Chief Conference, Ceremonies and Events Management Officer at African Development Bank - AfDB

Reference: ADB/17/328
Location: Côte d’Ivoire
Grade: PL3
Position N°: 50093585

The Complex

• The President, plans, supervises and manages the business of the Bank Group. Under the direction of the Boards of Directors, the President conducts the business of the Bank and the African Development Fund and manages operations and activities in accordance with the Agreements establishing the African Development Bank and the African Development Fund.
• The President supervises several Departments and Units including Office of the President ; Independent Development Evaluation Department; Integrity and Anti-Corruption Department; Compliance Review and Mediation Unit; Secretariat to the Sanctions Appeals Board; Administrative Tribunal; Office of the Auditor General; Group Risk Management Directorate;  General Counsel and Legal Services Department; Communication and External Relations Department; Staff Integrity and Ethics Office and Office of the Secretary General & General Secretariat.

The Hiring Department

• The role of the Banks' Office of the Secretary General and the General Secretariat is to facilitate the delivery of the objectives of the Bank’s Ten Year Strategy, High 5s, and Development and Business Delivery Model by enhancing the decision-making process of the governance organs and forging better working relationships with the shareholders and host countries of the Bank.
• The Office of the Secretary General and the General Secretariat is comprised of:
  • The Immediate Office of the Secretary General which has the additional responsibility of managing the Records Management and Archives Section and the Corporate Governance Policy and Shareholder Relations Section;
  • Board Affairs and Proceedings Division ;
  • Protocol, Privileges and Immunities Division ; and
  • Conferences and Meetings Division.

The Position
The incumbent supervises the Conference, Ceremonies & Events Management Section whose overall responsibilities include:

• Planning and managing ceremonies, events and meetings, including, but not limited to, the Bank’s Annual Meetings, African Development Fund  Meetings, loan, guarantee or grant agreement signing ceremonies, and all other meetings, conferences and events organized or sponsored by the Bank;
• Planning and managing high-level visits, including visits by Heads of State and Government, Governors of the Bank, Ministers and other high-level guests;
• Planning and managing the participation of the President of the Bank Group and Bank delegations in high-level meetings, in collaboration with Governments and other international organizations.

Duties and Responsibilities
Under the supervision and guidance of the Division Manager, Conferences and meetings, the Chief Conference, Ceremonies and Events Management Officer will:

• Lead and coordinate all activities related to the planning and organization of all major ceremonies, events and meetings of the Bank Group.
• Plan, manage and organize all ceremonies, events and meetings organized or sponsored by the Bank including, but not limited to, the Bank’s Annual Meetings, African Development Fund  Meetings, loan, guarantee or grant agreement signing ceremonies;
• Lead and coordinate the planning and management of high-level visits, including visits by Heads of State and Government, Governors of the Bank, Ministers and other high-level guests, in close collaboration with the Bank’s protocol services;
• Coordinate the planning and supervise the participation of the President of the Bank Group and Bank delegations in high-level meetings, in collaboration with Governments, other international organizations and the Bank’s protocol services;
• Coordinate the planning of all visits by the President of the Bank Group to member and non-member states of the Bank, in close collaboration with the protocol services of the Bank;
• Advise management, with direct responsibility for ensuring all logistical aspects of ceremonies, events and meetings, including:
  • Identification of venues; and
  • Justifying and supporting the choice of procurement method, etc.;
• Coordinate the work of and supervise teams under her/his responsibility, oversee their training and career development, and performance evaluation;
• Define and validate objectives and the work programme of the Section and perform all administrative and related technical tasks, including the drafting of reports, letters, etc.;
• Perform related duties assigned by the Division Manager, the Secretary General or the office of the President.

Selection Criteria
Including Desirable Skills, Knowledge and Experience:

• Hold at least a Master's Degree or its equivalent in Event Management, Business Administration, International Relations or a closely related discipline.
• Have a minimum of seven (7) years of relevant experience in Conference and Events Management, International Relations, Public Administration, Public International Law, or a similar field.
• Having private sector experience will be an added advantage.
• Experience in the planning and management of conferences and events in a similar organization.
• Strong ability to mobilize multicultural teams and different skill levels to achieve assigned objectives.
• Excellent negotiation skills.
• Demonstrated technical excellence, diplomacy and an established track record of excellence in achieving results.
• Ability to anticipate, be proactive (able to predict possible problems and provide appropriate solutions (i.e. manage contingencies) by supervising the technical implementation, technical team and supervise and monitoring before, during and the end of the event.
• Knowledge of the Bank’s rules and procedures.
• Ability to communicate effectively (written and oral) in English or French, preferably with a working knowledge of the other.
• Competence in the use of standard Microsoft Office Suite applications (Word, Excel, Access and Power Point); knowledge of SAP (or other integrated document management system or quantitative and qualitative data analysis packages is an added advantage.