role with a term duration of 4 years. The successful candidate will be expected to work full-time and may be involved in recruiting internationally. The World Bank Group offers comprehensive benefits, including a retirement plan, medical, life and disability insurance, and paid leave, including parental leave. The organization is committed to being an equal opportunity and inclusive employer, ensuring that there is no discrimination based on gender, gender identity, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability.