Job Vacancies at the African Development Bank Group (AfDB)

Reference: ADB/19/231/2
Location: Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire
Grade: PL6
Position N°: 50078304

The Complex

• The Chief Economist/Vice-President for Economic Governance and Knowledge Management (ECVP) is the Bank’s spokesperson on economic matters and the VP for the ‘Economics Governance and Knowledge Management Complex’. The Complex is responsible for (i) providing leadership and visibility for the Bank on economic, finance, financial governance and socio economic development issues; and coordinate the generation of analytical works to inform operational policy; (ii) systematically emphasize the critical role of knowledge, experience, lessons learnt and their tangible impact on sustainable, inclusive transformation of African economies.

The Hiring Department/Division
The African Development Institute (ECAD) coordinates and executes Capacity Development (CD) programs in the regional member countries (RMCs) by (i) providing advisory services on capacity building; (ii) identifying and designing tailored capacity development programmes and implementing the programmes; and (iii) leveraging partnerships and coordinating knowledge dissemination and outreach,  with a view to improving policy-making, economic governance and sustainable development in the Regional Member Countries.

The Institute has two divisions, namely Program Development (ECAD.1) and Policy Management (ECAD.2). The strategic objective of the Program Development Division (ECAD.1) is to enhance the knowledge base and programs of African countries in promoting development. Hence the Division undertakes design and implementation of programs and activities to improve general knowledge and build institutional capacity to diversify economies, boost growth and create decent employment. These also include programs to support the Bank’s lending operations, improve the quality of the Bank’s portfolio and ensure that the development impact of Bank-funded projects and programs are realized.

The Position

• The Capacity Development (CD) Officer, ECAD1, will play an active role in the day-to-day delivery of the Department’s mandate, ensure that high quality standards are observed, and collaborate with the staff of the Bank’s other departments and outside partners to promote capacity development in Africa.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Under the supervision and guidance of the Division Manager, Program Development (ECAD1), the Capacity Development officer will:
• Develop programs, strategies and concept notes for capacity development for Regional Member countries.
• Undertake research on capacity development needs of the public, private and non-governmental institutions in Africa on any topic relevant for achieving the Bank’s High 5s.
• Design innovative programs to improve the quality of capacity development in Africa.
• Manage the delivery of capacity development activities such as workshops, seminars, conferences, and roundtable meetings at the Bank’s headquarters and in the Bank’s Regional Member Countries.
• Actively engage in resource mobilization for capacity development activities.
• Prepare briefs, information notes, and news articles on the activities of the Division.
• Undertake evaluation of the effectiveness of capacity development and other development activities of the Division.
• Perform administrative duties as assigned by the Supervisor.

Selection Criteria

• Hold a Master's degree in Economics, Public Policy, Public Administration, or in a related field. A PhD will be an advantage.
• Experience in teaching, research or in operations with proven competence and ability to develop concept notes, design training programs and deliver lectures in one of the following fields: (i) Macroeconomics/Economic Management; (ii) Financial Sector Development; (iii) Fiscal Affairs (including revenue generation and debt management); and (iv) Fiduciary Affairs of a Project Implementation Unit (Procurement, Disbursement or Financial Management).
• Have a minimum of four (04) years of relevant and progressive work experience. Experience in writing notes, reports and briefs and ability to handle knowledge dissemination.
• Strong quantitative analytical skills with a passion for figures and a mastery of the use of relevant software to prepare pictorials, charts and graphs.
• Sound knowledge and good understanding of capacity development needs in Africa at national levels and also at the level of project implementation units.
• Proficiency in writing proposals for resource mobilization.
• Capacity to conceptualize new approaches and innovation in capacity development and to develop user friendly training materials.
• Ability to interpret policies, guidelines and procedures and draw personal judgment.
• bility to think strategically and link the goals of the Division and Department to the Bank’s core strategic goals, and set priorities accordingly.
• A demonstrated team player with strong communication, problem solving, self-organization and time management skills.
• A client and results-oriented individual with a proactive attitude.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills (attach a sample of own writings) in English or French with a good working knowledge of the other language.
• Competence in the use of standard Microsoft Office Suite applications.

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Reference: ADB/19/233
Location: Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire
Grade: PL3
Position N°: 50093743

The Complex

• The Vice Presidency for Private Sector, Infrastructure and Industrialization is central to the Bank’s mission of developing the private sector, improving infrastructure and accelerating industrialization.
• The complex main functions are to (i) strengthen the enabling environment for private sector [and financial sector] development conducive to inclusive growth and sustainable development, (ii) support the development of reliable and sustainable infrastructure, including cities and urban development, and (iii) place renewed emphasis on industrial and trade performance in support of structural transformation across Africa.
• The Complex leverages knowledge, co-financing, and partnerships to attract private capital and work with governments on delivering the Bank’s development agenda.

