Senior Competition Policy Officer - PITD.2 at African Development Bank - AfDB

Reference: ADB/17/307/2
Location: Côte d’Ivoire
Grade: PL5
Position N°: 50093573

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 Division

• In line with the Bank Ten-Year Strategy, and consistent with the High 5 strategies, the Division drives the Bank’s Trade development, including trade policy and trade facilitation, and investment climate agenda.
• The Division work is carried out in close collaboration with the Transport and Logistics division of the Infrastructure department, the Economic Governance and Agriculture complexes and the regional hubs of the Bank.

The Position

• The Competition Policy Officer will report to the Division Manager and will focus on developing a work program and activities to support RMCs in strengthening the regulatory environment, developing strategy and tools for competitiveness, undertaking reforms to create a competitive business environment and level playing field for all actors in the market, with special focus on industry and sector dimensions. The incumbent will work across sector complexes of the Bank.

Duties and Responsibilities
Under the general guidance and supervision of the Manager, Trade and Investment Climate Division, the Competition Policy Expert will perform the following duties and responsibilities:

• Undertake analysis and diagnostics of sector or industry-level market competition constraints, through competition rapid assessment tools and standard competition indicators and the application of quantitative and qualitative analytical tools to evaluate competition issues in client countries;
• Unearth challenges facing competition in RMCs and propose activities or initiatives to address them;
• Design action/reform plans and technical assistance programs on competition policy, leading to increased competition based on feasibility analysis (prioritization and sequence) of reforms, such as the elimination/removal of: (i) regulations that restrict the number of firms or ban private investment, (ii) controls on prices and other market variables, (iii) rules that discriminate against certain firms and distort the level playing field;
• Implement pro-competition market regulations and relevant programs and initiatives, including technical assistance on competition policy, through technical advice, policy dialogue and support to client countries;
• Mainstream the principles of competition policy within the Bank’s private sector programs and investments to allow for efficient entry and avoid distortions to the playing field;
• Support and manage projects with competition policy components, with a focus on removing sector-specific constraints to the development of competition in sectors concerned (e.g. agribusiness, infrastructure, finance);
• Undertake knowledge generation and dissemination of best practice on competition policies across countries and regions, including indicators and statistics on the status of competition at economy and industry level;
• Contribute to the development of collaborative partnerships with external partners and other Bank teams involved in promoting competition in client countries and contribute to a coherent strategy across teams for the benefit of the client country;
• Facilitate policy dialogue amongst national stakeholders (private and public) as well as authorities (regulatory institution) in view of promoting effective competition amongst operators;
• Contribute to the development of monitoring and evaluation indicators for competition interventions as well as analyse the impact of competition policy interventions. This includes advising regional and sectoral colleagues on the competition dimension of their reform programs and ensuring competition issues are adequately captured by the product-specific M&E systems.

Selection Criteria
Including desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

• Hold at least a Master's degree or its equivalent in Economics, Public Policy and Public Administration, International Trade Policy, economic regulation and/or competition economics or other relevant discipline;
• Have a minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience in the area of private and public sector competition policy reforms, policy formulation and implementation in developing country context;
• Experience as a practitioner in the economic analysis of antitrust policies, providing direct advice to the private sector and case-handling competition cases with experience in private sector, infrastructure, trade, industry and agribusiness;
• Strong knowledge of socio-economic, investment climate, regulatory reforms and policies and business environment issues in African countries;
• Client and results oriented individual, with strong analytical and communication (both verbally and in writing) skills, sense of accuracy and attention to detail;
• Ability to build partnership with a broad range of clients and deliver results that meet the needs and long-term interests of clients within and outside the institution;
• Ability to communicate effectively (written and oral) in English or French, preferably with a good knowledge of the other;
• Competence in the use of Bank standard software (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint).