Senior Portfolio Monitoring Officer — Sovereign-Backed Financing Loans, Beijing 430 views

Senior Portfolio Monitoring Officer — Sovereign-Backed Financing Loans

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has been rapidly building up its investment portfolio since operations started in January 2016. To strengthen its portfolio management capabilities on the loan side, AIIB’s Implementation Monitoring Unit (IMU) is recruiting a Senior Portfolio Monitoring Officer (SPMO) with strong civil engineering background and experience in supervising public-funded infrastructure projects. The SPMO will report to the Manager, IMU. The officer’s main responsibility is to actively supervise and monitor the implementation of sovereign-backed financing (SBF) projects to ensure that AIIB’s strategic objectives in terms of development impact and financial sustainability are met.

Responsibilities:

A. Proactive monitoring of project performance and compliance

• Actively supervise and monitor the implementation of SBF infrastructure projects managed by IMU and develop an informed opinion about expected future project performance while identifying and updating issues and risk factors:
• Assessing project implementation status.
• Assessing compliance with relevant AIIB policies, particularly AIIB’s procurement and environmental and social policies and sectoral/thematic strategies.
• Identifying technical issues that need special attention.
• Tracking the delivery of monitoring reports and other requirements.
• Providing recommendations to project teams and Management on how to address those issues.
• Work closely with specialists in the team and coordinate AIIB’s review of various reports submitted by the Borrower and/or Implementing Agencies, such as periodic progress reports, technical reports, bid documents, bid evaluation reports, financial statements and other project reports, etc.
• Conduct review meetings with implementing agencies, carry out technical inspections of physical works and quality records and prepare periodic monitoring reports.
• Advise preemptively on project, sector and country issues which may impact the developmental or financial performance of individual projects.
• Actively identify and report issues that need Senior Management’s attention and provide advice on action plans.

B. Early identification of risks and design of appropriate remedies

• Identify and provide early warnings to management about critical deviations from the original investment plan or newly emerging risks, while simultaneously proposing appropriate remedies and coordinating related activities with internal and external stakeholders.

• Tags

  civil engineering

  contract management

  good practices

  local government

  procurement

  project implementation

  risk management

• Take proactive actions to address deviations, such as liaising with external and internal parties to design, negotiate and implement project restructuring or other project changes in to ensure that the interests of the project and of AIIB are protected.
• Assist the IMU manager in developing a comprehensive early warning system throughout the SBF loan portfolio.

C. Management of the relationship with internal and external stakeholders

• Build and maintain strong client relationships through the supervision process and add value to the project by drawing on international good practices.
• Effectively manage the relationship with external stakeholders (such as borrowers, implementing agencies, co-lenders, contractors, consultants, community groups and civil society organizations, etc.) and internal teams (such as investment operations, policy and strategy team, risk management, safeguards, procurement, legal, finance, etc.) and ensure good communication with relevant parties to assess and implement the most appropriate course of action in any given situation as smoothly as possible.

D. Generating experience and knowledge feedback loops

• Identify and document lessons learned from the existing portfolio and feed this knowledge back to other teams (including activities such as training IO staff).
• Guide junior team members in all tasks related with portfolio management.

E. Carrying out other duties as assigned by the IMU Manager

Requirements:

• Minimum 8-10 years of relevant experience in the design and implementation of infrastructure projects, including at least five years in civil engineering, construction supervision or construction contract management for investment projects in energy, transport and/or water sectors.
• Technical site inspection and construction monitoring experience; demonstrated ability to review technical specification and drawings and verify quality and compliance of construction works.
• Adequate knowledge of international good practices in public procurement and environmental and social considerations for infrastructure investments.
• Experience working with a wide range of stakeholders, national and local government agencies, nongovernment organizations, the private sector, international organizations and development partners.
• Experience in infrastructure projects in developing countries in Asia would be an advantage.
• Superior written and verbal communication skills (in English) with demonstrated ability to think strategically and synthesize complex issues (translated into effective oral and written briefs).
• Ability to collaborate with other team members and contribute productively to the team’s work and output, demonstrating respect for different points of view.
• Master’s degree or above from a reputable university.

Previous experience and qualifications will determine the staff level at which an applicant will enter AIIB.