Infrastructure Adviser at DFID - Department for International Development

Reference number: 1608464
Grade: 7 A2
Contract type: Permanent Overseas
Business area: DFID - Country Programmes - DFID Nigeria
Working pattern: Flexible working, Full-time
Hours: Scotland 37; London/ Overseas 36
Expected posting length: 3 years

Purpose of Job

Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country and vies with South Africa as Africa’s largest economy. In 2016 bilateral trade between Nigeria and the UK totalled $3.4billion, and has the potential to grow significantly. Nigeria’s success is strongly in the UK national interest. The country is one of DFID’s top 5 bilateral programmes and the 2nd largest in Africa.
Despite being a middle-income country, a detailed study by the African Development Bank concluded that across most infrastructure classes Nigeria was amongst the worst in Africa. 80% of businesses identify inadequate power supply as their biggest constraint. Nigeria has a 10th of the power supply of South Africa but three times the population.
This is a brilliant opportunity to lead the UK’s policy and programming  focused on unlocking the biggest constraint to Nigeria’s economic development– infrastructure. Beyond the policy role the job holder would be Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) for one of the UK’s flagship international development programmes in Nigeria, UK Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility (UKNIAF), an £80 million technical assistance facility set to operate over four years.
The overall purpose of the job is to lead the UK Government’s efforts to sustainably tackle key infrastructural constraints to Nigeria’s economic development.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities

As a key member of DFID Nigeria’s Economic Development Team the Post Holder will be expected to lead on the following areas:

• Influence Senior Nigerian partners towards credible strategic infrastructure development and economic policies that help Nigeria address binding constraints to its economic development.
• Lead the strategic direction for the UK Government’s flagship infrastructure technical assistance programme UKNIAF (£80 million programme over 4 years) and ensure strong implementation through solid programme management as Senior Responsible Owner (SRO).
• Partner with relevant centrally managed programmes and ensure Nigeria remains at the forefront of innovative off-grid energy solutions,  including through being Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) for DFID’s Solar Nigeria programme.
• Lead relevant thematic groups across government on the broader UK agenda in Nigeria (e.g.infrastructure, renewables) finding opportunities for overlap with UK commercial interests and making sure we increase our development impact through leveraging the strengths of other government departments and agencies e.g. Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), Department for International Trade (DIT), UK Export Finance (UKEF)) .
• Play a key role in DFID Nigeria strategy, analytical work, and briefing. Feeding into cross-office policy discussions and provide relevant thematic advice.

Successful Candidate Criteria

Behaviours:

Making Effective Decisions:

Ablity to make strategic programming decisions on the direction of the UK’s infrastructure programming in Nigeria and to manage trade.

Leadership:

Having a clear and credible vision of how the UK can best help Nigeria along the pathway of infrastructure development and be able to engage and carry along others towards achieveing this vision.

Communicating and Influencing:

Be able to explain complex issues in areas like the power market development simply and clearly to non-experts. Focusing in on the big-win areas that need to change.

Working Together

Be able to collaborate and carry along Nigerian Government and Private Sector partners, as well as colleagues within the UK mission in Nigeria

Qualifications

A science based first degree and an infrastructure relevant second degree or equivalent qualification.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together

Technical Skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Infrastructure governance, policy, financing and project development
• Infrastructure to support inclusive economic growth and prosperity
• Infrastructure for low-carbon development, climate change and resilience
• Infrastructure for fragile and conflict affected situations

Experience

Essential:

A science based first Degree and an infrastructure relevant second degree or equivalent qualification, and overseas experience.

Desirable:

• Experience is highly desired in the design and management of complex programmes and financial resources; including understanding of value for money and the importance of robust M&E frameworks and operating with compliance to organisational rules.
• Technical Infrastructure Adviser
• Infrastructure governance, policy, financing and project development:
• Knowing about  infrastructure financing and its applications in a developing country context. Knowing potential challenges of implementing sector reform in a developing country context.
• Infrastructure to support inclusive economic growth and prosperity:
• Including understanding the link between infrastructure development and inclusive growth. Holding a good understanding of sector reform, regulation and tariff issues (e.g. power tariffs) and being able to apply that in the Nigerian Context. Helping Nigeria to improve the way that projects are selected and managed.
• Infrastructure for low-carbon development, climate change and resilience:
• Knowing about the risks and opportunities for infrastructure development to prepare for future climate scenarios, what to prioritise (sectors, sequencing, approaches, costs) and avoid locking in unsustainable solutions.
• Infrastructure for fragile and conflict affected situations:
• Understanding political economy aspects around infrastructure development; how it can help and hinder stabilisation processes; who gains and who loses; risks and opportunities.
• Infrastructure for pro-poor service delivery, leaving no-one behind:
• Understanding the impact of different policy choices on the poorest groups (such as power tariff regimes or choices around which infrastructure projects to deliver and where), the consequences of off-grid and on-grid power options, and potential to ensure the poorest are not left behind in infrastructural development.

Shared Advisory Competency:

Ability to have diligent oversight of DFID programming through being Senior Responsible Owner for the UKNIAF programme and other relevant programmes.

International Competencies:

• Engaging Internationally
• Demonstrating Resilience.

Things you need to know

Security:

• Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.
• Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Security Check.

Medical:

Successful candidates will be expected to have a medical.

Nationality Statement:

Candidates will be subject to UK immigration requirements as well as Civil Service nationality rules.
If you're applying for a role requiring security clearance please be aware that foreign or dual nationality is not an automatic bar. However certain posts may have restrictions which could affect those who do not have sole British nationality or who have personal connections with certain countries outside the UK.

Selection process details:

• This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.
• If you are invited to attend an interview the process will include assessment for accreditation to the cadre. The outcome of this will be scored and will be included in the overall selection process for the advertised posts and also for entry to the pipeline.
• Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Nationality requirements:

Open to UK, Commonwealth and European Economic Area (EEA) and certain non EEA nationals. Further information on whether you are able to apply is available Here.

Working for the Civil Service:

• The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
• We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles.
• The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a guaranteed interview scheme (GIS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Additional Notes

• Security clearance required: SC
• Travel requirements (locations and regularity):This will be a 3 year post.
• Travel requirements (locations and regularity): The post will require occasional travel within Nigeria including to locations such as North East Nigeria.

Salary

Scotland £48,500 ; London /Overseas £51,500

Benefits

• Pensions
• Civil Service pension schemes may be available for successful candidates.

At DFID we can offer an excellent benefits package "Click Here" to view more information on benefits