Latest Recruitment at the African Development Bank Group (AfDB)

Reference: ADB/19/089
Location: Côte d’Ivoire
Grade: PL2
Position N°: 50095956

The Complex

• The Vice Presidency for ‘Power, Energy, Climate and Green Growth’ is a Sector Complex focusing on the Bank’s Ten Years Strategy of transitioning Africa to green growth and the High 5s priority of “Light up and Power Africa”.
• The role of the Bank’s Power Energy Climate and Green Growth Vice Presidency is to oversee strategy and policy development in the energy systems space; provide deep technical expertise to the regions; develop new, innovative financing instruments; and build alignment and represent the Bank with external stakeholders in the fields of climate finance, climate change and green growth.

The Hiring Department
The Climate Change and Green Growth Department has broad objectives of:

• Mainstreaming climate change and green growth into Bank’s High 5s’ operations;
• Monitoring and reporting on the implementation of the Bank’s climate change interventions through the Bank’s Climate Change Action Plan and the Bank’s Green Growth Framework;
• Managing access to the growing number of sources of Green and Climate Finance for all Operational Vice Presidencies within the Bank;
• Assisting African countries to develop and implement their NDCs as well as to increase their access to global climate finance; and
• Leading all efforts within the Bank focused on minimizing and reversing the effects of Climate Change on the continent.
• The Department consists of two divisions, Climate and Green Growth Division, and Climate Finance Division and a Special Fund, the ClimDev-Special Fund.

The Hiring Division

• The Climate Information for Development in Africa (Climdev-Africa) initiative was established as a partnership between the Bank, UNECA and the AUC in 2008 and endorsed by African Union Heads of State and Government. The ClimDev-Africa Special Fund (CDSF) forms one of the three elements of ClimDev-Africa, the others being the African Climate Policy Center at UNECA, and the Climate Change and Desertification Control Unit at the AUC.
• The ClimDev-Africa Special Fund (CDSF) in the Climate Change and Green Growth Department is a demand-led Fund that finances investment activities on the ground across Africa for the generation and use of climate information for climate-resilient development. The ultimate goal of the CDSF is to ensure that development policies and practices in Africa take full account of climate risks and opportunities at all levels through: : i) strengthening the scientific and institutional capacities of regional and national climate centres to generate, widely disseminate and use reliable and high quality climate information for development in Africa; ii) Enhance the capacity of policy makers and policy support institutions through the generation of quality analysis and evidence on climate change and its implications for Africa; and iii) support the implementation of adaptation and resilience practices that demonstrate the value of mainstreaming climate information and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in development planning and practices.
• The African Development Bank manages the CDSF in close collaboration with the other pan-African institutions, the AUC and the UNECA. The ClimDev-Africa Program Steering Committee (CDSC) provides the general policy direction and technical oversight over the CDSF.

The Position

• As Coordinator of the CDSF, the job holder, will manage the Fund in order to ensure its smooth and efficient functioning, that African countries, the civil society, private sector and non-governmental organizations have efficient and predictable access to climate funds offered by the CDSF to deliver climate information services to the African continent.
• The Coordinator will lead efforts to mobilize resources for the Fund and build partnerships with existing initiatives on climate information services for Africa.
• The CDSF will support African nations in adapting to climate change and implementing their commitments to the Paris Agreement and be instrumental in building capacity to enable the Bank to channel funds to achieve the High 5s and achieve its climate finance target of USD25 billion from 2020 and 2025.

Duties and responsibilities
Under the overall supervision and general guidance of the Director – Climate Change and Green Growth Department, the Coordinator of the ClimDev-Africa Special Fund will perform the following tasks:

• Manage a Team of project staff to deliver the objectives of the CDSF
• Coordinate the technical and fiduciary appraisal of proposals submitted to CDSF in collaboration with other relevant Bank departments;;
• Coordinate the processing of the CDSF projects through the ClimDev Steering Committee (CDSC) and in collaboration with other relevant Bank departments;
• Monitor the performance of the projects in the portfolio and ensure that project completion reports are prepared for each activity financed by the Fund;
• Lead the overall CDSF portfolio performance against the disbursement and other targets set out in its results management framework
• Lead the CDSF engagement with and report to the Fund’s donors and CDSC in collaboration with other relevant Bank departments;
• Prepare the CDSF’s annual work programme and budget; producing annual reports and other relevant communications on the progress of the CDSF;
• Coordinate with external institutions and stakeholders including the EU Delegation, the Nordic Fund and Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA);
• Organise workshops and outreach events to raise awareness and advance the objectives of the CDSF;
• Participate in relevant international forums on Climate Change and Disaster Risk to highlight the work of CDSF.
• Lead Bank’s efforts in mobilizing additional funds  for CDSF in collaboration with other relevant Bank departments by liaising with Donors and other Funding Mechanisms;
• Develop and implement a strong communications strategy for the CDSF
• Develop and review the operational manual, results management framework, and other relevant frameworks to ensure the smooth and efficient operation of the Fund ;
• Manage and account for disbursement of administrative funds;
• Maintain relationships with national governments, Regional Economic Communities, civil society, and private sector actors as well as external partners (e.g. World Bank, World Meteorological Organisation, Green Climate Fund), and ensure coordination with relevant regional development partner-funded projects/programmes;
• Lead Bank’s efforts in providing advice on Climate Risk Management and Adaptation, Disaster Risk Financing, and Disaster resilience including analysis of disaster prevention and disaster response measures, adaptation financing needs and mechanisms to enhance access to climate financing by African Governments and institutions.
• Provide deep climate finance and disaster risk expertise to the regions in the application of Climate and Disaster Risk funds to projects.
• Maintain a healthy pipeline of eligible projects for CDSF funding
  

