Principal Programme Officer, Industry Development and Technology at Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

ROLE OVERVIEW:

• Under the supervision of the Director of Industry, the incumbent shall ensure the formulation and evaluation of projects and programs related to the industrial sector. The Principal Programme Officer for Industry Development and Technology shall contribute to accelerate industrialization of West Africa through the promotion of industrial transformation of local raw materials; development and diversification of industrial productive capacity and deepening regional integration in the region.

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Implement the West African Common Industrial Policy (WACIP 2010-2030) and its strategy framework.
• Facilitate the harmonization of industrial policy measures and strategies in the region to promote balanced socio-economic development.
• Collaborate with Member States and development partners to strengthen the institutional frameworks for industrial development.
• Support collaboration and partnerships in the development of capacities of Member States towards expanding their industrial base.
• Participate and support in the promotion of local raw materials development and utilization by the industries and thereby encourage the development of resource-based industries in ECOWAS.
• Promote technology transfer and industrial research and development programmes;
• Collaborate with relevant national, regional and continental and global instituti9ns in the development of intellectual property rights {IPRs) and access to knowledge.
• Participate in and contribute to industrial competitiveness and monitoring of industrial performance through the establishment of an ECOWAS Industrial Database.
• Collaborate with development partners to promote industrial restructuring and upgrading programme in ECOWAS.
• Assist in implementing the ECOWAS Regional Pharmaceutical Plan (ERPP) to strengthen local pharmaceutical production in the region.
• Facilitate the crecition of regional industrial partnership networks and establishment of regional technical support centres for small and medium industries (SMls}.
• Represent ECOWAS Commission in all national, regional, continental, and global fora and events on industrial development, especially with institutions such as UNIDO, AUC, GIZ, etc.
• Promote resource mobilization for the implementation of industrial development programmes and projects.
• Support managerial capacity and skills development in the industrial sector in the region.
• Perform any other related responsibilities to enhance the goal of industrialization as may be assigned periodically by the Director of Industry.

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Economics, Industrial Science & Engineering, Technology Management or in a closely related field from a recognized University.
• 10 years of professional experience in industry, private sector or in an international organization in industry and private sector promotion with at least 3 years’ experience at supervisory level.
• knowledge of institutional capacity building initiatives and extensive understanding of program planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
• knowledge of industrial sector development, including businesses and small and medium industries promotion, value chain development, as well as policy formulation and analysis.

AGE LIMIT

• Be below 50 years old. This provision does not apply to internal candidates.

ECOWAS KEY COMPETENCIES

• Ability to lead in assigned programs and projects by providing the necessary managerial and operational expertise required for the fulfilment of the organization’s mandate.
• Ability to lead by example and organize teamwork to encourage cooperation to achieve targeted results, champion and build momentum for change and to bring about employee engagement; develops and implements internal controls for pilot program to manage potential barriers to implementation.
• Ability to respect chain of command in an appropriate manner.
• Excellent self-management skills, demonstrating ethics and integrity, confidentiality and displaying due regards for internal controls of rules, delegations, and transparency.
• Ability to bring together complementary skills/expertise, assess individual contributions and recognize/address accomplishments and shortcomings in a manner that brings continued success to the organization.
• Knowledge of program management at the level usually acquired from a certification in program management.
• Ability to research benchmarks and trends to bring about the best recommendations for the development and improvement of programs/projects that will best serve the community/organization.
• Well-developed networking and interpersonal skills to seek feedback, information and data from a network of professionals from multiple countries/sectors/organizations and to identify and prioritize the most critical community requirements.
• Ability to manage and co-ordinate client management initiatives and make recommendations.
• Ability to develop and implement best practices in client services.
• Ability to develop and implement stakeholder management plans, programs and initiatives to obtain buy-in on new initiatives, to better understand dissenting views, to obtain resources and to increase perceptions of success.
• Ability to be diplomatic, tactful and respect of other people from varied backgrounds, understanding diverse cultural views especially within West Africa with the ability to convert diversity into opportunities to improve program/operational outcomes.
• Ability to create a diverse and inclusive interactive environment that benefits from diverse strengths bringing together innovative practices.
• Ability to remain objective in managing conflict regardless of cultural differences /positions, gender differences, and encourage other staff to overcome cultural and gender bias and differences.
• Ability and responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.
• Ability to serve the interest of culturally diverse multinational teams/organizations/communities and persons with disability without prejudice and bias.
• Understanding of the ECOWAS organizational structure, associated dynamics and expectations as required to collaborate, participate, contribute and lead effectively.
• Knowledge of the ECOWAS mandate, strategic plan/priorities as well as the economic, political, and social situation and trends in member states, as pertains to own scope of work.
• Knowledge of ECOWAS best practices, program management approaches and research techniques to lead and/or contribute to the development or assessment of programs, projects, or initiatives.
• Knowledge of the ECOWAS rules and procedures to appropriately interpret and apply directive text, provide technical advice, coach others and assess performance.
• Ability to analyse a situation by using indicators to assess the costs, benefits, risks, and chances for success, in making decisions.
• Ability to pull together information from different sources to identify the cause of problems, consequences of alternative causes of action, potential obstacles and ways to avoid the problem in the future.
• Ability to break down very complex situations/information into simple terms to explain recommendations and conclusions aimed at solving problems or improving operations/programs/projects.
• Ability to develop new insights into situations, apply innovative solutions to problems and to design new methods of addressing issues or disconnects where established methods and procedures are inapplicable or no longer effective.
• Ability to communicate with impact, clearly and concisely in a succinct and organized manner conveying credibility & confidence when making presentations, setting expectations, and explaining complex issues.
• Ability to listen intently and correctly interpret messages from others and respond appropriately.
• Accomplished technical writing and editing skills.
• Exhibit active listening skills to encourage stronger communication amongst team members, to show care and make them feel valued and to drive employee engagement in all institutions and agencies.
• Ability to give constructive feedback, provide recognition, address shortcomings, and motivate direct reports to work at peak performance.
• Proficiency in information communication technologies (ICT).
• Fluency in oral and written expressions in one of the ECOWAS official languages of the Community (English, French & Portuguese). Knowledge of an additional one will be an added advantage.
• Superior organizational and project/program management skills with significant experience identifying timelines, targets, costs, and resources necessary to deliver on operational/program/project outputs.
• Ability to set effective goals and targets for self, others, and the work unit and adjusting work or project priorities in response to changing circumstances.
• Ability to identify gaps affecting the achievement of program/project expectations and to design and implement intervention plans required to build the desired capacity (e.g. training, structural realignment, partnerships, reallocation of resources.
• Ability to implement rigorous monitoring, and evaluation practices and to set in place regular reporting schedules relevant to key outputs (e.g. management indicators, project milestones, program results, processing targets).
• Ability to plan, organize, and control resources, procedures, and protocols to achieve specific goals.