Executive Jobs at African Development Bank (AfDB)

The African Development Bank is Africa’s premier development finance institution. In recent years, it has also become an important producer of knowledge on and about Africa through dedicated research, economic and sector work, capacity building and policy dialogue among its 54 Regional Member Countries. The ECON Complex comprises the Development Research Department (EDRE), the Statistics Department (ESTA), and the African Development Institute (EADI). They form the research, capacity building and knowledge development hub of the Bank. As such, ECON collaborates with other Bank complexes and helps to coordinate the work of economists in the Operations Complexes, including those in the field.  The Complex produces a number of flagships products and forms partnerships with other agencies in Africa and globally to extend its outreach and development impact. It also organizes with other agencies the annual African Economic Conference.  Importantly, ECON will be the agency responsible for implementing and monitoring the Bank’s new Knowledge Management Strategy. 

The African Development Institute’s (EADI) primary objectives are (i) to be a key promoter and provider of capacity building initiatives within the African Development Bank in its areas of emphasis, and in line with the Bank’s Ten-Year Strategy; (ii) to provide capacity building support to RMCs in selected fields of economic and social development and management related to the Bank’s mission; (iii) to provide training in project management to Bank staff and officials from RMCs as a means of supporting  efficient implementation of Bank-financed projects, with a view to enhancing their impact; (iv) collaborate with other institutions in Africa and elsewhere, involved in capacity building in the area of economic development, to compare experiences and enhance synergies.

Under the supervision of the Chief Economist and Vice President, the incumbent will:

• Promote capacity building in and for the African Development Bank through developing, reviewing, updating and implementing training and capacity building strategies, policies and relevant programs;
• Design well targeted and effective capacity building programs for Regional Member and Regional Economic Communities;  
• Coordinate, in collaborate with other Departments in the ECON Complex and the rest of the Bank, knowledge management and capacity building through organization of workshops, seminars and conferences for RMCs
• Identify priority capacity development needs for Bank staffs and officials in RMCs, and work with Universities, Think Thanks, Centres of Excellence and other training institutes of sister institutions (World Bank & IMF) to leverage capacity building for all stakeholders
• Play an active role in knowledge sharing with the Bank’s clients, staff and development partners
• Develop a strategy for leveraging the various sources of financial resources for capacity building activities
• Collaborate with CIMM to leverage IT tools to facilitate access to e-learning in the Regional Member Countries
• Provide leadership in developing and conducing post-training evaluations
• Through the Knowledge and Virtual Resources Centre, develop and implement a strategy for effective dissemination of knowledge to staff and clients;
• Provide oversight in the implementation of the administrative budget for the Institute and attract and recruit talent for the Institute; create an enabling environment for effective utilization of skills and potential to achieve high performance; and assist employees of the institute to develop and grow in their career.

Including desirable skills, knowledge and experience

• A minimum of a Master’s degree or its equivalent in a development-related field including Economics, Macroeconomics, Development Economics or Agricultural Economics, Social Sciences, and Natural Resources Management;
• Preferably a minimum of ten (10) years of extensive work experience in capacity building or training, at a managerial level, combined with a solid knowledge and good grasp of capacity building needs - institutional and human - in African countries.
• Proven ability to provide leadership in designing training programs, developing training materials and managing a capacity development or training institution.
• Strong knowledge of African economic and development issues; strategic mindset; and strong capacity to analyze situations from the perspective of stakeholders and translate strategic thinking into implementation;
• Evidence of ability to build and lead motivated and committed multi-cultural teams across functional boundaries and to utilize talent and expertise of team members in a productive way.
• Ability to partner with a broad range of clients and partners, particularly Development Training Institutions, and regional and national training institutions in Africa to deliver results that meet the needs and long-term interests of clients in the RMCs and RECs.
• Strong practical experience in conceptualizing new approaches and innovation in training as well as developing effective and user friendly training materials on CD and electronic format;
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English and/or French. A good working knowledge of the other language would be an added advantage
• Be conversant with the Bank’s softwares, i.e., Word, Excel, SAP, MS Project and PowerPoint.

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The African Development Bank is Africa’s premier development finance institution. The ECON Complex comprises the Development Research Department (EDRE), the Statistics Department (ESTA), and the African Development Institute (EADI). They form the research, capacity building and knowledge development hub of the Bank.

The Development Research Department undertakes policy relevant economic research, focusing on areas where the Bank’s proximity to African policymakers and the private sector gives it comparative advantage. It actively engages in the production of flagship products that analyze key challenges and opportunities for Africa’s development. Additionally it participates in missions for developing country strategy papers (CSPs) or regional integration strategy papers (RISPs). EDRE suitably places its resources at the service of Senior Management of the Bank in crafting important policy statements and in guiding the policy thrust of the Bank. EDRE also takes part in discussions related to the replenishment of the African Development Fund, and related mid-term reviews. It also takes part in analyses linked to general capital increases of the Bank. In recent years assessments of additionality and development effectiveness (ADOA) for private sector operations have become an important feature of EDRE’s work. EDRE works closely with other departments in the Complex to deliver its knowledge management agenda.

Under the supervision of the Chief Economist and Vice President, the incumbent will:

• Provide leadership and inspiration in the undertaking of quality research and analyses in Africa’s economic development, with emphasis on value addition.
• The Director is expected to raise the Bank’s capacity to pose crucial issues in Africa’s development and to devise solutions through the production of flagship reports and working papers dedicated to these issues.
• Provide guidance and mentorship to staff in EDRE and those in other complexes undertaking economic and sector.
• Manage human and financial resources to ensure that the Department’s core activities are not constrained.
• The Director will be expected to establish effective collaboration with other Bank units, international agencies as well as with bilateral donors in seeking solutions to Africa’s development.

Including desirable skills, knowledge and experience

• A minimum of a PhD degree or its equivalent in Economics with any of the following concentrations: Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Development Economics, Econometrics, Labor Economics and Industrial Organization. Demonstrated knowledge of political economy issues will be an advantage;
• Preferably a minimum of ten (10) years of extensive work experience, five(5) of which are at a managerial level, in development economics research, including evidence of peer-reviewed analytical work, and a solid knowledge of economic theory, including on development;
• Demonstrated capacity to organize workshops and seminars at the domestic and international levels, and to effectively disseminate results;
• Evidence of ability to build and lead motivated and committed multi-cultural teams across functional boundaries and to utilize talent and expertise of team members to advance the work of the Department and the Bank.
• Ability to partner with a broad range of internal and external, particularly African Universities and thinktanks, clients in the generation of new research knowledge and analyses.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English and/or French. A good working knowledge of the other language is an added advantage
• Be conversant with the Bank’s software, i.e., Word, Excel, SAP, MS Project and PowerPoint.