(Senior) Industry Intern Specialist – Tourism (Hospitality) at The World Bank in US

The selected (Senior) Industry Intern Specialist who is a current Bank Group staff member with a Regular or Open-Ended appointment, s/he will retain his/her Regular or Open-Ended appointment. All others will be offered a term appointment with a 12-month probation period (term contracts are usually 3 years with the potential for reappointment if all performance objectives are met and business case needs remain).

Duties and Accountabilities:

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Participate in business origination activities, build client networks and maintain client relationships;
• Appraise and assess the technical and commercial feasibility of potential projects and companies that are seeking an investment from IFC (including analysis of key areas such as business model, market, management, operations, and agreements with operators where applicable) and provide advice for project improvement and its long-term sustainability/feasibility. Preparation of detailed written reports with clear views on the technical and financial feasibility aspects of the proposed investment, supported by analyses of sponsors and the hotel market as well as precise considerations for IFC;
• Participate in portfolio management of existing projects while providing value-addition to our clients by providing expert advice to clients on key aspects of their operations and performance;
• Support the investment officers in developing comprehensive financial projections for all investment cases;
• Support the development and implementation of IFC’s Tourism sector strategy both globally and regionally;
• Contribute to the development and internal and external dissemination of information, knowledge and benchmarking relevant to the tourism sector; 
• Engage and work with colleagues from across the World Bank Group. Provide input on various tourism technical assistance initiatives with IFC and the broader World Bank Group;
• Extract lessons learned from IFC investment projects and develop best practices to apply on future projects;
• Keep updated on and share as relevant with the team sectoral and industry news, trends and related developments;
• Hire and supervise consultants where needed to support IFC’s work in tourism sector.

Check: UNDP Project Results Intern Analyst at Türkiye { Paid Internship }

Selection Criteria for (Senior) Industry Intern Specialist

• A Master’s degree in a relevant field is required.
• 20+ years of deep practical-based experience in the hotel industry, preferably on the hotel development/operational/asset management side or on the technical/consulting front in senior management roles (typically late/mature-career professionals). Preference will be given to candidates with solid experience in hotel development, project management, and hotel operations with a hotel owner-operator/developer-investor and/or a hotel chain;
• Experience in and knowledge of emerging trends in the sector and new business models such as online aggregators, hybrid models, sustainable tourism will be a plus;
• Ability to work across different geographies, cultures and organizations and on multiple projects simultaneously is required; Significant international exposure, including experience of working in developing countries, will be a key advantage; 
• Extremely flexible to meet the demanding global travel requirements of the job;
• Excellent communication skills in English. Knowledge of another major business language such as French or Spanish is an advantage;
• A strong sense of curiosity and the ability to work both in teams and independently would be strong attributes;
• Position requires sound business judgment to identify the strengths and weaknesses of tourism projects and to provide precise evaluation of technical, commercial, and managerial issues; and
• Ability to clearly communicate verbally and in detailed written reports (for example when assessing and appraising potential investment projects).
• Applications should be sent in English. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered.  Cover letter should clearly describe the relevant results the candidate has delivered in prior positions, rather than simply listing responsibilities.  All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.  Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.