Job Description
IDB Invest -Southern Cone Regional Lead Officer (Upstream / Business Development)
City:  Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Sao Paulo
Company:  IDB Invest
Posting End Date:  October 7, 2025

We improve lives

IDB Invest is the private sector arm of the IDB Group and an international financial institution committed to addressing the development needs of Latin America and the Caribbean. Our mission is to support sustainable enterprises and projects that deliver financial results while maximizing social and environmental impact in the region. 

IDB Invest operates in 26 countries, structured across four geographic regions and three industry verticals: Infrastructure and Energy, Financial Intermediaries, and Corporates. 

In support of a new transformative business model “Originate to Share” our shareholders recently approved a $3.5 billion capitalization. This will allow IDB Invest to significantly scale up its investments, nearly doubling annual financing from approximately $8 billion to $19 billion, and unlocking greater private sector participation to drive development and climate impact across the region. 

About this position

The Southern Cone Division (RGS/RSC) of the Regions Department of IDB Invest is looking for a Regional Lead Officer (Upstream / Pre-investment) to:  

  • Collaborate with IDB Country Representatives and Delivery Units to support governments and private sector stakeholders in conceptualizing, designing, structuring and launching initiatives to boost participation of private sector in the economy including privatizations, PPPs, concessions, etc. as well other forms of private investments;  

  • Support governments to strengthen State-Owned Enterprises with the goal of making them eligible for non-sovereign guarantee financing;  

  • Identify and promote public sector enabling measures that facilitate and unlock high impact private sector investments and provide relevant private sector input for public sector interventions and regulatory changes; and 

  • Work with the Delivery Units to support incubation of high impact opportunities that require early-stage development and pre-investment support at the country, industry or client level. 

What you’ll do

  • Advance regional business development activities and help the Regional Managing Director to develop a strong pipeline of investments by assessing business leads, anticipating market trends and employing deep sector/country/market knowledge.
  • Identify and deploy pre-investment and advisory initiatives in the region, in conjunction with the relevant ICT advisory teams and/or other teams across IDB Invest, to achieve market, industry or client improvements that result in an impact-driven pipeline of future IDB Invest bankable investments.
  • Identify and promote public-sector enabling measures that unlock private sector investments.
  • Ensure alignment of regional actions with corporate strategy and key performance targets. Track regional private sector operations and identify opportunities for strategic partnerships and financial and blended finance interventions.
  • Develop, deepen and maintain key public and private sector business relationships, including by outreach and dialogue with private sector stakeholders and organizations in the respective region, to support IDB Invest visibility and positioning at the country level.
  • Provide strategic, operational, and technical support to the Regional Managing Director and the IDB Country Representatives regarding private sector and non-sovereign guaranteed (NSG) opportunities, products, pipeline, and portfolio in the region. Support the Regional Managing Director in preparing for and following up on private sector missions, investor roundtables, and high-level forums.
  • Support the Country Representatives in the programming process to identify and incorporate upstream opportunities for inclusion in the country dialogue, as well as private sector perspectives and opportunities for synergies in the public sector.
  • Support the Managing Director and the Country Representatives in the identification of country/market trends, regional dynamics, institutional priorities and opportunities to deepen private sector impact, and provide synthesized intelligence for decision-making through local knowledge, market research and data analytics.
  • Drive and monitor strategic initiatives and special projects delegated by the Regional Managing Director. Identify and escalate risks or bottlenecks that may hinder regional execution.

What you'll need

•    Education: Master’s degree in economics, finance, business, law, engineering, or another relevant field.

•    Experience: At least 6 years of progressive experience in project development, structuring and lending to private sector clients. Also experience engaging with private sector clients, local and national governments and other stakeholders.

•    Languages:  Proficiency in Spanish and English, spoken and written, is required. Additional knowledge of French and Portuguese is preferable.

Key skills

Communicating Impact/Storytelling​
Product Knowledge​
Strategy Development​
Country Knowledge, Policy and Dialogue​
Market & Development Analytics​
Product Scalability/Synergy​
Promoting Diversity, Inclusion and Collaboration
Acting Strategically to Deliver Client and Organizational Results
Business Intelligence
Client Business Knowledge & Solutions Provisioning ​
Client Relationship Management
Customer Relationship Management and Networking
Knowledge of the Latin American Region
Negotiation & Communication
Public-Private Synergies
Relationship Management​
Sales, Origination and Closing Skills​

Requirements

•    Citizenship: You must be a citizen of Brazil, Argentina, or Uruguay, or hold residency or a valid work permit that allows you to work in one of these countries. 

•    Consanguinity: You have no family members (up to the fourth degree of consanguinity and second degree of affinity, including spouse) working at the IDB, IDB Invest, or IDB Lab.

Type of contract and duration

•    Staff: National staff contract, 36 months initially, renewable upon mutual agreement.

 

What we offer

  • A competitive compensation package.
  • Leaves and vacations: 24 days of paid time off + 8 personal days + sick leave + gender- neutral parental leave.
  • Health Insurance: IDB Group provides employees and eligible dependents with a robust medical benefits program that covers medical, dental, vision, preventive care, and prescription drugs. 
  • Pension plan: defined benefit pension plan that provides financial security and support employees in planning for their future. 
  • We offer assistance with relocation when it applies.
  • Hybrid and flexible work schedules.
  • Health and well-being:  Access to our Health Services Center that provides preventive care and health education for employees. 
  • Development support: We offer tools to boost your professional profile, such as mentoring, 1:1 professional counseling, training and learning opportunities, language classes, mobility options, among others. 
  • Other perks: Lactation Room, Bike Racks, Parking, and others

Our culture

At the IDB, we work so everyone brings their best and authentic selves to work while finding their purpose. Our people consistently strive for excellence, and we recognize and celebrate the impact of their contributions.

In our efforts to drive innovation, we intentionally include all voices, cultivate a sense of belonging and champion fairness. We welcome individuals from underrepresented groups to join us and share their unique perspectives.

We ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to participate in the job interview process. If you require an accommodation to complete this application, please email us at accommodations@iadb.org.

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