Job Openings at the African Development Bank Group (AfDB)

Position: 50064881
Location: Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
Position Grade: PL2

The Complex

• Within the Regional Development, Integration, and Business Delivery Complex, the Bank has five (5) Regional Development and Business Delivery Offices, one in each region of Africa: North, South, East, West, and Central.
• The Regional Development and Business Delivery Offices are headed by Director Generals.
• The Regional Development, Integration, and Business Delivery Complex also includes a dedicated directorate for Nigeria, a department for Transition States, and a Regional Integration Coordination Office.
• One of the key mandates of the Regional Development, Integration, and Business Delivery Complex is the implementation of the Regional Integration Strategic Framework.
• The Regional Integration Strategic Framework is the Bank’s overarching strategy to support the operationalization of Integrate Africa, Agenda 2063, and the African Continental Free Trade Area.
• It aims to accelerate the free flow of goods, services, people, and capital across Africa.
• The Regional Integration Strategic Framework is underpinned by large-scale investments in regional infrastructure, especially energy, transport, water, and information and communications technology.

The Hiring Department

• As the custodian of Integrate Africa, the Regional Integration Coordination Office helps ensure strategic, programmatic, and operational coherence, as well as the efficient and transparent allocation of resources.
• The department helps mainstream regional integration into Bank strategies and operations. It monitors the performance of the regional integration portfolio, generates lessons-learned through periodic reviews, and provides strategic, policy, and operational insights to senior management to improve performance.
• Externally, and in close collaboration with the Joint Secretariat Support Office, the department coordinates high-level policy dialogue with the African Union Commission , the Regional Economic Communities , and the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area  to drive investments and promote reforms that accelerate the implementation of Agenda 2063, Integrate Africa, and the African Continental Free Trade Area.
• The Regional Integration Coordination Office also pioneers the design, publication, and maintenance of flagship analytical products and advocacy tools such as the Africa Visa Openness Index and the Africa Regional Integration Index.

The Position

• The position of Lead, Regional Integration, reports to the Director of the Regional Integration Coordination Office. The position is key to the attainment of the Bank’s Integrate Africa agenda.
• Working closely with the Director, Regional Integration, the Lead provides technical and specialized advisory support to the Regional Integration Coordination Office and assists the Director in all aspects of planning and execution of the activities of the department.
• The incumbent works closely with the lead economists, the country economists, and the regional program officers to coordinate policy dialogue with the African Union, the Regional Economic Communities, the African Continental Free Trade Area, and related intergovernmental organizations.
• The Lead also provides thought leadership on regional integration within the Bank and in engagement with external stakeholders.
• He/She is expected to develop specialized knowledge and analytical products that are operationally relevant and help cement the Bank’s position as a knowledge-broker on regional integration.

Key Functions
Under the general guidance and supervision of the Director, Regional Integration, the Lead will perform the following duties and responsibilities:

• Provides policy, technical, and operational advice to the Director, as well as senior management, on all matters pertaining to regional integration; 
• Oversees all technical aspects of the design and implementation of the Regional Integration Strategic Framework and the Regional Integration Strategy Papers, in close collaboration with the lead economists, country economists, and regional program officers; 
• Collaborates with the lead economists, country economists, and regional program officers across all five regions to develop knowledge and analytical products that are operationally relevant and help improve strategic and operational performance; 
• Assists the Director in the management of the regional operations envelope of the African Development Fund, a dedicated facility to provide concessional financing for regional integration projects in low-income counties;
• Collaborates with lead economists, country economists, and regional program officers across all five regions to develop a robust multi-year pipeline of regional operations and regional public goods;
• Supervises all technical aspects of the design, implementation, and maintenance of the Bank’s flagship regional integration knowledge products, especially the Africa Regional Integration Index, the Africa Visa Openness Index, and the Trade Facilitation Due Diligence Tool;
• Initiates, builds, nurtures, and strengthens existing partnerships and coalitions outside of the Bank, especially with the African Union, the Regional Economic Communities, and related Intergovernmental Organizations;
• Develops innovative solutions to strengthen coordination mechanisms between the African Union, the Regional Economic Communities, the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area, and other related continental and regional organizations;
• Represents the Bank in regional and global forums and performs high-level engagement and dialogue with senior government officials to promote reforms and support the implementation of Agenda 2063, the High Fives, and the African Continental Free Trade Area.

