Senior Capital Markets Officer at African Development Bank - AfDB

Reference: ADB/17/098
Location: Côte d’Ivoire
Grade: PL5
Position N°: 50093645

The Complex

• The Vice Presidency for Private Sector, Infrastructure and Industrialization is central to the Bank’s mission of developing the private sector, improving infrastructure and accelerating industrialization.
• The complex main functions are to:
  • Strengthen the enabling environment for private sector [and financial sector] development conducive to inclusive growth and sustainable development,
  • Support the development of reliable and sustainable infrastructure, including cities and urban development, and
  • Place renewed emphasis on industrial and trade performance in support of structural transformation across Africa. The Complex leverages knowledge, co-financing, and partnerships to attract private capital and work with governments on delivering the Bank’s development agenda.

The Hiring Department
The primary role of the Financial Sector Development Department is to help the Regional Member Countries increase the reach, depth, and breadth of their financial systems, while safeguarding financial stability.

• The Department has four long-term objectives:
  • Development of a vibrant private sector through an inclusive access by households and enterprises to financial services;
  • Strengthening markets participants;
  • Developing efficient capital markets, and
  • Deepening regional financial integration.
• Paired with other Industrialization, Infrastructure and Private Sector complex departments, the Financial Sector Development Department is responsible for implementing the Bank Group’s Financial Sector Development Policy and Strategy 2014-2019 towards vibrant, innovative, robust and competitive financial systems, both national and regional, and in both the public and private sector levels of Regional Member Countries.
• Financial Sector Development Department plays a transversal role across the Bank’s five strategic priorities, applying its financial deepening and access tool kit to the High 5s agenda. Fundamentally, the scalability and policy momentum inherent in the High 5s agenda create an important opportunity for expanded relevance of the Financial Sector Development Department core skill-set: flexible financing instruments and delivery frameworks for financial inclusion, smart resource mobilization and capital markets development.
• Financial Sector Development Department leverages partnerships to bring about greater developmental impact in financial sector development.
• The broad mandate of the Capital Markets Division within the Financial Sector Development Department is to lead and support capital markets operations and programs aiming to create more efficient capital markets and institutions capable of mobilizing domestic savings and allocating scarce capital in the Bank’s Regional Member Countries.
• The Capital Markets Division endeavors to ensure that the capital markets in Regional Member Countries are deepened, strengthened and developed to enable them to provide capital towards the achievement of the Bank’s High 5 priority areas.

The Position

• The Senior Capital Markets Officer will participate in the Department’s and Bank’s efforts in growing and developing existing interventions in capital markets for clients in Regional Member Countries. The officer will also advise, assist and encourage Regional Member Countries to develop their capital markets to improve product diversity and broaden market depth and participation. The purpose of the job is as follows:
• Participate in the Bank’s Capital Markets projects required for the broadening and deepening of target markets.
• Originate capital markets projects in line with the Bank’s broad objectives (High 5’s), the Bank’s new business delivery model, and private and public client needs within regional member countries and to the level of development of Regional Member Countries.
• Participate in the portfolio management of projects by ensuring proper implementation and early identification of challenges, constrains and advise on appropriate remedial actions.
• Contribute to the updating and development of capital markets product operational guidelines and policies for specific capital market products, ensuring the Bank remains competitive and relevant in all capital markets product segments.

Duties and Responsibilities
Under the supervision of the Division Manager, the Officer will perform the following duties:

• Participating in the preliminary evaluation of both lending and non-lending projects. This involves the initial screening of project applications, carrying out of desk reviews and evaluation of feasibility studies, preparing preliminary evaluation notes for presentation to the Department Management Team and more detailed project concept notes to obtain concept clearance for full appraisal or fact-finding missions;
• Participating in the planning and execution of appraisal and fact-finding missions. This includes developing terms of reference for the mission team and coordinating its work.  The officer will be responsible for assessing the risks of projects and advising on the appropriate structure and conducting preliminary negotiations with sponsors;
• Participating in the preparation of project appraisal reports for presentation to the Department, the various review committees and finally to the Board of Directors;
• Supporting the origination, development, structuring and execution of innovative complex fixed income financial structures and transactions, including using derivatives, or risk management instruments for both private and public sector clients;
• Leading/co-leading transactions through the project life cycle. Contribute to the formulation of regional and country strategy papers, when requested, as well as providing ongoing feedback to sector manager, on the relevance of any lending, non-lending, or technical support;
• Developing relationships within the Bank and; represent the Bank and participate in seminars, workshops and conferences dealing with financial markets issues;
• Maintaining knowledge of African capital markets/transaction structuring and provide market intelligence;
• Propose and design the Bank’s approach to working with Insurance companies/products as risk mitigation; 
• Assist with the introduction/development/ boosting of efficiency of companies to support capital markets ecosystems to thrive. Such companies may include providers of capital markets services such as investment ratings;
• Provide support to other duties as assigned by the Division Manager.

