Chief of Operations (Operations Lead Specialist/Senior Specialist)

Location: Multiple Locations

The IDB Group is a community of diverse, versatile, and passionate people who come together on a journey to improve lives in Latin America and the Caribbean. Our people find purpose and do what they love in an inclusive, collaborative, agile, and rewarding environment.

About this position

We are looking for highly motivated individuals with strong leadership, operational experience, and deep understanding of the Bank’s mission and policies, to advance the operational dialogue with country counterparts, and to contribute to the origination, programming and monitoring efforts aligned with our priorities and country needs in the public.

As Chief of Operations (COO), reporting directly to the Country Representative, and in close coordination with the Country Department, you will lead the monitoring and effectiveness of the project investment portfolio in the country and be responsible for project execution by results, ensuring compliance with targets defined in the Country Office’s business plan and country strategy. The COO supervises the operations team in the Country Office and coordinates with the Sector and Fiduciary Specialists the supervision of the portfolio.

What you’ll do:

Preparation, Execution and Supervision of Operations and Portfolio Management:

• Participate in the formulation, implementation, and monitoring of the Bank’s Country Strategy, including advising on the strategic and programming dialogue with the country authorities.
• Lead portfolio reviews with borrowers and executing agencies and participate in the internal portfolio reviews between Country and Sectors Departments.
• Oversee the performance and effectiveness of the operational program based on results, ensuring that portfolio execution is aligned with the Bank’s results framework.
• Supervise the technical and operational teams in the different instances of project portfolio reviews, project start-up, project mid-term review and/or evaluations, etc., with a focus on measurement for results and achievement of objectives.
• Identify, and respond to, capacity-building needs (for Country Office staff and executing agencies) for a better results-based management approach.
• Cultivate an environment of learning from the Bank’s completed projects (what worked well and what did not). In addition, promote knowledge sharing on country regulations and procedures, guiding operational and institutional aspects, emphasizing project design, execution analysis and institutional capacity.
• Provide feedback to the Representative and Management on opportunities and barriers to the achievement of strategic goals, including the dialogue with Bank Departments, Offices and Divisions, to pursue the goals of the operational plan and the country’s requirements.
• Recommend and own the implementation of strategies that introduce alternative or revised processes, improved efficiency and metrics and better coordination with key partners to address systemic execution challenges, based on risk analysis of the project.
• Build and maintain dialogue and partnership development in operational matters with country authorities and key actors, including bilateral and multilateral organizations, private sector, and civil society.
• Take calculated risks with new insights and initiatives, including rethinking approaches to improve execution issues and results.
• Provide technical guidance to more junior staff, including but not limited to Operations Analysts.