Secretary at African Development Bank - AfDB

The Procurement and Fiduciary Services Department reports to the Vice President, Country and Regional Programs & Policy (ORVP). The Department supports the Sector Departments in project cycle activities and in monitoring compliance in fiduciary safeguards related to the financial management of projects and programs on the one hand and procurement activities on the other. In addition, it is also responsible for engaging in framing financial management and procurement policies guidelines and rules. The Department is also mandated to provide training to Borrowers and to Bank staff relating to financial management and procurement. The Fiduciary Services Division (ORPF2) is responsible for all financial management issues. It has an increasing country presence through a growing network in 34 field offices.

To provide assistance for a wide range of administrative and operational tasks, he/she will oversee the smooth operation of the offices’ support work and related systems by assuming responsibility for the organizational and coordination of work flow as well as reviewing, processing and executing a variety of resource management transactions. He/She will liaise with the Bank Group offices across Africa as well as with various services within the Bank’s headquarters and assure efficient communication and coordination activities.

Under the overall supervision of the Division Manager, the incumbent will provide administrative support and secretarial services, and carry out the following duties:

• Devise and maintain efficient office systems;
• Organize and attend to multiple meetings, appointments, luncheons and events to ensure that responsible management is well prepared;
• Organize meetings on the basis of the Division Manager’s  schedule while preparing relevant documents and the necessary logistics and facilities;
• Track and follow up on documents, deal with general correspondence and briefs;
• Manage the flow of information by receiving, examining, sorting and monitoring the Division’s incoming and outgoing mail, taking into account the priority and urgency of the documents concerned; organize logical filing of this correspondence.;
• Handle incoming and outgoing telephone-calls;
• Establish and update the agenda and electronic mail address book; Drafting of mail and documents, in conformity with administrative instructions;
• Draft memoranda and acknowledgement letters to be submitted, along with their background documents, for the Division Manager’s signature;
• Prepare minutes of meetings and briefs;
• Prepare and administratively follow-up on the missions of the Division Manager  and staff of the Division (airline tickets, visas, hotel reservations, follow-up of per diem payments, transport reservation);
• Provide general administrative support for the Division by liaising with the General Services and Procurement Department (CGSP) in respect of office accommodation, allocation of office furniture, equipment and supplies as allocated in the Division;
• Initiate and prepare various administrative documents and forms, such as staff lists, staff absences (annual leave, home, leave, excused absence and maternity leave) as well as statistical data on staff, as required;
• Create and process expense reports in SAP;
• Be conversant with DACON application and procurement rules in regards to the hiring of consultants;
• Monitor and review expenses and bring issues related to administrative budget to the attention of management;
• Assist where applicable with the programming of operational activities by using the appropriate software.
• All other secretarial and administrative duties as required.

Including desirable skills, knowledge and experience

• A minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management, Commerce, Administration or related discipline.
• Preferably supplemented with courses in secretarial training/administration/office management, e.g. Pitmans, ‘Brevet de Technicien Supérieur’ (BTS) in secretarial studies, Diplôme Universitaire de Technologie (DUT), etc.
• A minimum of four (4) years of progressively relevant and practical experience, in an executive office (preferably gained with an international organization).
• Strong customer service skills, good organisational and planning skills, ability to multitask, attention to detail and ability to work with a diverse workforce.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English or French, with a working knowledge of the other language.
• Excellent use of Bank standard software (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, SAP) or equivalent.
• Excellent sense of initiative, confidentiality, enthusiasm, team spirit.