Senior trade and investment officer, ONRI.2 at African Development Bank - AfDB

The Regional Integration and Trade Division is seeking an experienced Trade and Investment specialist to design and implement programmes for promoting investment and trade linkages across several industries, especially between Africa, Asia, Europe and North America. The Regional Integration Policy and Strategy (RIPoS) approved in November 2014 provides the strategic direction of the ONRI department.  The key pillars of the RIPoS are: 1) infrastructure development (with emphasis on soft infrastructure); Trade & Industrialization; and 3) capacity building as a cross-cutting pillar.   

The objective of the Regional Integration and Trade Division is to implement activities that support regulatory and policy reforms and cross-border trade and investment to help facilitate the free movement of goods and services and in order to enable Africa’s economic integration into the global economy.  The division’s priority focus areas include: a) trade facilitation and support to infrastructure investments; b) trade policy and capacity support; c) investment attraction & value chain diagnostics; d) Services trade with emphasis on free movement of persons and talent mobility;   and e) financial integration.

Investments are critical to promoting trade across Africa and developing the African private sector. The candidate is expected to deepen the Bank’s work in investment facilitation through support for policy and regulatory reforms as well as institutional strengthening by developing analytical and knowledge works and Technical Assistance projects through close collaboration with Regional Member Countries, Regional Economic Communities and sister international organizations.  Within the Bank, the candidate is expected provide technical support on the investment aspects of regional infrastructure operations and develop tools and knowledge products that are operationally relevant.  

Duties and responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Division Manager Regional Integration and Trade, the Senior Trade and Investment Expert will:

• Develop and implement targeted programmes and projects to support investment promotion and trade promotion agencies, working in collaboration with the Bank’s African Development Institute (EADI) and the Private Sector Department.   
• Design and implement collaborative project partnerships on trade and investment promotion with sister organizations such as the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the World Bank’s Trade and Competitiveness Practice.
• Support Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and Regional Member Countries (RMCs) in implementing their programmes on investment promotion. This includes support for institutional strengthening of investment promotion agencies, regulatory reforms to facilitate investment and programmes specifically targeting the investment facilitation for the African private sector.
• Support the division’s work on targeting promotion of investments into Africa from specific markets in order to promote trade, such as the USA through the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and the Africa – EU Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs).
• Contribute to the Bank’s knowledge base on investment facilitation, best practices and new developments in the area
• Provide technical and advisory services to Regional Member Countries (RMCs), Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and the private sector on investment facilitation reforms.
• Mobilize resources within and outside the Bank for technical assistance activities to support investment facilitation.
• Provide technical support on the investment aspects of the Department’s infrastructure operations,
• Provide support to other duties as assigned by the Manager or the Director, ONRI

Selection Criteria

Including desirable skills, knowledge and experience

• A minimum  Master’s degree or equivalent in  Economics, Law, Finance, Social Sciences, International Trade/Relations,  or related international development fields,
• At least five (5) years of  progressive experience in investment facilitation;
• Familiar with trade/ investment treaties and cross-border investment facilitation in Africa, Asia, Europe and North America;
• Previous experience in providing investment facilitation support in Africa would be an advantage;
• Strong client orientation with commitment to results on the ground;
• Strong operational experience and ability to contribute to strategic thinking and to integrate strategies and policies into Bank programmes/projects;
• Strong writing skills and a proven ability to conduct research and produce analytical reports.  Demonstration of previous publications on trade issues and investment facilitation would be an added advantage;
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and demonstrated ability to communicate ideas effectively;
• Ability to  work effectively in a matrix management environment, both as a team leader and team member; 
• Excellent computer skills: Word, Excel, PowerPoint etc;
• Language skills: proficiency in English or French, with a good working knowledge of the other.  Proficiency in the two working languages of the Bank will be an asset.