Job Vacancies at the African Development Bank Group (AfDB)

Reference: ADB/20/162
Location: Pretoria, South Africa
Grade: PL4
Position N°: 50001113

The Complex

• The Vice Presidency for ‘Agriculture, Human, and Social Development’ is a Sector Complex focusing on the Bank’s Ten Year Strategy High 5s priority of “Feed Africa” and “Improve Quality of Life for the People of Africa”.
• The complex objectives are (i) to develop, policy and strategy; (ii) provide deep sector expertise to the Regions by gathering pool of experienced individuals who can be consulted to provide sector expertise on complex transactions; (iii) develop new financing instruments; (iv) the VP will act as the spokesperson to represent the Bank with external stakeholders on aspects of “Feed Africa” and Improve Quality of Life for the People of Africa”.

The Hiring Department / Division:

• The core mandate of the Agriculture & Agro-Industry Department (AHAI0 is to provide support for the delivery of Feed Africa: Strategy for Agricultural Transformation in Africa, 2016-2025. The Strategy aims to end hunger and rural poverty in the next decade through self-sufficiency in eighteen (18) priority commodity value chains specific to the continent’s agro-ecological zones.
• The Agriculture & Agro-industry Department works closely with the Agriculture Finance and Rural Development Department and the Regional Directorates to provide support for the delivery of Feed Africa Strategy.
• The Agriculture & Agro-Industry Division - South Division (AHAI-S), within the South Africa Development and Business Delivery Office (RDGS) is responsible for the delivery of the Feed Africa Agenda in the southern Africa region. It is responsible for the Bank’s development cooperation in agriculture within 13 countries namely: Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Sao Tome and Principe, Swaziland, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, as well as with the SADC Secretariat to promote regional integration.

The Position

• The Principal Public-Private Partnership / Value Chain Officer reports to the Regional Manager, AHAI-S. The main work objectives are focussed on the development and upgrading of critical value chains articulated in the Feed Africa Strategy, predominantly through PPP arrangements.
• He /she will work across technical, geographic and institutional boundaries to support the delivery of development solutions for a diverse set of clients in the rural (and urban) space and in the public and private sectors in line with the Agricultural development, Agribusiness and Agro-Industry agenda of the AfDB Group.
• Using a value-chain approach, the incumbent  will support the implementation of this agenda in the Southern Africa region, with specific focus on providing technical input for the design, and supervision of projects which:
  • Promote value chain development, value addition, primary and secondary processing of crops, fisheries and livestock;
  • Catalyze private sector entry and growth in African agribusiness;
  • Promote agri-SME growth and the commercialization of agriculture, particularly addressing access to finance needs
  • Creates farm to fork market linkages;
  • Facilitates the development of agro-poles and agro-processing hubs;
  • Supports the development of an agribusiness enabling environment, and;
  • Invests in hard infrastructure (including roads, markets and irrigation), soft infrastructure (human capital, i.e., trained potential employees, ICT, etc.), and enabling policies and reforms, for transformation of African agriculture into viable, profitable businesses.
• The Principal Public-Private Partnership / Value Chain Officer will work closely with private sector experts at the Bank to scale up investments in agribusiness and will design and coordinate the delivery of client solutions and all project management aspects of the deployment of such solutions.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide support and technical expertise in the development or upgrading of priority of value chains, Agro-poles, corridors and rural infrastructure (roads, energy, water, storage facilities and markets) linking smallholder farmers to markets within the overall Bank infrastructure pipeline;
• Formulate public and private investment proposals in agriculture value chain development and promote an enabling environment by the public sector for private sector investment and involvement in agriculture (Agro-industrial parks).
• Identify Public-Private Partnership for Agro-poles / parks and rural infrastructure investment opportunities within key value chains;
• Invest in strategic private sector clients, financial institutions and commercial banks, private equity funds, investment and impact funds to finance Agropoles and key rural infrastructure along the 18 key priority agricultural value chains;
• Partners with other IFIs, investors, including venture capital, private equity firms and strategic investors with a particular focus on public private partnerships for Agropoles and rural infrastructure (at the country and regional level) to engage stakeholders in alignment of sustainable socio-economic development goals;
• Create a pipeline and manage a strong portfolio of existing and potential Agro-poles / parks and rural infrastructure investors along key value chains and achieve sustainable development impact;
• Evaluate, structure, negotiate, and close debt and equity transactions; use strong negotiation skills to develop solutions and overcome impasses in all transactions;
• Lead support and origination of non-sovereign operations with solutions to reach smallholder farmers, productive enterprises (particularly women and youth);
• Build and maintain a strong pipeline of potential on value chains through new debt and equity investments, follow up on new business opportunities, and liaise extensively with potential clients in the region.
• Monitor and report on the implementation of the financial instruments and their contribution to Feed Africa and action plan.
• Develop and implement performance monitoring and evaluation systems and reporting activities (including KPIs) to enable transparent assessment of Agropoles and rural infrastructure outcomes and impacts, both for internal and external circulation.