The Hiring Department

• The role of the Infrastructure and Urban Development Directorate is to foster advancement of infrastructure and cities in Africa by detailed development of appropriate interventions which the Bank might finance on a regional, national or a continent-wide basis.
• The Specialist is responsible for the Bank's vision for Road Safety.

The Position
The purpose of the position is as follows:

• To act as the Bank's principal expert on Road Safety
• To strengthen and maintain the Bank's understanding of Road Safety and its role in the development of the continent
• To advise on future investments on Road Safety by the Bank and its regional member countries (RMCs).

Duties and Responsibilities
Under the supervision of the Division Manager, the Chief will perform the following duties:

Road Safety Strategy:

• Lead, devise, maintain and revise the Road Safety Strategy of the Bank in consultation with internal stakeholders and taking into account the long-term road safety trends in the continent’s Transport & Logistics development;
• Ensure the appropriate implementation of the strategy through communication and advise to all relevant stakeholders in the Bank, particularly operations functions, and define a monitoring framework;
• Identify and develop any necessary policies to underpin the strategy;
• Consult as necessary with external partners, Regional, and non-Regional Member Countries on the form and efficacy of the strategy.
• Work with other specialists in the Transport & Logistic Division.

Urban Planning Knowledge:

• Manage a team of consultants to develop and maintain the Bank's expertise on Road Safety to support the development goals of the Bank and the continent;
• Devise the Bank's contribution to key Road Safety themes and represent the Bank at global, regional and national conferences and workshops on Road Safety;
• Coordinate and work alongside key partners, such as other Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), the United Nations organizations, African Union Commission (AUC) and Africa Transport Policy Program (SSATP) to design Road Safety programs and solutions in line with SDGs and other initiatives;
• Publish major studies and reports on Road Safety, taking into account the comparative advantage that the Bank can bring to bear to any specific subject or theme.Convene associated workshops and media events to solidify the learning across Africa;|
• Develop and maintain, in collaboration with partners, publications and road safety information, both African and global, to support proper analysis of the impact of the road safety development in Africa;

Road Safety Expertise Advice:

• Act as a focal point for providing technical advice to Regional Member Countries on Road Safety and lead dialogue with governments in advancing institutional reforms, building human and financing capacities for sustainable road safety in Africa;
• Lead the development of Technical Assistance programs to provide cutting edge advice on Road Safety policy, strategy and the choice of focus areas and interventions towards creating sustainable systems;
• Provide expertise support to operations staff based in the regions on the development and implementation of road safety interventions and ensure that appropriate coordination of actions in supporting clients during the project procurement, execution and monitoring phase;
• Provide direct support to operations staff in the field, particularly, on safety consideration of Bank financed road projects, giving adequate insights on the impacts of road safety audit and the benefits for incorporating it in the upstream during project development stages;
• Identify appropriate Road Safety training for internal and external stakeholders.
• Manage and achieve demanding KPIs on Road Safety;
• Develop and safeguard the Bank's brand as a source of Road safety knowledge for Africa by detailing the quality of output expected from the Division and ensuring that it is attained;

Selection Criteria

• At least a Master's degree or equivalent in Road Safety or a Master's degree in Transport Engineering, Highway Engineering, Civil Engineering, Transport Planning or related discipline with specialized Road Safety trainings;
• At least 7 years of experience in Road Safety with proven ability to work in the Transport Sector at Multi-lateral Financial Institutions with sound experience in developing countries;
• Planning and Organizing: Establishes a systematic course of action for self and others in order to accomplish objectives; determines priorities and allocates resources effectively;
• Strategic Thinking: Technical and strategic thinker to evaluate critical matters in broad spectrum and provide policy and strategic advice on effective interventions;
• Analytical: Knowledge and skills on Road Safety to identify and analysis complex information to provide recommendations towards operationally relevant solutions;
• Client orientation: Ensures that the client is considered to be of primary importance in all transactions and interactions. Strives to understand, and when appropriate, anticipate client needs, and ensures that the client receives the best possible service from the Bank;
• Communication: Provides clear and concise oral and written communication; presents oral information with clarity and appropriate style and adapts language and style to suit the requirements of a particular audience;
• Highly developed technical and strategic knowledge and skills on Road safety to analyse historical data and asses road safety management system and practices to provide cutting edge policy and strategic advice identify and design road safety interventions;
• An ability to make sense of complexity and to express this simply both in writing and orally;
• Effective consultation and advisory skills coupled with a client orientation to ensure relevancy;
• Range of inter-personal skills and an ability to vary the use of them according to the audience;
• Ability to lead a team of specialists and to take forward projects, often in collaboration with other partners;
• Attention to detail to create quality output and to set standards for the team;
• Mentoring to develop skills within the team and to improve the quality of output and outcomes;
• Ability to manage and mobilize resources and allocate Budget and resources to achieve results;
• Ability to articulate clear objectives, set ambitious but achievable targets and monitor execution and results;
• Ability to communicate effectively (written and oral) in English or French, preferably with a working knowledge of the other; and
• Competence in the use of standard MS office applications (Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint) and preferably SAP.