Competencies (Qualifications, Experience & Skills)

• A minimum of a Master’s degree in Economics, International Relations/Trade, Law, Social or any other related international development fields;
• A minimum of 8 years’ relevant experience at increasingly senior levels and in multilateral organizations. Experience in regional integration, regional policy dialogue, infrastructure finance, and project management is highly desired;
• Demonstrated leadership, teamwork, and communications skills and ability to manage highly diverse teams;
• Solid understanding of Africa’s regional integration architecture, especially the workings of the African Union, the Regional Economic Communities, the African Continental Free Trade Area, and related intergovernmental organizations;
• Strong capacity to analyse actions from the perspectives of stakeholders, and to translate strategic thinking into compelling action plans;
• Demonstrated ability to take prudent business risks and make effective, timely and well-determined decisions;
• Competence in the use of Bank standard software applications (SAP, Microsoft Office, Collaboration Suites);
• Ability to communicate effectively (written and oral) in English or French, preferably with a working knowledge of the other language.

go to method of application »

Position: 50092552
Location: Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
Position Grade: EL5

The Complex

• Within the Regional Development, Integration, and Business Delivery Complex, the Bank has five (5) Regional Development and Business Delivery Offices, one in each region of Africa: North, South, East, West, and Central.
• The Regional Development and Business Delivery Offices are headed by Director Generals.
• The Regional Development, Integration, and Business Delivery Complex also includes a dedicated directorate for Nigeria, a department for Transition States, and a Regional Integration Coordination Office.
• One of the key mandates of the Regional Development, Integration, and Business Delivery Complex is the implementation of the Regional Integration Strategic Framework.
• The Regional Integration Strategic Framework is the Bank’s overarching strategy to support the operationalization of Integrate Africa, Agenda 2063, and the African Continental Free Trade Area.
• It aims to accelerate the free flow of goods, services, people, and capital across Africa.
• The Regional Integration Strategic Framework is underpinned by large-scale investments in regional infrastructure, especially energy, transport, water, and information and communications technology.

The Hiring Department

• As the custodian of Integrate Africa, the Regional Integration Coordination Office helps ensure strategic, programmatic, and operational coherence, as well as the efficient and transparent allocation of resources.
• The department helps mainstream regional integration into Bank strategies and operations.
• It monitors the performance of the regional integration portfolio, generates lessons-learned through periodic reviews, and provides strategic, policy, and operational insights to senior management to improve performance.   
• Externally, and in close collaboration with the Joint Secretariat Support Office, the department coordinates high-level policy dialogue with the African Union Commission, the Regional Economic Communities, and the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area  to drive investments and promote reforms that accelerate the implementation of Agenda 2063, Integrate Africa, and the African Continental Free Trade Area.
• The Regional Integration Coordination Office also pioneers the design, publication, and maintenance of flagship analytical products and advocacy tools such as the Africa Visa Openness Index and the Africa Regional Integration Index.

The Position

• The position of Director, Regional Integration Coordination Office reports to the Vice President of the Regional Development, Integration, and Business Delivery Complex. The position is key to the attainment of the Bank’s Integrate Africa objectives.
• The Director Regional Integration Coordination Office is responsible for all aspects of planning and execution of the work program of the department.
• The incumbent works closely with the Director Generals, the Deputy Director Generals, the Director the Joint Secretariat Support Office, and the Country Managers  to coordinate policy dialogue with the African Union and the the Regional Economic Communities and design and implement a robust pipeline of regional operations and regional public goods.
• Moreover, he/she is responsible for managing quality, risks, results, institutional initiatives, and compliance with Bank policies and procedures.
• The Director provides thought leadership on regional integration within the Bank and in engagement with external stakeholders.
• He/She is expected to demonstrate deep sector expertise across several functional areas especially policy dialogue, regional infrastructure, trade and investment promotion.

