Counsel

World Bank Group; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 180,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, seeks a Counsel based in Washington, DC to support Blended Finance, Trust Funds and investment transactions across regions. You’ll lead complex negotiations, draft and review legal documents, and mentor junior lawyers within CLED.

You will report to Global Lead Counsel, Blended Finance, and work with internal clients across business lines, ensuring compliance and effective risk management. Fluency in English required.

Qualifications

• JD, LLB or equivalent law degree.
• Qualified to practice law in one or more jurisdictions.
• 8+ years of post-qualification experience, preferably in international or development finance.
• Experience with blended or concessional finance, donor-funded programs or trust funds preferred.
• Ability to lead transactions independently and mentor junior colleagues.

Responsibilities

• Take primary lawyer responsibility on transactions across Blended Finance, Trust Funds and Upstream investments.
• Draft, negotiate and review complex legal documents and agreements.
• Advise business teams on legal risks and opportunities.
• Coordinate with outside counsel and manage legal costs.
• Mentor and support junior lawyers and legal analysts.

Skills

Blended Finance

Trust Funds

Investment Projects

Negotiation

Legal Drafting

Cross-border Transactions

Education

JD/LLB or equivalent law degree

Job description

Counsel

Job #: req39022
Organization: IFC
Sector: Legal
Grade: GG
Term Duration: Open-Ended Staff (OPEN-OP)
Recruitment Type: International Recruitment
Location: Washington, DC, United States
Required Language(s): English
Preferred Language(s):
Closing Date: 11/4/2026 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC

Description

At the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group (WBG), you’ll join a diverse, global community working across cultures, disciplines, and borders to address the world’s most pressing development challenges. With 1.2 billion young people reaching working age in the decade ahead, the challenge of job creation has never been greater. Through partnerships across 145 countries and more than 182 offices worldwide, we work with governments, private sector, development partners and other stakeholders to invest in people, strengthen markets, and deliver scalable, data-driven solutions that generate more and better jobs and improve lives. In fiscal year 2026, IFC committed a record $105.6 billion to private companies and financial institutions in developing countries. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.

The Legal Department of IFC (CLED), under the Vice President and General Counsel, Legal & Governance Vice Presidency Unit, is responsible for providing legal and policy advice to the IFC Board, its Management and client departments on operational, advisory and corporate matters. Specifically, CLED supports client departments in (i) the delivery of IFC’s annual program of financing private sector projects in emerging markets, advisory services, as well as early-stage engagements and pre-investment project development work to identify opportunities for private sector investment and create markets (“Upstream”); (ii) project portfolio management (including jeopardy projects and projects in litigation); (iii) the delivery and design of structured finance products, sub-national lending, equity and quasi-equity, public-private partnerships, investments in funds, and platform products; (iv) advising on corporate policy and operational matters; (v) mobilizing funds from third parties, including syndication partners and public and private donors, and administering trust funds for developmental purposes; and (vi) knowledge management and training.

Blended Finance is designed to address market failures and help mobilize private investment in pioneering projects and challenging environments. IFC is one of the world’s largest implementers of Blended Finance for private sector operations. IFC uses relatively small amounts of concessional donor funds to mitigate specific investment risks and help rebalance the risk-reward profiles of pioneering investments that are unable to proceed on strictly commercial terms. Blended Finance can be structured as debt, equity, risk-sharing, or guarantee products with different rates, tenors, security, or rankings. Under select facilities, it can also take the form of performance-based incentive structures. Solutions are tailored to address specific market barriers and failures and the requirements of donor partners.

The Trust Funds unit and the Partnerships & Multilateral Engagement team manage IFC’s donor relationships and engagements with government development agencies, foundations, corporations, and multilateral organizations, and channel these resources through trust funds. These funds support IFC’s Blended Finance and other development activities.

Counsel:

To support IFC’s growing activities across regions, sectors and practices, CLED is recruiting a Counsel primarily to support the Blended Finance and Trust Funds practices, and to act as project lawyer on investment projects. The Counsel will report to the Global Lead Counsel, Blended Finance, and indirectly the AGC, Legal Practices. The position will be based in Washington, DC.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Counsel is expected to take primary lawyer responsibility on transactions, work independently, and exercise sound, independent judgment. This includes advising internal clients from the business development and term sheet stages through the drafting, negotiation and closing of legal documents. The Counsel is also expected to support senior colleagues on complex transactions and to guide more junior colleagues.