Selection Criteria
Including desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

• Master’s degree or its equivalent in Environmental Science, Climatology, Meteorology, Natural Resource Management, Environmental Economics or related fields. A PhD in any of the aforementioned disciplines will be an added advantage.
• A minimum of eight (8) years’ experience in designing and implementing programs and projects that integrate climate information services, climate change mitigation and adaptation.
• Must have a minimum of 5 years of leadership experience.
• Must have demonstrable experience in attracting climate finance and in trust fund management,
• A deep knowledge of the procedures of multilateral development agencies and regional organizations tasked with addressing climate change in Africa.
• Experience in developing and using climate change models and integrating them into national development policies.
• Good understanding of the status of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) and the Regional Climate Centers (RCCs) in Africa as well as continental and global initiatives relating to climate information.
• Experience in working with African Ministerial bodies (African Ministerial Conference on Meteorology (AMCOMET), African Minister’s Council on Water (AMCOW), African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) etc), donor and other development partner agencies.
• Further experience in procurement, financial accounting and reporting, green and inclusive growth accounting and reporting and portfolio management.
• Proven analytical skills and presentation of views on complex climate adaptation/mitigation and disaster risk reduction issues in a diligent and effective manner.
• Excellent technical skills in Climate Change and deep knowledge of the various climate change conventions and disaster risk frameworks.
• Familiarity with the work of Africa’s Hydromet centres on the delivery of climate and weather services for development.
• Proven track-record on resource mobilization for climate services and climate information initiatives.
• Excellent data analytical skills and interpretation. She/he must have ability to write clearly and concisely, and have sound quantitative skills (managing, analysing and interpreting data).
• Computer literacy in Microsoft packages/Office (MS Word, MS PowerPoint, MS Excel), GIS and SPSS is an asset.

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Reference: ADB/19/090
Location: Côte d’Ivoire
Grade: EL3
Position N°: 50092319

The Complex
Recognizing the central role of energy in boosting economic growth, stimulating jobs creation and improving industrialization and competitiveness of Africa, the African Development Bank has launched a bold program - New Deal on Energy for Africa - to accelerate the achievement of universal access to energy in Africa. The goal is to “light up and power Africa”, which is one of the High 5 priorities of the Bank. The focus will be on universal access to electricity and the connection of 130 million households to grid-based power, the connection of 75 million households to off-grid power systems and the access of 150 million households to clean cooking energy sources.

The overall objective is to achieve universal access to electricity by 2025, across Africa. To achieve this goal, the Bank is forging stronger and results-driven partnerships with the private sector, bilateral and multilateral financing institution and on-going and new energy initiatives, to ensure effective coordination, complementarity, synergies and deployment of financing and advisory services at scale to achieve the goal of universal access to electricity.

The Bank will promote major initiatives to unlock the massive renewable energy potentials on the continent, develop smart grid, off-grid and mini-grid decentralized power systems, support countries to make use of their energy resource endowments, while promoting energy efficiency, environmental sustainability, climate resilience and green growth. A major focus will be placed on supporting countries to improve the policy, legal and regulatory environment in the energy sector, improve public sector financing efficiencies, reduce transmission losses, and reforms and improvement of the performance of power utilities. The Complex is also responsible for the cross-cutting area of climate change and green growth, the implementation of the Bank’s Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP II), the mainstreaming of climate change across all Bank operations and the mobilization of climate finance for development.

The Role
To drive its bold vision to "Light up and Power Africa", the Bank is seeking a Vice President Power, Energy, Climate and Green Growth. The position, which reports directly to the President, is responsible for the Bank's Sector Complex that focuses on:

• Developing, structuring and implementing energy sector projects (public and private) that will deliver on the ambition to light up and power Africa;
• Supporting the Bank’s lending and non-lending operations in the areas of climate change, climate finance and green growth
• Providing deep energy sector and climate change expertise to the Regional Member Countries ;
• Developing new financing instruments that can leverage the full breadth of the Bank's capabilities and resources and those of other development partners;
• Acting as a spokesperson to represent the Bank with external stakeholders on all aspects of "Light and Power Africa" and climate change and green growth; and
• Building a world-class talent work force and develop strategic energy sector partnerships to leverage resources at scale for Africa in the energy sector and drive achievement of set targets with partners.

