Associate Director, Blended Finance (London, GB)

Associate Director, Blended Finance (London, GB)

Site

United Kingdom , England , London

Sector:

Nonprofit/Community/Social Services/International Cooperation

Role:

Other

Date of last update: (Expiry date: )

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development was founded in 1991 when communism was crumbling in Europe and ex-Soviet countries needed support to nurture a new private sector and democracy. Today we invest to help build market economies from central Europe to central Asia and the southern and eastern Mediterranean. We are now the largest single investor in our region. Owned by 69 countries and two intergovernmental institutions, we provide project financing for banks, industries and businesses. We also work with publicly owned companies to support privatisation, restructure state‑owned firms and improve municipal services. Wherever we are active, we promote policies that bolster the business climate.

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EBRD's engagement with donors has increased in both scale and depth in recent years with more than 50 multilateral and bilateral donors currently supporting the organisation, and close to two thirds of the Bank's investments now drawing on donor support. Donor support, in the form of grants and blended finance for investments, advisory services or policy reform, has become an integral part of EBRD's business model and crucial to help the Bank deliver on its transition mandate. At the same time, the effective use of concessional finance and blended finance requires ensuring that such support enhances the impact of EBRD investments, addresses market failures and does not distort markets, in line with relevant DFI principles for blended finance.

This post plays an important role in helping to shape EBRD's donor agenda and strategic relations with its growing donor community as the Bank expands into new regions and embarks on a new Strategic and Capital Framework period ). The Associate Director will establish effective and impactful strategies, policies and related guidelines for the Bank's broader donor agenda. The post holder also leads on analysing global development and blended finance trends and bring this knowledge to the Bank and will lead the Blended Finance Team in the Impact & Partnership Group of the Bank. This involves having a good understanding of both the Bank's donor support needs and donor priorities, as well as how blended finance can address market failures and enhance the impact and additionality of the Bank's investments. The role also includes producing a variety of analysis and financial data to capture the Bank's use and impact of donor resources and blended finance structures, including their contribution to addressing market failures and achieving development impact, and communicating this through an array of products and events to both internal and external audiences.

The post straddles two teams ? Donor Partnerships and Impact ? and the post holder will lead a team of staff and form part of both Donor Partnership and Impact's respective management teams. They will engage with multiple departments and colleagues across EBRD, with frequent external outreach and stakeholder engagement in the broader donor community and with actors on the international donor scene and regular interaction with users of donor finance within the Bank across all its key sector groups and policy teams. Equally, there will be engagement with the Bank's shareholders on donor‑related topics and various corporate teams including Risk and Debt Mobilisation.

Background

The Impact and Partnerships department supports the Bank's operational and strategic objectives by mobilising and managing grants and concessional finance, maintaining relations with the Bank's donor community and developing strategic partnerships. It also oversees the administration and approval of donor‑funded activities, manages dedicated funds, and supports the Bank's engagement with relevant external stakeholders.

The Donor Partnerships team leads on mobilising and managing donor funds in support of the Bank's activities and on maintaining strategic relationships with EBRD's bilateral and multilateral donor community. It develops and manages donor funding vehicles including the Shareholder Special Fund, supports fundraising and donor engagement, develops strategies and provides analysis, reporting, training and guidance to ensure strategic engagement with donors and effective use of donor resources across the Bank.

The Impact team leads on defining, measuring and communicating the Bank's transition and development impact. Its responsibilities include the Bank's transition results architecture and monitoring, assessment of the Bank's contribution to broader development objectives, and the self‑evaluation function. Within these responsibilities, the team assesses the use of concessional finance in EBRD projects and the impact of transactions with a blended finance component.

The Blended Finance Team, jointly positioned across Donor Partnerships and Impact, brings together the Bank's donor and impact expertise to support the strategic and effective use of grants and blended finance. The Team leads the Bank's donor and blended finance strategy and donor‑facing policies, ensuring alignment between the Bank's financing needs, donor priorities and the Bank's transition and development objectives. It oversees compliance of blended finance operations with the Bank's policies, guidelines and agreed DFI principles, including the principles governing the appropriate use of concessional finance and the avoidance of market distortion, as well as compliance with the Bank's donor‑focused policies.

The Team also provides strategic and technical advice to banking teams and fund managers on the design and use of blended finance, with a focus on ensuring that donor support maximises the impact and mobilisation potential of EBRD investments. It leads analysis and develops data and evidence on grants and blended finance, including its role in addressing market failures, generating additionality and impact, and mobilising finance. The Team is at the forefront of thought leadership on blended finance, engaging with donors, international development finance institutions and senior management, and representing EBRD in relevant international fora and discussions.

