Legal Officer, LAC Region
World Bank Group · São Paulo, SP, BR
**Legal Officer, LAC Region** **Job \#:** req38354 **Organization:** IFC **Sector:** Legal **Grade:** GF **Term Duration:** Open\-Ended Staff (OPEN\-OP) **Recruitment Type:** Local Recruitment **Location:** Sao Paulo,Brazil **Required Language(s):** English **Preferred Language(s):** Portuguese, Spanish **Closing Date:** 9/30/2026 (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 and Compliance Risk, provides legal and policy advice to the IFC Board, its Management and client departments on operational, advisory, and corporate matters. 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 investments and creating 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 and public\-private partnerships, and investments in funds, as well as platform products; (iv) advising on corporate policy and operational matters; and (v) knowledge management and training. In particular, areas on heightened importance for the region include: **Mobilization:** In FY24, out of $16 billion commitments booked in LAC, a full 50% ($8\.09 billion) were mobilization (with $5\.6 billion own account LTF and $2 billion STF). **Innovative products such as local thematic bonds:** These instruments have been extensively used and continue to be very much in demand in the LAC region and IFC has been a pioneer in innovating in this space by issuing some of the first thematic bonds in certain areas (i.e., Blue Bonds, Amazon sustainability linked bond, etc.) **Non\-financial risk:** One of the main non\-financial risks refer to litigation that has arisen in the last few years in CTA/ Upstream/ Mainstream operations **Equity:** Increasingly large equity tickets in LAC that require specific equity expertise, knowledge of local markets and laws and ability to navigate market nuances and intelligence in sensitive areas. To support the growing IFC’s activities in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), CLED is recruiting a qualified Legal Officer to be based in Sao Paulo, Brazil or other LAC office. The Counsel will report to the LAC Assistant General Counsel. **Role and Responsibilities:** The successful candidate should be able to assume primary lawyer responsibility, work autonomously and exercise independent judgment on straightforward financing transactions, advisory projects and upstream engagements, in the financial and real sector and follow\-on investments with existing clients. This includes advising internal clients at the business development stage, term sheet stage, and drafting and negotiating the relevant legal documents. The successful candidate is also expected to be able to provide “second chair” support on more complex transactions with a senior colleague. The legal counsel will have the following duties and responsibilities: **General Duties*** Oversee work produced by administrative and more junior staff in the Legal Department; * Handle portfolio work, including preparing amendment and waiver documents, working on subsequent closings and disbursements, and managing simple equity sale arrangements; * Update guidance, manage precedents, and work on legal and IFC policy research; * Be knowledgeable about the laws of at least one relevant jurisdiction in the region related to commercial and company law / banking and finance; and * Have demonstrated the competence needed to satisfactorily perform a variety of different and, at times, complex assignments to support the Legal Department. Research* Be proficient in the use of varied legal research sources, i.e., information databases, internet services, library sources; and * Have proven legal analytical skills, as demonstrated through research and analysis of a wide range of legal issues a