The Position

• The VP will be responsible for all energy-related projects and programs of the Bank as well as the Bank’s climate change and green growth agenda
• The VP will lead the Complex activities in the areas of strategy, policy-making, developing new instruments; resource mobilization, and project/ program structuring, implementation and monitoring in close collaboration with the five regions under the Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery (RDVP) Complex.

The Vice President, PEVP will oversee the work of the Complex in the following broad areas, each led by a Director: 

• Power Systems Development; 
• Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency 
• Energy Financial Solutions, Policy and Regulation;
• Climate Change and Green Growth; as well as strategic energy partnerships out of the Vice President’s Front Office.

Duties and Responsibilities
The major functions that the VP will perform will be to:

• Develop and significantly grow the Bank’s portfolio in the energy sector for both private and public sector projects. This will include deployment of project preparation facilities, and working with other complexes in the Bank on partial risk guarantees, partial credit enhancement facilities, power purchase agreements and other instruments needed to leverage financing into the energy sector at scale.
• Lead the Bank’s partnerships on energy and engage at the most senior levels to coordinate and mobilize structured private sector, multilateral and bilateral partnerships for unlocking Africa’s energy potential.
• At the global level, mobilize climate financing for regional member countries for climate mitigation and adaptation.
• Be a catalyst for private sector involvement in the development of the power sector across Africa.
• Provide exceptional and strategic leadership to capitalize on emerging achievements in the sector to develop coherent legal and policy reforms, pricing and regulations that can be customized at the country and regional level for the Bank's clients;
• Provide thought leadership and bring advanced and appropriate technological solutions and innovations to bear on designing customized and implementable solutions in the context of inclusive and green growth for the continent, in an environmentally and economically sustainable manner.
• Provide world-class energy systems management advisory services to support African countries in their energy policy development, acceleration of bankable energy project preparation, structured financing and implementation and regulation taking into account climate change and transitioning toward green growth.
• Lead the Bank’s renewable energy initiatives such as the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA) and the Desert to Power Initiative, to drive green growth, and catalyze massive investments into Africa’s renewable energy sector, and represent Africa’s position on the energy sector in global and regional forums.
• Develop effective collaboration with the Regional Development and Business Delivery Vice Presidency and other complexes, to deploy sector-level staff to the five regional integration and business delivery offices in West, East, Central, North and Southern Africa, and drive the successful development of major regional power projects.
• Foster an environment that stimulates and rewards innovation, creativity and accountability for results, and motivate staff to deliver significant developmental impacts on the ground in the countries.
• Provide leadership in the management of change so as to achieve the Bank's Strategic Plan objectives, deliver on the objectives to Light up and Power Africa, and meet the evolving requirements of private sector clients, development partners, and other stakeholders;
• Foster an environment that stimulates and rewards performance, initiative and innovation; encourages continuous learning, open communication and teamwork; and employs managerial best practices to motivate staff and ensure the most productive and cost effective utilization of the institution's prime asset;
• Develop effective collaboration with the Regional Development and Business Delivery Vice Presidency and related Complexes, to deploy sector-level staff to the five regional integration and business delivery offices in West, East, Central, North and Southern Africa, and spearhead the Africa Investment Forum work program for the Bank.

Selection Criteria
Including desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

• Minimum of a Ph.D. or equivalent experience in Electrical Engineering, Energy Policy, Energy Economics, Environmental Economics, Project Finance, Energy Systems Engineering and green growth related subjects;
• A minimum of 15 years’ proven leadership and experience in the electricity and power sector, with significant record of proven results in energy policy, finance and management. Proven experience and knowledge of the African energy system and/or of energy systems in developing economies will be an advantage;
• Business Acumen - a clear understanding of the drivers and barriers to success in complex regulatory, political and cultural environments; a good understanding of identifying and evaluating reputational risks; proven thought leadership in the following areas: regulatory and policy incentives to attract private sector financing and participation in the power sector, mega-project execution, particularly regional projects across two or more countries, the transformation required to decarbonize the power industry, large-scale electrification through on and off-grid installations;
• Strategy setting skills - a commitment to energy systems capacity building and development in Africa; plus experience in forging and managing strategic partnerships with local organizations, governments and financing institutions.
• Executing for Results - demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively and mobilize key actors (private sector, public sector and civil society) for transformative action; proven ability to build multi-organization partnerships to manage complex objectives and achieve transformative results.
• Leading Teams - exhibit traits of an inspirational leader who can motivate others to execute quality outcomes in complex and challenging environments; proven ability to build and direct a high performing team to achieve visionary and challenging goals; Delegation ability, giving significant responsibilities to team members and holding them accountable.
• Building Relationships and Using Influence - Proven interpersonal skills demonstrated by the ability to work in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment, with sensitivity and respect for diversity and the ability to build trust and provide leadership to different stakeholders; presence and gravitas in dealings with partners from a variety of backgrounds, including African governments; Excellent stakeholder management skills and ‘altitude’ - an ease operating at the most senior stakeholder levels.
• Language Requirements - Superior written and verbal communication skills in English and/or French, with a working knowledge of the other language.