Blended Finance

• Act as project lawyer on Blended Finance transactions, including negotiating and drafting concessional terms and legal documents for debt, equity, guarantee, risk-sharing, fund and performance-based incentive structures.
• Support the Global Lead Counsel for Blended Finance in running CLED’s Blended Finance practice, including acting as a point of contact for investment teams and CLED lawyers.
• Advise on the legal aspects of donor-supported Blended Finance programs, platforms and partnerships, and on portfolio matters for Blended Finance projects.
• Coordinate with investment teams to finalize documentation, including flagging for the relevant CLED project lawyer any issues related to execution by Blended Finance signatories.
• Maintain and update legal templates, checklists and guidance for Blended Finance products.

Trust Funds

• Support the Global Lead Counsel for Trust Funds in running CLED’s Trust Funds practice.
• Draft and negotiate trust fund agreements, including administration agreements, with public and private sector donors.
• Advise on establishing and using IFC trust funds for investment and other activities, including assessing the legal risks of new donor and development partners.
• Update trust fund templates in line with evolving business needs and policy requirements.
• Provide guidance and support to CLED lawyers, legal analysts and legal assistants on trust fund matters.

Investment Projects

• Act as project lawyer on new and portfolio investment projects and Upstream transactions across sectors and products.
• Advise on the selection of outside counsel for IFC projects and manage outside counsel and legal costs.

Other Responsibilities

• Mentor and guide lawyers, legal analysts and legal assistants, and coach business colleagues.
• Contribute to knowledge management, including creating or updating template legal agreements, forms, guidance and the CLED website.
• Assist in designing and delivering training for colleagues in CLED, IFC staff and external audiences.
• Work with colleagues in all regions, including supporting projects and sharing knowledge and experience across regions.
• Advise internal clients on institutional and corporate matters, as needed.
• Help raise the profile of IFC and CLED, internally and externally, as thought leaders in legal issues in development finance.

Selection Criteria

• JD, LLB or equivalent law degree.
• Qualified to practice law in one or more jurisdictions.
• Strong academic and professional credentials.
• At least 8 years of post-qualification experience, including experience at a law firm focused on commercial or financial transactions, or at an international financial or development institution. Experience in developing countries and with cross-border transactions is preferred.
• Experience with blended or concessional finance, donor-funded programs or trust funds is strongly preferred.
• Track record of leading transactions independently, including negotiation, legal drafting and legal research.
• Ability to advise business teams on legal questions and risks, and to help them make sound, practical business decisions.
• Ability to assess legal risk in a practical and responsible manner, make fair, well-reasoned, independent and transparent decisions, and elevate appropriately.
• Ability to foresee, troubleshoot and resolve challenges independently, and willingness to take on multiple roles and tasks to meet changing business needs.
• Client focused, creative and solutions oriented.
• Ability to guide and mentor junior colleagues and to work well in a team.
• Excellent written and spoken English, with the ability to present ideas clearly, concisely and persuasively.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, sensitivity in a multicultural environment, and the ability to build effective working relationships with clients and colleagues across IFC.
• Willingness to travel.
• Professional integrity and sound judgment in handling confidential information.
• Demonstrated commitment to CLED’s core values, including excellence, mutual respect, collegiality, teamwork, diversity and inclusiveness, integrity, innovation, transparency and accountability.

Note: This internal requisition is open to WBG and IMF staff only (including short-term and extended term consultants/ temporaries). External candidates are requested not to apply. In case an external candidate applies, their application will not be considered.

As the World Bank Group continues to evolve, we value candidates who:

• Demonstrate the ability to collaborate effectively across teams, disciplines, cultures, and institutional boundaries.
• Responsibly leverage digital and AI-enabled tools to enhance productivity, learning, and decision-making.
• Bring experience working in fragile, conflict-affected, and violent (FCV) contexts and are encouraged to highlight relevant experience in their application materials, where applicable.

WBG Culture Attributes

1. Sense of urgency: Anticipate and quickly respond to the needs of internal and external stakeholders.
2. Thoughtful risk-taking: Challenge the status quo and push boundaries to achieve greater impact.
3. Empowerment and accountability: Empower yourself and others to act and hold each other accountable for results.

World Bank Group Core Competencies

WBG Five Managerial Competencies Include only for managerial positions

The World Bank Group offers comprehensive benefits, including a retirement plan; medical, life and disability insurance; and paid leave, including parental leave, as well as reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities.

We are proud to be an equal opportunity and inclusive employer with a dedicated and committed workforce, and do not discriminate based on gender, gender identity, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability.

Learn more about working at the World Bank and IFC including our values and inspiring stories.