Apply: AfDB Chief Investment Officer

By Development Diaries
April 20, 2020

Deadline: 08 May, 2020

Location: To be specified

The African Development Bank (AfDB) is recruiting a Chief Investment Officer who will originate, develop, and lead due diligence up to board approval, lead financial closure and the first disbursement of private sector transactions in the industries and services sectors.

Applicants will be considered based on their specific skills, expertise and background. Depending on the profile of candidates, the position could be based in Abidjan, Tunis, Nairobi or Pretoria.

Responsibilities

Liaise and coordinate with other Investment Officers and AfDB staff in business development and the origination of a good quality investment pipeline
Proactively identify potential investment partners and opportunities based on industry experience, reputation, market potential, financial capability, and strategic fit
Assess the attractiveness of specific investment opportunities with a strong focus on credit quality and development impact and make recommendations management
Prepare project appraisal reports for presentation to the department, review committees, senior management and finally to the board of directors
Execute loan (equity and mezzanine) financings including processing mandates, conducting due diligence, structuring deals, negotiating terms and documentation, arranging syndications, and processing internal approvals
Develop investment promotion strategies in Africa, including targeting potential investors and promoting AfDB’s products and services proactively
Work with the legal department to ensure that all deals have appropriate legal documentation and that financial closure is achieved, and hand over projects to portfolio management staff
Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, banking and multilateral partners and government officials to develop a strong pipeline for new investment opportunities
Design specific innovative transactions, projects and initiatives
Undertakes the work on aspects of investments and industrial development and aligns them with institutional objectives
Evaluate, structure, negotiate and close new transactions, with a strong focus on credit and asset quality (include processing mandates, due diligence, negotiating term sheets and other documentation, syndications and board approval)
Provide support to other industry and portfolio teams in processing and supervising projects
External liaison and knowledge sharing
Provide input and comments on project, policy and other papers related to respective sector operations and development across a range of key themes and sectors

Requirements

Minimum of a master’s degree in Business Administration, Finance or other relevant field
Seven years professional experience, minimum, in project finance, banking, consultancy, with specific experience in Africa
Proven capacity in business development, structuring and negotiation of deals
Strong analytical and financial structuring skills (including financial modelling experience) and sound business judgment
Working experience in multinational organisation in Africa and/or specialised experience in similar organisations (desirable)
Demonstrates ability to coordinate, participate in, and act as a catalyst for, strategic cross-sector dialogues within the networks, across the country, among AfDB colleagues and other development institutions, governments and other organisations
Knowledge of economic developments and market trends in Africa
Ability to contribute to sound decisions and contribute to the execution of the decisions
Ability to initiate, effectively and independently interact with the senior government officials, senior management of potential clients
Strong commitment to searching for and producing innovative and creative approaches to activities in order to enhance performance and create added benefits to the AfDB and its clients
Excellent problem-solving capabilities, including the application of business knowledge to the resolution of problems as well as the identification of solutions to the benefit of the client (internal and external)
Excellent organisational, administrative and time management skills
Proven ability to work with limited supervision and efficiently to deliver under pressure and meet tight deadlines
Willingness to travel extensively and geographic flexibility
Excellent presentation skills
Ability to communicate orally and in writing effectively in French or English, with a good working knowledge of the other language
Competence in the use of standard Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint)