We improve lives
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 an innovative, results-oriented, and collaborative consultant to join IDB Lab’s Caribbean team based out of Suriname. As an IDB Lab Private Sector Development Consultant, you will identify new projects by receiving, screening, and monitoring a pipeline of opportunities; conducting initial reviews and discussions with potential partners; preparing project pitches; and supporting research and the design of operations eligible for financing. You will also monitor the existing IDB Lab portfolio, liaise with project team leaders and executing partners to address implementation queries or challenges, and support communication, promotion, and visibility activities as needed.
You will work in the IDB’s Suriname Country Office as part of IDB Lab’s Ecosystem Building and Acceleration (EBA) Division, in particular with the Caribbean EBA team. The EBA Division originates and manages the portfolio of non-reimbursable technical cooperation projects and oversees the operational relationship with the IDB, helping ensure an adequate distribution of technical cooperation across countries and strategic areas.
What you’ll do
- Support the development of Suriname and other Caribbean innovation and startup ecosystem by strengthening connections among founders, ecosystem support organizations, universities, public agencies, investors, and other relevant actors, and by identifying opportunities to build sustainable local ecosystem capacity.
- Engage with potential clients and diverse partners to identify highly innovative operations focused on results and impact, with particular attention to IDB Lab and wider IDB Group programmatic priorities in Suriname and the wider Caribbean.
- Support the origination process of new projects through research and assessment of potential clients and opportunities and drafting project pitches for financing
- Contribute to the design of innovative projects, including: conducting technical and financial analyses of proposed projects and preparing key documents and presentations to facilitate approval.
- Support the supervision of portfolio in execution, including: guiding project implementation, providing technical advice so operations achieve their objectives; assisting with fiduciary compliance, disbursements, and reporting to meet IDB Lab requirements.
- Assist with the generation of practical knowledge generation and dissemination, documenting lessons learned and best practices for greater scale and impact.
- Support communication, representation and engagement efforts of the Suriname Country Office, wider Caribbean and IDB Lab.
- Assist with and identify opportunities for collaboration and co-creation with IDB and IDB Invest, including in the green economy, and coordinate with relevant Bank and regional initiatives (with a special focus on Amazonia initiatives), public agencies, financial institutions, donors, communities, and private sector partners.
What you'll need
Education: Master’s degree or equivalent in Economics, Finance, Business, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Development Studies, or another field relevant to the responsibilities of the role.
Experience: At least five (5) years of relevant professional experience in private sector development, entrepreneurship and innovation, startup ecosystem development, sustainable economic development, project management, or related fields. Relevant experience may include work with ecosystem support organizations, universities, business support organizations, public institutions, private sector organizations, financial institutions, or development partners. Experience in project design, implementation, supervision, results monitoring, or the management of projects and programs is desirable.
Additional Experience: Experience in nascent innovation ecosystem building, including experience supporting founders, entrepreneurship programs, ecosystem coordination, or early-stage financing, is desirable. Experience in green finance, climate or nature-related operations, and Amazonia’s bioeconomy initiatives, including work with Indigenous and Tribal communities, is also desirable. Experience working with bilateral or multilateral development institutions and donors, or coordinating with public agencies, financial institutions, private firms, and local communities, is highly desirable.
Languages: Proficiency in English and Dutch, spoken and written, is required. Additional knowledge of one of the other Bank official languages (Spanish, French or Portuguese) is preferable.
Requirements
Citizenship: You are a citizen of one of our 48-member countries. Must be eligible to work in Suriname without the need for sponsorship.
Consanguinity: You have no family members (up to 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
National consultant Full-Time, 12 months (up to 48 months, subject to eligibility).
What we offer
The IDB Group provides benefits that respond to the different needs and moments of an employee’s life. These benefits include:
National Consultant:
- A competitive compensation package.
- Leave and vacations: 2 days per month of contract + gender-neutral parental leave.
- Health Insurance: the IDB Group provides a monthly allowance to supplement the purchase of health insurance.
- Savings plan: The IDB Group cares about your future, depending on the length of the contract, you will receive a monthly savings plan allowance.
- On-site position with the occasional flexibility of teleworking.
- Development support: We offer learning opportunities to boost your professional profile, such as seminars, 1:1 professional counseling, and much more.
- Health and well-being: Access to our Health Services Center that provides preventive care and health education for employees.
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.