Facts / Scale

The Associate Director leads the work of the Blended Finance Team, bringing together the Bank's donor partnerships and impact expertise to ensure that blended and concessional finance is strategically targeted, compliant with agreed principles and effective in delivering impact and mobilisation. Key responsibilities include:

• Custodian of donor related policies like the Donor Fee policy, Client Contribution Policy and related guidelines.
• Production of analysis and data for the annual Strategic Implementation Plan, regular Board reports, the annual Funding Outlook, scenario analysis, a new prioritisation system and other tools and reports
• Contributions to 7-10 country strategies and country snapshots annually, donor Knowledge Management products and think pieces, multiple internal and external requests for ad‑hoc analysis
• Contributions to various reports including but not limited to an annual DFI Blended Finance Report, the EBRD Impact Report, Sustainability Report and Annual Report, and various donor reports. Production of the Annual Donor Report
• Organisation of at least 10 information and training session per year plus the Annual Donor Meeting
• Co‑manage with Finance the annual donor fee budget including preparation of related policy and guidelines
• Supervision and quality control of analysis conducted by the team on the compliance of Bank's investments with the internal guidelines for the deployment of blended and concessional finance (approx. 300 projects per year);
• Coordination of the Blended finance team advisory function
• Contribution to impact deep dives and thought pieces on the economics of blended finance
• Management of a team of 8-9 staff with links into both Donor Partnerships and Impact

Accountabilities & Responsibilities

Working under the guidance of the Director Donor Partnerships and the Director Impact, the Associate Director will:

• Promote an effective and impactful EBRD policy framework and a clear strategy for working with donors based on best international practice, reflecting key trends in the global development agenda and fully aligned with the Bank's five year Strategic and Capital Framework (SCF) and key policies. This involves leading the design of donor‑related policies and overseeing their implementation plus developing related guidelines and processes as well as monitoring the implementation of the Donor Strategy;
• Ensure the quality, consistency and compliance of the Bank's blended finance activities. The post holder will oversee the Team's assessment of proposed and existing uses of concessional finance, ensuring compliance with the Bank's guidelines and agreed DFI Principles for Blended Finance, including principles relating to market failure, additionality, impact and avoidance of market distortion. This includes providing quality control and strategic oversight of assessments undertaken by team members and ensuring consistent application of the framework across sectors and operations. The post holder will also develop and contribute to sharing relevant information on blended finance concessionality at project level for relevant audiences
• Lead the Blended Finance/Advisory function. The post holder will offer support to banking colleagues in the design of effective blended finance structures working across teams, in line with the DFI Principles for Blended Finance. They will also advise colleagues engaged in fundraising on best practice blended finance options and optimal structures for maximising impact, address bankability constraints, mobilising donor support plus private capital and provide relevant analysis.
• Lead the development of data, analysis and evidence on donor and blended finance, ensuring that the Bank has timely and high‑quality information to support strategy, policy, operational decision‑making and external engagement. This includes analysis of the use and impact of donor resources, the effectiveness of concessional finance, market failures, additionality, mobilisation and broader global trends in development and blended finance. The post holder will oversee the development of appropriate systems, tools and metrics and ensure high‑quality inputs to corporate reporting, including the Annual Donor Report, Impact Report and other strategic and donor‑specific reporting;
• Represent the Bank in international donor fora like the OECD, UN events on SDGs and Aid Effectiveness, GIIN, Convergence and IFI working groups on blended finance. Represent the Bank and engage with key stakeholders and peers in various international working groups on broader donor and development‑related topics and blended finance debates making sure EBRD's views and experience is effectively represented and emerging IFI best practice and joint policies are compatible with EBRD's business model;
• Contribute to the strategic usage of donor resources and planning of fundraising efforts, to ensure it is an integral part of the Bank's business and strategic direction and meets its need for external support. This will involve, on the one hand, mapping the Bank's needs for donor support and availability of resources and, on the other, establishing effective tools and processes for matching supply and demand of donor resources, working in close collaboration with Banking and Policy teams using such resources and Donor Partnerships colleagues managing donor funds and relations. Such needs shall be incorporated in the corporate planning processes and strategic implementation plans, country and sector strategies and relevant policies;
• Promote awareness and information on the Bank's donor agenda and use of concessional finance through organisation of information‑sharing events including the Donor Network, topical events with external stakeholders, engagement with the Board of the Bank and the Bank's Annual Donor Meeting. Develop and organise a training programme for staff on blended finance and various donor related aspects;
• Lead and manage the Blended Finance Hub, setting its strategic direction, priorities and work programme and ensuring effective integration of its Donor Partnerships and Impact responsibilities. This includes recruitment, goal setting, performance management, motivating, coaching and staff development, as well as ensuring effective collaboration with the wider Impact and Partnerships department and relevant Bank‑wide teams.
• 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.

