Apply: AfDB Regional Non-Sovereign Operations Lead

Deadline: 02 June, 2021

Location: Abidjan, Ivory Coast

The African Development Bank (AfDB) is seeking to fill the role of Regional Non-Sovereign Operations (NSO) Lead.

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

Responsibilities

  • In consultation with the director general and country managers, while conferring with the NSDs and NSMs, ensure PS and NSO dimensions are adequately captured in the Country Strategy Papers (CSPs) as well as the Regional Integration Strategy Paper (RISP) for the respective countries and region, as well as lead in the development and design of the Country Private Sector Profiles (CPSPs)
  • Collaborate with the AIF team and in coordination with DGs and CMs in identifying a pipeline of projects to be presented at the African Investment Forum
  • Lead, after consultation with the director generals and NSDs in finalising the NSO IOP for the region
  • Advise DGs and CMs on the management of headroom for NSOs in each region and country, and devise approaches for risk transfer and mitigation working with appropriate departments
  • In close collaboration with DGs, CMs and NSDs, and working with the governance department of ECVP and the country economist, actively support policy dialogue at country and regional level with respect to PS and NSO
  • Advise DGs and CMs on policy dialogue with the authorities and with RECs on policy issues affecting private sector development and investment climate
  • Develop and design country and region-specific PS and NSO information notes and briefs to inform plans for integrated investment and TA operations, including sector priorities and business targets
  • Support the implementation of the Private Sector Development Strategy (PSDS), Financial Sector Development Strategy (FSDS), as well as PS aspect of the Strategy for Economic Governance in Africa (SEGA) in the region and the countries
  • Support PS upstream work as well as TA activities at country and regional level
  • Lead PS and NSO business development activities at country and regional level for single-country or domestic clients (and African regional clients based in their regions of coverage), and strategically support NSO portfolio management
  • Work closely with NSMs by supporting origination activities on the ground, especially with respect to identifying clients and business opportunities, validation, integrity due diligence of clients, local pipeline development, and support for proactive portfolio management through client relationship management in line with the bank’s institutional priorities
  • Develop and manage relationships with stakeholders, including key clients (governments and private companies) at the highest level of seniority and position the bank as the partner of choice to support high development impact projects at country and regional level, including transformative integrated industrialisation projects
  • Build relationships with key stakeholders (including relevant regulators, businesses, NGOs)
  • Identify areas where the bank can catalyse market development through innovation based on a thorough understanding of local markets and best practices from the bank’s regional experience
  • Lead/coordinate the development of client engagement strategies for selecting new strategic clients
  • Build and develop the bank’s private sector franchise in the country and region, and the overall communications strategy, engaging with local media
  • Represent and provide visibility for the bank’s private sector activities at country and regional level including through organising/participating in high profile events (senior level visits, interviews, seminars, PPP roundtables, sector working groups, and conferences)
  • Develop market knowledge and intelligence in order to ensure the bank is engaging with the right clients
  • Share accountability (with NSMs and portfolio managers) for the quality and performance of the country PS/NSO portfolio in their region
  • Provide administrative oversight for all IOs in the region
  • Lead, develop and mentor an integrated and diverse team consisting of NSO IOs and POs, ensuring the team is high performing, well-motivated, has clear deliverables and is committed to the success of the bank’s NSO activities in the region

Requirements

  • Master’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Economics, International Development, or a related field
  • Eight years, minimum, of relevant professional experience in strategy, advisory, finance, investment banking, project and corporate finance, private equity and management consulting
  • Familiarity with strategies, policies, procedures and practices of multilateral development institutions
  • Strong client relationship management skills, with an existing network of relevant top-level contacts in the region’s private and public sector and/or demonstrated ability to build such high-level client network
  • Outstanding and proven track record of performance in investment and technical assistance activities
  • Significant experience with proven success in developing and managing key client relationships
  • Experience in Africa and ability to represent the bank externally with government, media, clients, donors, and other stakeholders
  • Ability to build successful relationships across the OneBank matrix
  • Ability to develop innovative solutions and challenge the status quo to develop the bank’s private sector image and business in the region and its markets
  • Highly developed strategic thinking skills allied to an ability to translate strategic concepts and direction into the implementation of workable and sustainable projects and programmes while consulting relevant stakeholders
  • Ability to pull together all aspects of project origination and drive the process to deliver the lending programme
  • Excellent spoken and written English or French
  • Competence in the use of standard Microsoft Office applications
  • Knowledge of SAP will be a plus

To apply and for more information, click here.

Photo source: AfDB

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