Director - Education, Science, Technology and Innovation at African Union(AU)

Requisition ID: 863
Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Contract Type: Regular
Job Grade: D1
Reports to: Commissioner (ESTI)
Directorate: ESTI
Number of Direct Reports: 7
Number of Indirect Reports: 11

Purpose of Job

• To provide strategic and technical leadership for the Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation Directorate of the AU Commission. 

Main Functions

• Develops and maintains operating rules and procedures.
• Provides technical leadership and ensure efficient functioning of all Divisions.
• Ensures overall management of the Directorate activities.
• Determines and executes the overall strategy of the organization.
• Develops strategy aligned with the overall organizational strategy.
• Designs and develops business continuity plan to address unforeseen circumstances.
• Develops and oversees policy development guidelines.
• Designs policies consistent with the AU’s goal in order to address the pertinent issues in the relevant area;
• Ensures risk management and mitigation.;
• Establishes and maintains strategic professional working relations with other directorates and top level stakeholders in partnering agencies and AU Member States.
• Organizes and coordinates meetings and conferences between the organization and other relevant organizations;
• Responsible for preparing periodic financial and budget statements and other reports;
• Oversees the collection of contributed funds to the organization;
• Initiate and take necessary actions to collect funds of and for the African Union as a whole;
• Recommends training programmes related to programme design& coordination;
• Promotes awareness and training of best practices in area of expertise.

Specific Responsibilities

• Advises the Commissioner on policy and strategy matters in Education, Science, Technology and Space.
• Responsible for the development of strategic plans, policies and programmes in the Education, Science, Technology and Space sectors.
• Oversees the Human and financial resources of the Divisions including budget preparation and staff appraisals and quality assurance of the works of heads of division and coordinators of specialized instituions including including AOSTI, CIEFFA, IPED, Pan African University, STRC and the African Space Agency;
• Provide in-house training/induction for new staff, and ensure the production of required documents and reports;
• Prepares and organizes meetings of the Sectoral Technical Committees, and other relevant organisations. 
• Liaises with AU Member States and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) to monitor and ensure the implementation of continental strategies and information sharing in relevant sector areas.
• Monitors and implements plans of action for different programmes, including Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa, continental education strategy for Africa; and any others developed under the guidance of the Commissioner for HRST;
• Ensures recruitment of staff and overall management of the Directorate’s personnel;
• Develops and maintains operating rules and procedures;
• Provides technical leadership and ensures efficient functioning of all Divisions;
• Prepares and oversees integrated programmes of overall activities of the department;
• Determines and executes the overall strategy of the organization;
• Builds and maintains professional working relations  with other directorates.
• Initiates and takes necessary actions to collect funds of and for the African Union as a whole;
• Propose training programmes relating to programme designing and coordination;
• Promote awareness and training of best practices in area of expertise;
• Interacts with  Development Partners in a bid to influence the adoption of and alignment of programmes to articulated AU Vision and priorities; as well as for resource mobilization and development of collaborative programmes;
• Develops and maintains regular working relations with top level stakeholders in appropriate agencies of Member States and partners;
• Oversees the harmonization of all sectorial policies on ESTI through international fora.
• Any other responsibilities assigned by HRST Commissioner.

Academic Requirements and Relevant Experience

• A Master’s degree in Education, Science and technology, or engineering with fifteen (15) years of postgraduate work experience of which a minimum of seven (7) years is expected to be from managerial level..
• A diploma or certificate in any of the following fields will be an added advantage: strategic planning; results based management.

Required Skills:

• Managerial skills, political tactfulness and supervisory skills to achieve documented objectives. 
• Ability to work effectively with people from various backgrounds and create an environment where diversity is respected. 
• Ability to collaborate and communicate effectively with top level stakeholders. 
• Ability to identify key strategic opportunities and risks. 
• Ability to actively seek, identify and apply appropriate technology to improve programme delivery. 
• Proficiency in one of the AU working languages (French, English, Portuguese, Arabic); fluency in another AU language is an added advantage. 

Leadership Competencies:

• Strategic Focus
• Developing Organizational Capability
• Change Leadership
• Strategic Risk Management.

Core Competencies:

• Building Partnerships
• Drives Accountability Culture
• Learning Orientation
• Effective Communication.

Functional Competencies:

• Conceptual Thinking
• Knowledge Sharing
• Drive for Results
• Fosters Innovation.

Enure of Appointment:

• The appointment will be made on a regular term contract for a period of three (3) years, of which the first twelve months shall be considered as a probationary period. Thereafter, the contract will be for a period of two years renewable, subject to satisfactory performance and deliverables.

Gender Mainstreaming:

• The AU Commission is an equal opportunity employer and qualified women are strongly encouraged to apply.

Languages:

• Proficiency in one of the AU working languages (Arabic, English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish) and fluency in another AU language is an added advantage.

Remuneration

• Indicative basic salary of US$ 78,138.00 (D1 Step1) per annum plus other related entitlements e.g. Post adjustment (46% of basic salary), Housing allowance US$ 26,208.00 (per annum), and education allowance (100% of tuition and other education-related expenses for every eligible dependent up to a maximum of US$ 10,000.00 per child per annum), for internationally recruited staff and a maximum of $3,300 per child per annum for locally recruited staff.