Selection Criteria
Including desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

• Hold a minimum of a Master’s degree or its equivalent in Accounting, Finance or Financial Economics or any other quantitative degree. Have a minimum of five (5) years of relevant professional experience in capital markets, corporate finance and/or private equity. Knowledge and familiarity with the Financial Sector in Africa is a highly desirable.
• Innovation and creativity. The commitment to search for and produce innovative and creative approaches to activities in order to enhance performance and create added benefits to the Bank and its clients.
• Communication: Provides clear and concise oral and written communication; presents oral information with clarity and appropriate style and adapts language and style to suit the requirements of a particular audience.
• Problem solving: Applies business knowledge to the resolution of problems and identifies solutions to the benefit of the client (internal and external) and the organization.
• Client orientation: Ensures that the client is considered to be of primary importance in all transactions and interactions. Strives to understand, and when appropriate, anticipate client needs, and ensures that the client receives the best possible service from the Bank.
• Team working and relations: Works with others to maximize the effectiveness of the team as a whole, sharing the knowledge and workload.
• Develops strong working relationships with colleagues and contributes to creation of a positive team environment. Ability to work and cooperate with others from diverse background.
• Excellent organizational, analytical and coordination skills.
• Integrity, and ability to work under pressure and to deliver timely quality services.
• Ability to work accurately, methodically and to meet deadlines.
• Ability to work independently or within a team; demonstrated mature sense of judgment.
• Operational project management: Demonstrates broad knowledge of project management tools and methodologies; identifies risks and mitigations measures; interprets background analysis and proposed solutions.
• Demonstrated capacity in dealing with different types of clients (private / public) and projects (financial markets, corporate finance). Product Development: Demonstrates in depth knowledge of capital markets products and the relevant regulatory environment, risk management, public policy and regulation and enforcement related to financial system stability, integrity and development; delivers strategic advice and technical assistance to regulators and policy makers.
• Sector representation: Demonstrates ability to coordinate, participate in, and act as a catalyst for, strategic cross-sector dialogues within the networks, across countries, among Bank colleagues and other development institutions, governments and other organizations.
• Financial Analysis: Demonstrates broad knowledge of sound financial analysis work, including knowledge on economic policy development; demonstrates strong analytical skills and writing ability to help identify and assess capital markets product requirements and support.
• Regional integration: Demonstrated capacity in dealing with regional integrated institutions and products especially. Have a track record in regional policy dialogue to push different countries and their institutions on capital market integration agenda.
• Knowledge and experience in development: translates technical and cross-country knowledge into practical applications and contributions to country and sector strategies; interacts with clients and policy level.
• Capacity to conduct independent research and analyses, identify problems, propose solutions, and make recommendations to Management.
• Capacity to prepare reports and documents. Capacity to present and defend the consistency of proposed programs and projects.
• Strong knowledge of hedging instruments for risk mitigation and structured products is necessary, as well as exposure to Africa’s socio-economic development issues and policies.
• Good knowledge of financial sector issues and demonstrated ability to engage in a broad range of development and policy issues regarding specifically the development and the integration of capital markets. Good knowledge of the Bank’s operational policies as well as the deep understanding of the financial sector challenges in Africa.
• Support key tasks within the project team and ensure timely execution.
• Anticipate potential obstacles to achieving team goals and provide insight and guidance to team members to effectively address those obstacles.
• Ability to communicate effectively (written and oral) in English or French, preferably with a working knowledge of the other.
• Competence in the use of Bank standard software (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint) and in financial modelling.