Key Functions
Under the general guidance and supervision of the Vice President of  the Regional Development, Integration, and Business Delivery Complex, the Director, Regional Integration Coordination Office will perform the following duties and responsibilities:

• Supervises the design, implementation, and monitoring of the Regional Integration Strategic Framework  and the Regional Integration Strategy Papers  in close collaboration with the Director Generals , the Deputy Director Generals, Director the Joint Secretariat Support Office, and Country Managers;
• Oversees the efficient management of a dedicated regional envelope for the financing of regional operations in low-income countries; 
• Collaborates with the Director Generals, the Deputy Director Generals, Country Managers , and Sector Directors to develop a robust pipeline of regional operations and regional public goods;
• Initiates, builds, nurtures, and strengthens existing partnerships and coalitions within and outside the Bank, especially with the African Union Commission, the Regional Economic Communities, the African Continental Free Trade Area, and development partners operating in the regional integration space;
• Mobilizes co-financing to help plug financing gaps in regional infrastructure, especially transport, water, information and communications technology, and energy;
• Provides strategic, policy, and operational advice to senior management to improve the performance of the Bank’s regional integration portfolio;
• Initiates programs to accelerate the implementation of critical African Union flagship programs and initiatives such as the African Continental Free Trade Area, the Program for Infrastructure Development in Africa , or the Single African Air Transport Market ;
• Represents the Bank in regional and global forums and performs high-level engagement and dialogue with senior government officials to promote reforms and support the implementation of Agenda 2063, the High Fives, and the African Continental Free Trade Area;
• Supervises the design, implementation, and maintenance of flagship regional integration knowledge products that are operationally relevant, help drive policy reforms, and cement the Bank’s position as a knowledge-broker on regional integration;
• Supervises the effective delivery of the department’s budget and ensures timely submission of periodic reports in accordance with Bank rules and regulations.

Competencies (Qualifications, Experience & Skills)

• A minimum of a Master’s Degree in Economics, International Relations/Trade, Law, Social or any other related international development fields;
• A minimum of ten (10) years’ relevant experience at increasingly senior levels and in multilateral organizations. Experience in regional integration, regional policy dialogue, infrastructure finance, and project management is highly desired;
• Demonstrated leadership, teamwork, and communications skills and ability to manage highly diverse teams;
• Solid understanding of Africa’s regional integration architecture, especially the workings of the African Union, the Regional Economic Communities, and the African Continental Free Trade Area;
• Strong capacity to analyse actions from the perspectives of stakeholders, and to translate strategic thinking into compelling action plans;
• Demonstrated ability to take prudent business risks and make effective, timely and well-determined decisions;
• Competence in the use of Bank standard software applications (SAP, Microsoft Office, Collaboration Suites);
• Ability to plan and manage staff to achieve high quality results and encourage innovation in an open team-based environment, inspiring trust and influencing and resolving differences across organizational boundaries;
• Ability to communicate effectively (written and oral) in English or French, preferably with a working knowledge of the other language.

go to method of application »

THE HIRING DEPARTMENT:

The SVP supervises the Fiduciary and Inspection Department (SNFI), which acts as the custodian of the procurement (including procurement for private and public partnerships) and financial management (FM) profession, and has the following responsibilities for its functions: (i) developing and interpreting policy, strategy and related guidance notes and manuals; (ii) preparing annual post review reports on the Bank’s FM and procurement operations for the Board; (iii) developing training strategy for internal and external clients; (iv)  and dialoguing with external and global partners with a view to building partnerships and fostering harmonization; (v) providing the secretariat for the Procurement Review Committee (PRC); and (vi) inspecting and reporting on the performance of procurement and FM activities undertaken by the regions

The Procurement Operations Officer is responsible to ensure that the project procurement activities financed by the Bank in his/her country based are compliant with the Bank’s procurement policy.  This is done by advising on procurement arrangements and reviewing procurement decisions within the project/program operations cycle from the identification to completion stages. The incumbent also contributes to the preparation of the Bank’s Country Strategy Paper, and to building procurement capacity of Borrowers which includes training of Borrower staff, advising on project-related procurement matters, and assessing and strengthening the Borrower’s procurement systems.

