Senior Programs Officer at African Development Bank - AfDB

This advertisement is posted by the African Development Bank (AfDB) on behalf of the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA), which is the employer for this position. Engagement as staff of ADEA does not offer any expectation for future employment as staff in the AfDB.

The Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) is a forum for policy dialogue on education. Its vision is to create “high-quality African education and training geared towards the promotion of critical skills for accelerated and sustainable development in Africa”.  It acts as a catalyst in promoting innovative policies and practices through pooling of ideas, experiences, learning and knowledge.  ADEA’s overall goal is to contribute to the development of equitable and high quality education through the concerted efforts of African governments and their partners. The position of Senior Programs Officer is located in ADEA’s Secretariat which implements the organization’s work programs and budget; organizes major events such as Triennales and Ministerial Conferences; manages communication and knowledge management; coordinates the work of the Working Groups; and implements the decisions and resolutions of ADEA’s governance entities.  

Under the general supervision and guidance of the Executive Secretary of ADEA (Director), the Senior Programs Officer will be required to perform the following duties and responsibilities:

• Contribute to the implementation of the strategic objectives and initiatives of the Strategic Medium Term Plan;
• Contribute to the preparation and  implementation of the annual work program within the approved budget, policies and procedures of the organization;
• Coordinate the planning and organization of policy dialogue forums and key events involving ADEA’s  development partners and host institution;
• Coordinate efforts  to mainstream gender-related activities in ADEA programs and projects;
• Provide technical support to Inter-Country Quality Nodes, especially at their formative stage;
• Contribute to  relevant, policy-centered research agenda and analytical work among the Working Groups in emerging and priority areas of education development;
• Work closely with the African Development Bank and any other relevant partners in the management of the Education Research in Africa Award;
• Contribute to Working Groups’ efforts to strengthen the capacity of African Ministries of Education through technical assistance, training and information sharing in the various fields of education;
• Coordinate efforts of the Working Groups to promote and create new networks, and revive/strengthen existing ones on key emerging and priority issues in education and training;
• Collaborate with the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer in ensuring rigor, quality and timeliness in the production of technical documents and reports;
• Collaborate with the focal point for knowledge management in the African Development Bank to leverage the Bank’s network and field offices in the dissemination of ADEA’s knowledge products.

Including desirable skills, knowledge and experience

• A Master’s degree in education, development studies, social sciences or related disciplines and considerable experience in education development and  program management;
• A minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience in education development in a developing country;
• Ability to provide policy and technical advice and guidance to the Executive Secretary on education;
• Excellent analytical skills, including proven ability to formulate analytical research programs;
• Ability to distil core issues from a maze of complex data and prepare reports that are easy to understand;
• Demonstrated ability to manage projects and programs in education;
• Proven ability to work, influence and inspire teams to great performance;
• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain positive working relationships with colleagues and external partners;
• Capacity to make excellent presentations at key forums on ADEA’s role and impact on education development in Africa;
• Excellent organizational and planning skills as well as capacity for time management in organizing major events;
• Sound working knowledge of the operation of the organization as a business;
• Capacity to act independently in anticipation and in response to daily work demands and difficult challenges;
• Self-confidence and ability to present ideas and proposals clearly, logically and concisely, both verbally and in writing;
• Proficiency in spoken and written English or French and a working knowledge of the other; and
• Competence in the use of the Bank’s standard Microsoft applications.