Team Assistant - RDTS at African Development Bank - AfDB

Reference: ADB/18/088
Location: Côte d’Ivoire
Grade: GS7
Position N°: 50069267

The Complex

• Within the Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery Complex (RDVP), the Bank has five (5) Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery (RDIBD) Directorates, one in each region of Africa: North, South, East, West, and Central. Each Regional Directorate is headed by a Director General (DG) and is staffed with the relevant sectoral functions and administrative capabilities for rapid delivery of services to client countries.
• The Regional Directorates provide overall strategic direction to country offices within the regions and are responsible for the Bank’s operations, business development, project management and overall effective delivery of the Bank’s High 5s of ‘Light up and Power Africa,’ ‘Feed Africa,’ ‘Industrialize Africa,’ ‘Integrate Africa,’ ‘Improve the Quality of Life for the People of Africa.

The Hiring Department

• The Transition States Coordination Office (RDTS) is responsible for leading and implementing African Development Bank Group (the Bank) Strategy for Addressing Fragility and Building Resilience in its Regional Member Countries.
• It coordinates the Bank’s work on addressing fragility and building resilience, including activities of all fragility and resilience professionals stationed in the various Regional Hubs or Country Offices.
• Over the past decade, Africa has seen enormous growth and transformation that has expanded opportunities and improved living conditions for millions of people.
• More than two-thirds of African countries have strengthened their quality of governance, improved basic services, and expanded economic opportunities.
• Yet, there are significant risks that this momentum could be undermined by important pressures—continuing patterns of exclusion and poverty, unemployment, high migration, rapid urbanization, climate change and poor management of natural resources—that  threaten to overwhelm existing institutional capacities for managing political, economic, social and environmental challenges.
• These pressures are making every single African country more vulnerable. RDTS aims to place the Bank at the center of Africa’s efforts to address fragility and pave the way for a more resilient and inclusive development trajectory.
• A major part of RDTS’ activities involves the identification of the main drivers of fragility, including economic, social, political and environmental dimensions, and how the Bank’s programs and projects can contribute to equity and inclusive development.
• Central to RDTS engagement is the systematic application of a fragility lens to identify, respond to and prevent fragility and to build resilience and focus the Bank’s engagement in the areas where it can have the biggest impact.

The Position
The Team Assistant is required to work with a high degree of tact and sensitivity for confidential and strategic issues. The Team Assistant may be required to assist the Fragility and Resilience team on administrative issues. Specific tasks would include, but are not limited to the following:

• Provide a wide range of assistance to Fragility and Resilience team in implementing its work program.
• Supporting exchange between institution, entities and the team to ensure that all requests are timeously taken into account.
• Acting as focal point for the Team and follow up on matters related to the team’s activities, particularly when members are absent.
• Maintaining records of the Team Work Program.
• Follow up with the Team Procurement needs.
• Keeping records of Team Meetings and following up on issues raised.
• Assist where applicable with the planning of project and ESW activities.
• Undertaken ad hoc duties as may be assigned by the Team Supervisor.
• Perform any other duties reasonably requested by management.

Duties and Responsibilities
Under the supervision of the Director, the Team Assistant will perform the following duties:

Workflow Management:

• Design and manage effective systems for organizing office work;
• Ensure the quality of exchanges (oral and written) within the department: quality and security of documents, communication with other departments of the AfDB, liaison with partner institutions.

Office Administration:

• Organize and participate in meetings, meetings, lunches and multiple events to ensure that responsible management and/or the Fragility and Resilience Team are well prepared;
• Participation in the preparation of the annual and mid-term budget reviews by inputting data and the monitoring thereof and updating and maintaining various staff lists from time to time;
• Providing logistical support for staff meetings, trainings and other major events;
• Providing general back-up support to other Team members during their absences or as needed;
• Support in the organization and coordination of meetings with other Departments and Complexes and with external clients and partners;
• Manage the quarterly mission program and organize travel (Manage travel formalities, visa and accommodation), track mission reports; travel from time to time with senior management to provide general assistance.

Ressources Management:

• Manage systems, create and process expense reports in SAP;
• Assist management on issues concerning the administrative budget, monitor and review expenses and bring any issues to the attention of management;
• Assist with the procurement of services and supplies for events through requests for quotations and the their assessment;
• Serve as an information resource on the status of products and draft a variety of correspondences.

Analytical Work:

• Support in reviewing the quality of documentation for the Division/Department and making recommendations for improvement and ensuring adherence to Bank formats and standards;
• Keep abreast of the status and progress on the Department commitments vis-à-vis internal and external clients;
• Propose Key Process indicators and ways to monitor progress towards their attainment;
• Assist in preparing communication and presentation documents through drafting of elaborate memos, spreadsheets, presentations;
• Undertake ad hoc enquiries aimed at improving the standard and non-standard databases, data storage and retrieval systems.

Problem solving:

• Answer questions from Bank officials; liaise with clients and other staff coordinate with other members of management and partners; work with other secretarial staff and groups in different locations;
• Conduct preliminary research in your area of expertise and present in a logical manner;
• Perform any other reasonably justified task requested by management.

Selection Criteria
Including desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

• Hold a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in a Business Administration, Management, Finance, or other related disciplines;
• Have a minimum of five (5) years of experience in a relevant area, with a minimum of two years in a senior position;
• Good planning skills, with excellent levels of initiative, organization and leadership.
• Communication and Intercultural sensitivity;
• Excellent interpersonal skills;
• Client orientation; Team work; Tact
• Ability to understand and follow instructions from Management;
• Ability to provide support to Management and Task Managers;
• Organizational skills, ability to multitask, and attention to detail.
• Coaching skills;
• Knowledge of administrative, budgeting and financial processes
• Ability to communicate orally and in writing effectively in French or English, with a good working knowledge of the other language.
• Competence in the use of standard Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint,), knowledge of SAP.