Senior Energy Economist at African Development Bank - AfDB

The Complex

• The Vice Presidency for “Power, Energy, Climate and Green Growth” is a Sector Complex focusing on the Bank’s High 5s priority to “Light up and Power Africa”, and the implementation of the “New Deal on Energy for Africa”.
• The objectives of the Complex are to:
  • Develop policy and strategy
  • Provide deep sector technical expertise to the Countries and Regions by gathering a pool of experienced individuals who can be consulted for their expertise on complex transactions
  • Develop new financing instruments
  • Act as spokesperson for the Bank with external stakeholders on all aspects of “Light Up and Power Africa”
  • Coordinate the Bank’s Sovereign and Non-Sovereign Lending Operations.
• The Complex focuses specifically on the areas of National / Regional Power Systems Development, Energy Policy and Regulation, Renewable Energy; and Climate Change and sustainable Green Growth.
• The Complex also ensures that the Bank operates successfully across its Regional Member Countries and oversees the full implementation of all aspects of the Bank’s energy operations in collaboration with the Regional Business Delivery Units.

The Hiring Department

• The Energy Financial Solutions, Policy and Regulation Department (PESR) is responsible for leading the development of effective financial solutions through private sector financing in support of energy and power systems development in Regional Member Countries (RMCs) and in Regional Economic Communities (RECs).
• It is also mandated to provide financial structuring expertise to private sector clients as well as technical assistance to RMCs and RECs on policy and regulatory frameworks for energy and power systems development, with the objective of improving the enabling environment for private investment in the sector.
• In carrying out this mandate, the Department leads the lending program for Energy Sector Non-Sovereign Operations and undertakes knowledge work, including generation and dissemination of key energy sector data and statistics as well as policy dialogue to enhance collaboration with Governments, international development finance institutions and leading research centres.
• The Front Office (PESR0) is responsible for providing strategic guidance, executive oversight and intellectual leadership for the planning and coordination of the day-to-day functioning of the Department.

The Position
The role:

• The Senior Energy Economist will work with the Director and other members of the Department to provide technical and operational support to the delivery of the work program.
• He/she will provide technical and practical advice and recommendations to support the work of the Department.

Key Functions
Under the overall supervision of the Director, the Senior Energy Economist will perform the following, but will not be limited to:

Work Program:

• Support the Director in the day-to-day management of the Department and in the monitoring of the implementation of the Department’s work program
• Follow up, on behalf of the Director, on specific public and private sector transactions to ensure swift execution and implementation
• Represent the Director in internal and external meetings or events as required and ensure appropriate actions and follow up
• Coordinate with relevant teams and departments for planning and programming purposes (work program and budget)

Business Development and Projects Origination:

• Support the Director in the management and development of strategic partnerships and resource mobilization efforts for energy financial solutions, technical assistance and knowledge products with new and existing partners such as Government ministries, development finance institutions, development partners, funds, global energy sector initiatives;
• Participate in and contribute to activities for advocacy, dissemination and knowledge-building relating to the Bank’s investments, operations, products and initiatives
• Build and maintain strong relationships with other departments, clients, partners and Government officials to develop specific investment opportunities
• Liaise and coordinate with other Energy Specialists, Investment Officers and Bank staff in business development and the origination of a good quality investment pipeline
• Contribute to the preparation of briefings, memoranda and project appraisal reports for projects’ presentation to the Department, Review Committees, Senior Management and the Board of Directors

Strategies, Policies and Thought Leadership:

• Support the Director with the review of operational policies, strategies and corporate issues to be discussed in the Bank’s internal committees
• Contribute to the documentation of lessons learned from technical assistance and investment operations in the portfolio to articulate best practices in specific areas of expertise
• Prepare presentations and talking points on key sectoral issues for internal and external engagements of the Bank’s Senior Management, to better inform energy strategies across the continent.
• Topics include but are not limited to the review and analysis of policy and regulatory frameworks, the analysis of energy balances/demand, the review of financing instruments for the sector, the implications of climate change and energy transitions for Regional Member Countries, carbon pricing instruments, decarbonization strategies and the emergence of new technologies such as green hydrogen. 

Quality Control:

• Review content of presentations, language of correspondences, memoranda and reports submitted for the Director’s signature and/or clearance for onward transmission to the Vice President’s office and the Bank’s internal committees

Competencies (Skills, Experience and Knowledge)

• Minimum of a Master's Degree from a recognized University in Finance, Business Administration, Economics, Energy, Development Studies and other related fields.
• Minimum of five (5) years relevant professional experience in research, project management/development, corporate/project finance, investment banking, private equity or management consulting;
• In-depth knowledge of energy sector economics and key energy sector issues, with a good understanding of energy policies, regulations, technologies, strategies, utilities reforms, private sector participation and institutional development needed to support the development of the sector and positively impact the Bank’s projects and analytical work.
• Experience in investment or technical assistance activities would be an asset;
• Familiarity with strategies, policies, procedures and practices of multilateral development institutions would be an asset;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills to absorb technical and/or complex information and present it to difference audiences in a clear, concise and accessible way.
• A track-record in producing high-quality briefs and analytical documents would be an asset;
• Effective research and analysis skills to build an evidence base from which you will work. Examples of research papers or presentations for different audiences (investment banking, management consulting, academia, research centre) on the African energy sector would be an asset;
• Excellent organizational skills to track priorities, work towards tight deadlines while being comfortable with multi-tasking and managing competing priorities with limited supervision;
• Excellent knowledge of one of the two working languages of the Bank (English/French), with a good working knowledge of the other language. Fluency in both languages would be an asset;
• Competency in the use of standard MS Office Applications, with excellent Power Point skills to create compelling and effective storylines.
• Good design and formatting capabilities would be an asset.