Apply: AfDB Chief Country Economist

By Development Diaries
May 29, 2021

Deadline: 26 June, 2021

Location: Libreville, Gabon; Malabo, Equatorial Guinea

The African Development Bank (AfDB) is seeking applications from eligible applicants for the post of Chief Country Economist.

AfDB’s mission is to spur sustainable economic development and social progress in its regional member countries (RMCs).

Responsibilities

Analyse the economic and financial situations of assigned RMC, using internal and external information sources, and determine the implications for the programming and updating of bank group operations as defined in the country strategy paper
Examine the impact of bank group operations (in the countries concerned) of regional economic integration programmes and make recommendations on the role of the bank group in assisting regional integration initiatives
Participate in the policy dialogue with government authorities and development partners
Prepare economic and sector work and papers on relevant economic and financial issues in the development process and other country economic tasks like the country policy and institutional assessment (CPIA), the country risk rating (CRR) and the country resilience and fragility assessment (CRFA) exercises
Contribute to the identification, preparation, evaluation and monitoring of the implementation of macroeconomic programmes
Prepare country diagnostic notes and regional diagnostic notes to inform the preparation of country strategy papers and regional integration strategy papers
Maintain effective communication with the sector departments and other relevant units in the bank to ensure a coordinated approach in the preparation of knowledge products in the assigned countries
Participate in country portfolio reviews
Monitor implementation of measures under budget support operations
Participate in aid coordination activities with bilateral and multilateral donors, with emphasis on promoting the co-financing of projects and programmes
Participate in the preparation of the department’s budget and in the recruitment of consultants
Prepare annual and triennial lending programmes and briefs on economic reform and institutional support programmes
Provide background research papers on a variety of economic topics for management discussions, decision meetings, corporate reporting, flagship publications, and client-facing interactions
Participate in the preparation of the pipeline and lending programmes
Develop and build client relations and play a promotional role in generating new business for the bank

Requirements

Master’s degree in Economics or a related field
Seven years, minimum, of relevant experience in an international organisation, working on African development issues and country strategy paper preparation
Private sector experience will be a plus
Good grasp of issues in developing countries and solid experience in macroeconomic management issues and the economics of development
Solid technical and quantitative skills as an applied development macroeconomist and a proven record in delivering high quality and technically sophisticated analytical work
Very good knowledge of portfolio management and demonstrated knowledge of economics and analytical skills
Proven sense of initiative, results orientation, as well as effective teamwork skills, strong integrative skills and ability to work effectively across sectors
Strong experience in policy dialogue, as well as fragility assessment knowledge and skills
Strong analytical and organisational skills and ability to deliver results on time
Problem-solving capabilities and innovation skills
Drive for results – ability to take ‘ownership’ and accountability to meet deadlines and achieve agreed-upon results
Excellent verbal and written communication skills in French or English
Competence in the use of standard Microsoft Office applications