Selection Criteria

• A minimum of a Master’s degree or its equivalent in Finance, Agribusiness or closely related field.
• A minimum of six (6) years relevant professional experience in the area of investment banking, consulting or private equity / venture capital focussing on Agribusiness, and 3 years working on value chain development and / or PPP investment arrangements.
• Sound experience with debt and / or equity investments in developing markets, venture investing and emerging countries including a satisfactory knowledge of their operational policies and procedures;
• Proven leadership in matters relating to negotiating and structuring debt and equity transactions, technical review of reports and consultation with other financiers, among others;
• Knowledge of Africa and the rural development needs, opportunities, development challenges and possible solutions;
• Comprehensively understands projects structures, including project planning, risk management strategy, communication management strategy, lessons learned and handover, and other critical success factors, strategies, policies, procedures and practices of other similar institutions;
• Acute knowledge and understanding of the elements essential for the effective delivery and measurement of development impacts through agricultural investments in Africa;
• Highly developed negotiation skills proven to yield positive outcomes with senior counterparts, both internal and external;
• Knowledgeable in the execution and structuring of debt and equity investments in the assigned sector projects and programs;
• Networking ability required to build successful relationships and partnerships with a broad range of clients, internal and external, for effective delivery of results.  Prudence and skill in identification of such relationships and partners based on meeting the needs and long-term interests of clients within and outside the institution;
• Communicate and write effectively in Portuguese and / or French, with a good working knowledge of English.
• Competence in the use of standard Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint); knowledge of SAP is desirable.

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Reference: ADB/20/164
Location: Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire
Grade: PL3
Position N°: 50054951

The Complex

• The Vice-Presidency for ‘Private Sector, Infrastructure and Industrialization’ is a Sector Complex focusing on the Bank’s Ten Year Strategy and the ‘High 5’ priority of “Industrialize Africa”. The objectives of the Complex are to: (i) develop the ‘Africa Industrial Strategy’; (ii) provide deep sector expertise to the Regions by leveraging on experienced individuals who can be consulted on complex transactions; (iii) develop new financing instruments; (iv) act as the Bank’s Spoke person on “Industrialize Africa”.

The Hiring Department / Divison:

• The role of the Bank’s Industrial and Trade Development department is to promote the implementation of the Bank’s 10 Year Strategy and HI 5’s initiatives with special emphasis on the Industrialize Africa strategy. The department leads the Bank’s activities in the area of industrial policies, ICT, trade and investment climate, and private sector investments in industry and services.
• The ICT Operations Division is responsible for the Bank Group's public sector-based activity in the ICT sector.  In particular, the Division is responsible for the identification, appraisal and subsequent supervision of the Bank's lending and grants programme to Regional Member Countries for ICT projects.  In addition, the division supports other operations of the Bank requiring sectoral advice. 
• The main objective of the ICT Operations Division is to build on the Bank's sector skills to become a leader in the development, financing and implementation of ICT projects and programmes across the African continent.

