Principal External Relations and Communication Officer, SNAR at African Development Bank - AfDB

Reference: ADB/20/085
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Grade: PL4
Position N°: 50083628
Publication date: 29-Jun-2020

The Complex

• The Senior Vice-Presidency (SNVP) is responsible for supporting the President in the day-to-day management of the Bank Group to achieve its strategic objective and drive performance culture that will align all processes and systems to deliver high impact results.
• The SNVP provides effective leadership and exceptional coordination to ensure implementation and monitoring of key corporate decisions as well as the identification of necessary corrective measures and actions. The SNVP leads senior management discussions, decision-making processes and the implementation of key Board and Management decisions. ​

The Hiring Department / Division

• The External Representation Offices for Asia (SNAR) will enable the Bank to engage more actively with key stakeholders in member countries and other countries in Asia with a view to enhancing dialogue and promoting innovative approaches to mobilize necessary resources to support the implementation of the Bank’s medium-term Strategy and Africa’s development agenda. The principal objectives of the Tokyo External Representation Offices lie within three generic areas, namely: (i) External Partnership and Dialogue, (ii) Knowledge dissemination and Exchange, and (iii) Business and Investment Promotion.

The Position

• Under the general guidance and supervision of the Head of External Representation Offices for Asia (SNAR), the External Relations and Communication Officer, within SNAR’s physical coverage of 4 Asian member countries, will manage (1) external relations with external partners of the Bank such as member governments, governmental institutions, MDBs, United Nations agencies, other international organizations, Civil Society Organizations, academia, private sector organizations; and (2) internal and external communication with all entities including the general public.
• The incumbent will be in charge of internal and external communication activities in relation to (i) External Partnership and Dialogue, (ii) Knowledge dissemination and Exchange, and (iii) Business and Investment Promotion. He will coordinate all activities in order to increase awareness of Bank’s strategies, policies and activities particularly through each government’s important policy interface toward African development such as TICAD, KOAFEC, FOCAC, Conclave, among others.
• He / She will also assist in the implementation of multi-constituency outreach programs and the promotion of a better understanding of Africa’s development challenges and opportunities, including the promotion of business investment from Asia to Africa.

Duties and Responsibilities
Under the overall supervision of the Director of SNAR, the External Relations and Communication Officer has the following responsibilities:

• Assist the Director of SNAR on overall management of the office as Deputy Head of Office including planning, budgeting, financial control, KPI (Key Performance Indicators) management and monitoring, staff management, etc.;
• Be a mentor for and also a leader of other PL and GS Staff of SNAR under the guidance of the Director of SNAR;
• Engage with Asian members of the Bank to promote stronger partnerships through participating in each government’s important policy interface toward African development or business such as, but not limited to, the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) for Japan, Korea Africa Economic Cooperation (KOAFEC), Ministerial Conference for Korea, Forum on China-Africa Economic Cooperation (FOCAC) for China, Conclave on Project Partnerships (Conclave) for India. The incumbent takes charge of one or two countries out of SNAR’s mandate in 4 countries depending on language proficiency;
• Work closely with other departments in the Bank for partnership activities in order to have integrated and unified approach as One Bank;
• Prepare and implement SNAR’s Communication Strategy, including the organization of seminars, conference and workshops on African development issues, business opportunities in African countries, preparation and display of electronic and print materials for external partnership and dialogue, knowledge promotion, exchanges and business promotion activities;
• Develop and implement a dissemination strategy that will ensure wide dissemination of Bank information and publications in the Region, including appropriate web resources and social media management;
• Work closely with the Bank’s Communications Department in respect of communication activities and dissemination of regional documents, ensuring that regional publications comply with the Bank’s standards and editorial policies;
• Offer free consultation on business investment and advice about the bank’s activities;
• Work with other international organizations such as MDBs, UN agencies, academia and other specialized agencies to complement specialties;
• Carry out other duties and responsibilities requested by the Director of SNAR.

Selection Criteria

• Hold at least a Master's degree or its equivalent degree in Literature, Humanities, Social Sciences, Political Science, Information Science, or related fields;
• Have a minimum of six (6) years’ experience in government jobs, which relate to official development assistance (ODA) of governments that SNAR covers; in international organizations jobs such as UN agencies, MDBs, DFIs; or other relevant institutions.
• Solid experience of working on the African continent, or Africa-related institution is desirable, as will be some practical experience in communications through print and Web media.
• Good understanding of the functions, organization and procedures of international financial institutions;
• Good understanding of public and business sectors in Asia where SNAR covers;
• Good understanding of financial sector and capital markets in Asia will be a strong asset;
• Familiarity with the development issues and deep interest in Africa’s development;
• Thoroughness and attention to detail in keeping track of the editing and publication process;
• Interest in working in an international environment as part of a team;
• Demonstrates integrity, sound judgement, and highest ethical standards;
• Effective research and problem-solving skills; ability to work accurately, methodically, independently and/or in teams;
• Strong interpersonal skills and able to work under pressure in a dynamic and multicultural setting;
• Able to handle internal and external requests with speed and efficiency;
• Able to assess problems and develop realistic solutions quickly;
• Capable of demonstrating a multidisciplinary approach to issues;
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to prioritize own work program and to deliver assignments in a timely and efficient manner.
• Able to work and cooperate with others from diverse background;
• Commitment to continuous learning and proactive and mature attitude towards self-development;
• Communicate and write effectively in either English or French, as well as good communication and writing skills in either language of Japanese / Chinese / Korean;
• Working / living knowledge in Asian region that SNAR covers, Tokyo in particular, would be an added advantage.
• Proficiency in MS Office applications (Word, Excel and PowerPoint.)