The Procurement Operations Officer reports administratively to the Madagascar Country Manager, COMG and functionally to the Division Manager - Procurement (SNFI.3).

KEY FUNCTIONS:

Under the supervision and guidance of the Division Manager Procurement, and the direct technical supervision of the Regional Procurement Coordinator, the Procurement Operations Officer will in his/her duty station:

• Advise/assist the various Sector Divisions involved in the supervision of Borrowers project implementation activities as required by the relevant Presidential Instructions
• Advise Borrowers, Suppliers, Consultants, Contractors and other Entrepreneurs on all aspects related to the procurement of goods and services under Bank Group-funded projects
• Participate in Preparation and Appraisal missions for projects with routine procurement components with a view to assisting Borrowers and Sector Divisions Staff to define the most appropriate modalities for procurement
• Prepare the procurement chapter in the Project Appraisal Reports
• During the project/program preparation cycle missions, assess the adequacy and effectiveness of the procurement capacity at the Executing Agencies and Project Implementation Unit as well as provide advisory technical support to the project/program team on matters of procurement as an input to a new project
• Undertake an assessment of Country Procurement Systems of his/her country based
• Participate in the project/program Launching Mission to assist the project/program team in developing capacity building of the Executing Agency in the area of procurement
• Review, provide comments and participate in working group meetings of lending and non-lending activities reports
• Receive, review and approve all procurement-related documents requiring the Bank’s “No Objection”, “Approval” or “Action” under the Procurement Policy of the Bank; monitor practical aspects by assisting the Projects’ Task Managers to supervise the procurement activities carried out by the Borrower throughout the project cycle
• Maintain an ongoing system of monitoring the compliance with the Bank’s Procurement Policy by the Borrowers and actions taken by project management to implement internal and external audit recommendations and report on the status of implementation
• Facilitate and undertake training seminars /workshops for the Borrower and Bank Staff  
• Ensure that procurement information and data entered in SAP by sector experts are effective, correct and accurate
• Undertake Annual Post Procurement Review Report on ongoing projects with a view to advising Management on lessons learned
• Provide or generate reports (monthly or quarterly or as requested)
• Implementation of audit recommendations as directed – initiating the necessary corrective actions to address all audit findings in the Procurement function and prevent any repeat thereof

COMPETENCIES (skills, experience and knowledge):

• Hold at least a Master’s degree in Engineering, Law, Public/Business Administration, Procurement, Economics, or related fields.
• A minimum of four (4) years of relevant professional experience in providing procurement support and advice to the preparation and implementation of programs and projects financed by the Bank or any other similar institution in developing countries, having private sector experience will be an added advantage
• Proven familiarity with and solid experience in the practice of procurement of goods and works and the procurement of consultancy services under donor funding conditions, it would be desirable to have knowledge of Bank Procurement policy.
• Experience in supervising and effectively managing the implementation of development projects and programs.
• Ability to be flexible, open-minded with integrity, client and results-oriented for achieving both Bank’s and Borrowers’ objectives. 
• Effective consulting and advisory skills that enable Sector Staff and Borrowers to build their confidence and skills to deal with procurement issues.
• Good networking skills and judgment are required while working within teams and when building professional relationships with procurement specialists and sector specialists working in the Region.
• Ability to communicate effectively (written and oral) in French with a working knowledge of the English language.
• Competence with standard MS Office software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), preferably combined with knowledge and experience of SAP operations.