The Positions
The Bank is hiring a Chief ICT Specialist  The position has the following functions:

• To lead, and coordinate the identification, appraisal and negotiation of Bank operations for the ICT sector, involving RMCs, Governments, Private Sponsor and other development partners or concerned parties;
• To supervise the implementation of projects by RMCs and to coordinate the Bank’s responses on procurement, financial management, evaluation, restructuring and audit of projects;
• To direct the provision of expert advice on issues related to ICT sector development including advice to RMCs;
• Provide the required technical skills to design national and multinational projects that respond to the needs of the RMCs and RECs based on priority and selectivity;
• Mobilise external resources to prepare feasibility studies, co-invest in projects and finance economic research work of the Division.

Duties and Responsibilities
Under the overall supervision and guidance of the Division Manager, the Principal ICT Specialist in addition to the above-mentioned tasks shall:

• Dialogue with Regional Member Countries (RMCs), Partners and relevant specialised agencies on project requests;
• Advise the Bank and RMCs on the viability of ICT projects;
• Identify funding options including the use of PRGs, PCGs and the applicability of PPP structures;
• Carry out identification, preparation, appraisal and supervision missions; Prepare and process project documentation (including Project Concept Notes and Appraisal Reports) and follow up on reviews and approval processes;
• Mobilise co-financing for projects from other MDBs, donors and the private sector;
• Manage the strategic project cycle process including consultations with RMCs and the Bank's Country Programme Officers to ensure that prospective ICT projects are included in the overall agreed lending plans of the Bank and the RMCs;
• Manage a portfolio of projects, ensuring that each project is properly supervised, is disbursing funds and is achieving its original development goals. In doing so, apply the rules and regulations of the Bank correctly to issues of procurement and fund management and disbursement;
• Initiate and execute programmes and studies to develop knowledge in Africa on strategically important ICT subjects. Where necessary, mobilise funds for studies. To do so, it will be necessary to develop terms of reference for studies and pilot projects and comply with donor information needs to obtain financial support.
• Develop consultancy terms of reference and recruit consultants to support the work area. Observe fully Bank procurement rules and regulations;
• Undertake Ad hoc activities including coordination with other operational and regional complexes; integration of ICT in Country and Regional Strategy Papers; strengthen the Bank's knowledge and expertise (article writing, briefing and analyses); support broad financial mobilisation activities of the Bank; attend Business Opportunity Seminars with the private sector to explain upcoming procurement opportunities in Bank ICT projects.
• Participate in relevant skills development activities to ensure that technical, market, financial and processing knowledge is maintained to a required level.

Selection Criteria

• Hold at least a Master's degree or its equivalent in the field of ICT, Telecommunications, Management, Business or Economics or any other related discipline.
• Should have at least seven (7) years proven track record in the ICT sector. Key areas are  ICT / Communication policy and regulation, infrastructure deployment and development, data economy infrastructure and services, and eGovernment services.
• Proven practical experience of working with Governments in  Africa to design and  deliver national and cross border ICT projects for economic development
• Experience in strategic planning and execution of ICT projects / studies.
• Experience of working with international financial institutions (IFIs) or with bilateral aid and development agencies, including familiarity with their financing arrangements for grant and/or loan support;
• Rigorous, results-oriented individual with strong analytical skills, sound business judgement and the ability to identify needs and constraints, to set priorities and translate them into measurable actions.
• Effective consultation and advisory skills coupled with a client orientation to ensure relevancy.
• Sound market knowledge with a particular emphasis on current digital trends in regulatory thinking.
• An ability to think strategically, to make sense of complexity and to express thoughts simply both in writing and orally.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to vary the use of them according to the audience including government officials, private sector and other stakeholders;
• Ability to communicate effectively (written and oral) in English or French, preferably with a working knowledge of the other.
• Competence in the use of standard Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint), experience in the use of SAP is advantageous.