Director - Regional Hub at Islamic Development Bank

Job ID: IDB2578
Business Unit: Country Programs Complex
Division: Country Rel.&Ser. Africa & Latin America
Department: Country relations and services Africa & Latin America

Role Purpose

• To lead and direct the Regional Hub in ensuring efficient delivery of IsDB’s mandate in the associated Member Countries by managing the portfolios of projects, and forging productive collaboration and cooperation amongst IsDB, Member Countries and private partners.
• To provide strategic direction in the region on managing for development results and ensuring consistent application of country, thematic, and sector results frameworks, and project design and quality accountability framework. To act as the IsDB focal point in the region on aid effectiveness issues including relations with external stakeholders, and maintains institutional relations with the international development community.

Key Accountability:

• General Responsibilities: Relationship Management, Business Development and Project Implementation:
• Seeks support of Economic Research & Institutional Learning unit and Department of Strategy and Transformation to prepare research and analytical work to enhance understanding and proposes solutions to the development challenges facing IsDB member countries
• Serves as a focal point and ‘resource centre’ for all matters related to countries under the coverage of the Hub.
• Enhances productive interactions and strengthens / maintains relationships with stakeholders in the countries and with national, regional and international development agencies.
• Conducts country policy dialogue and leads the implementation of MCPSs with due reference to strategies developed by Member Countries (e.g. PRSPs, UNDAF), donors and development agencies, IsDB’s own economic research, the Bank’s pillar strategies, in collaboration with the Bank’s Department of Strategy and Transformation.
• Interacts with key public-sector and private-sector counterparts in countries and external developers to identify potential projects in line with MCPS for IsDB involvement.
• Builds and networks with internal and external stakeholders - i.e. IsDB Governor Offices, Counterpart Organizations and other partners for the implementation of the relevant programs.
• Maintains and updates operational work plans for the countries handled and ensures alignment with MCPS. Adjusts and tailors work programs based on lessons learnt from implementation of past projects.
• Serves as regional communication focal point throughout the project lifecycle, engaging with developer, government and non-government entities in the region in liaison with the Marketing and Communications unit.

Project Appraisal, Implementation and Closure:     

• Oversees rigorous project appraisals in line with operation manual guidelines and the applicable policies/ procedures of the Bank.
• Incorporates suggestions of respective Chief Product and Partnership Officer (CPO) teams to further refine the project appraisal document prior to its submission for approval.
• Formal negotiation with country project team to align on project design and approach, capturing changes to project during processing lead time and ensuring complete alignment in project approach prior to escalation for board approval.
• Plans and prepares a project supervision timeline to conduct supervisory missions for existing projects.
• Liaises with procurement, financial management and executing agencies to ensure procurement and financial management are in line with the policies of the Bank
• Ensures smooth disbursement by resolving any bottlenecks in the disbursement process.
• Supervises running projects through planned missions, pro-actively identifies issues and problems, prepares and effectively implements action plans to resolve issues promptly and provides periodic updates on the status of the implementation plan.

Leadership Responsibilities:

• Provides motivational and inspirational leadership for the unit and communicates to direct reports clear performance expectations.
• Manages the performance and resources of the unit through delegation of responsibility, setting stretch objectives and providing regular feedback on results at a unit level, promptly addressing areas of underperformance.
• Monitors and assesses the skills and capabilities of the unit, and determines the actions needed to increase the unit's impact, supports filling in key capability gaps of teams through capacity development and recruiting efforts.
• Coaches, mentors and develops the direct reports and the top talent/ high potential staff.
• Acts as a role-model to communicate to the unit’s staff IsDB's values and missions.

Job Requirements
Academic and Professional Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Engineering, Economics, Business Administration or related discipline.
• Minimum 13 years of experience in the development arena, of which 5 years in managing country / sector-specific project implementation and minimum 7 years of managerial experience.

Languages:

• English - Mandatory
• French - Preferred 

Job Specific Competencies:

• Ability to adapt to changing business circumstances to maintain effective performance of the Unit.
• Ability to draw actionable steps from IsDB overall strategy.
• High degree of confidentiality and protection of sensitive information.
• Ability to maintain a rational and objective demeanour when faced with difficult situations.
• Ability to carry out performance evaluations at the Unit and direct report level.
• Ability to plan and prioritize tasks effectively.
• Influence others using rational arguments. Identify basis for compromise and reach an agreement.
• Ability to identify risks and implement necessary mitigation measures.
• Consistently work to a high standard and look for ways to improve current working practices and processes for the benefit of the company.
• Knowledge of IsDB
• Advanced Negotiation Skills and Techniques
• Conference Diplomacy and Multilateral Negotiation
• International Crisis Management within a Regional Hub Contex
• Commercial Diplomacy
• Cultural Diplomacy in a Multipolar World
• Diplomatic Protocol and Etiquette
• Leadership Skills and Assertiveness within a Regional Hub Context
• Stakeholder Engagement and Coordination
• Political Economy Analysis
• Cross Engagement with Industry Practitioners