Knowledge, Skills, Experience & Qualifications

Experience

• Extensive work experience and knowledge of working with donors and international development cooperation, in both a bilateral and multilateral context including in a strategy, policy or donor fund management role;
• Extensive experience in international development finance and blended finance design, mobilisation and resource management. Experience with project finance and financial structuring of projects to fit the mandate of a private investment facing International Development Financial Institution would be an advantage.
• Extensive experience in working on impact and additionality assessment of blended finance operations;
• Experience working for / with Development Financial Institutions/Multilateral Development Banks;
• Strong leadership skills. Proven successful experience in leading and managing people and guiding and motivating teams;

Knowledge

• Deep understanding of the global development agenda including UN, EU G7 and G20 priorities, emerging donor policy priorities, challenges facing the global aid architecture and best practice for use of donor funds;
• Deep understanding of the international blended finance and private capital mobilisation debates, key actors, emerging policies and trends, and various effective blended finance structures;
• Deep understanding of the international blended finance and private capital mobilisation debates, key actors, emerging policies and trends, and various effective blended finance structures;
• Deep understanding of the economics of blended finance, and of the principles guiding DFIs in the use of concessional funding;
• Strong understanding of approaches to mobilising support from donors and development finance partners across a range of concessional instruments (grants, concessional loans, guarantees, risk‑sharing, equity, etc.) and governance, policies and approaches for high impact and efficient use of such donor support including the importance of sound financial and results management;
• Understanding and familiarity with EBRD's business model, blended finance structuring, development finance tools and region of operation is an advantage;

Qualifications

• Post‑graduate/Masters in areas such as international development cooperation, international relations, development finance, economics;
• Fluency in English

Skills

• Excellent strategic thinking and deep analytical skills with proven ability to design and draw on analysis to shape new policies and strategies related to international development cooperation;
• Excellent partnership skills and inter‑personal skills. A team builder and people person with proven experience in building networks and teams, motivate people, build bridges and coalitions, and engaging effectively in international fora;
• Strong communication skills and fluency in global development finance issues, knowledge of latest outreach tools and experience in engaging and communicating effectively with a large number of internal and external stakeholders;
• Ability to perform efficiently and effectively in highly demanding working environments and meet very tight deadlines.
• A self‑starter with strong organisational skills and ability to drive forward agendas and work independently and proactively as well in teams, building productive relations and prioritise effectively.

Due to the number of stakeholders such as internal operational teams, Board Offices, external donors and development finance peers, and their different interests and agenda, this is a challenging post which requires an ability to grasp and work with a diversity of issues and relations and operate in a high pace and demanding environment .

What is it like to work at the EBRD? / About EBRD

Our agile and innovative approach is what makes life at the EBRD a unique experience! You will be part of a pioneering and diverse international organisation, and use your talents to make a real difference to people's lives and help shape the future of the regions we invest in.

At EBRD, our Values ? Inclusiveness, Innovation, Trust, and Responsibility ? are at the heart of how we work. We bring these to life through our Workplace Behaviours: listening well and speaking up, collaborating smartly, acting decisively with full commitment, and simplifying to amplify our impact. These principles shape our culture and define our success. We seek individuals who not only share these values but are also committed to embedding them in their daily work, fostering a positive and high‑performing environment.

The EBRD environment provides you with:

• Varied, stimulating and engaging work that gives you an opportunity to interact with a wide range of experts in the financial, political, public and private sectors across the regions we invest in.
• A working culture that embraces inclusion and celebrates diversity. Our workforce reflects a broad range of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences, bringing fresh ideas, energy, and innovation and enhancing our ability to serve our clients, shareholders, and counterparties effectively.
• A hybrid workplace that offers flexibility to teams and individuals; that is based on trust, flexibility and connectedness.
• An environment that places sustainability, equality and digital transformation at the heart of what we do.
• A workplace that prioritises employee wellbeing and provides a comprehensive suite of competitive benefits.

Diversity is one of the Bank's core values which are at the heart of everything it does. As such, the EBRD seeks to ensure that everyone is treated with respect and given equal opportunities and works in an inclusive environment. The EBRD encourages all qualified candidates who are nationals of the EBRD member countries to apply regardless of their racial, ethnic, religious and cultural background, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, socio‑economic background or disability.

Please note, that due to the high volume of applications received, we regret to inform you that we are unable to provide detailed feedback to candidates who have not been shortlisted (for further consideration).

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