Principal Financial Inclusion Specialist at the African Development Bank Group (AfDB)

African Development Bank Group (AfDB) - Established in 1964, the African Development Bank is the premier pan-African development institution, promoting economic growth and social progress across the continent. There are 80 member states, including 54 in Africa (Regional Member Countries). The Bank’s development agenda is delivering the financial and technical support for transformative projects that will significantly reduce poverty through inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Principal Financial Inclusion Specialist

Reference: ADB/17/097
Location: Côte d’Ivoire
Grade: PL4
Position N°: 50093742

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 primary role of the Financial Sector Development Department is to help the Regional Member Countries increase the reach, depth, and breadth of their financial systems, while safeguarding financial stability. The Department has four long-term objectives: (i) development of a vibrant private sector through an inclusive access by households and enterprises to financial services; (ii) strengthening markets participants; (iii) developing efficient capital markets, and (iv) deepening regional financial integration.
• Paired with other Industrialization, infrastructure and Private Sector complex departments, the Financial Sector Development Department is responsible for implementing the Bank Group’s Financial Sector Development Policy and Strategy 2014-2019 towards vibrant, innovative, robust and competitive financial systems, both national and regional, and in both the public and private sector levels of Regional Member Countries.
• Financial Sector Development Department plays a transversal role across the Bank’s five strategic priorities, applying its financial deepening and access tool kit to the High 5s agenda. Fundamentally, the scalability and policy momentum inherent in the High 5s agenda create an important opportunity for expanded relevance of the Financial Sector Development Department core skill-set: flexible financing instruments and delivery frameworks for financial inclusion, smart resource mobilization and capital markets development. Financial Sector Development Department leverages partnerships to bring about greater developmental impact in financial sector development.
• The Financial Inclusion and Intermediation Division focuses on promoting innovative financial and non-financial products and services that are responsive to the needs of Bank’s clients in a bid to boost and increase access to finance and financial services by private enterprises including African Small Medium Enterprises, as well as other underserved sectors and populations.
• The Division’s work thus focuses on financial intermediation and related operations to enhance capacity of Financial Institutions to support Bank priority areas including infrastructure, agribusiness, women businesses, Small Medium Enterprises, etc. in line with the Bank’s Ten Year Strategy and the High 5s Priorities of the African Development Bank (Light up and power Africa, Feed Africa, Industrialize Africa, Integrate Africa, and Improve the quality of life for the people of Africa) in order to accelerate Africa’s economic transformation and Financial inclusion activities that facilitate access to finance and financial services by  all sectors of the African populations. The division also hosts and implement various broader Bank High 5s initiatives, such as Boost Africa.

The Position

• The Financial Inclusion Expert will coordinate the Bank’s support to promote inclusive finance policies and support country and regional programs and projects, to facilitate affordable access to financial services for Medium and Small Enterprises and the unbanked and underserved populations, leveraging innovative and technology-led solutions to achieve the ultimate goals of near universal access in Regional Member Countries.

The purpose of the job is as follows:

• Coordinate and develop the work on aspects of access and financial inclusion and align them with five high priorities of the Bank (High 5s).
• Provide technical leadership and coordinate expert inputs for the following areas:  i) Financial Inclusion Regulation and Supervision: covering digital financial services, microfinance, and Small Medium Enterprises finance, as a minimum.  ii) Medium Small Medium Enterprises Finance Policies and Interventions: including risk-sharing arrangements, supply chain finance, agricultural finance, and role of development finance institutions.  iii) Financial Inclusion Strategies: design, coordination, and implementation.

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

• Advise the Division's work on aspects of access and financial inclusion and aligns them with institutional objectives and support the Bank's access and financial inclusion products;
• Coordinate the financial inclusion officers team in providing technical support for mainstreaming financial access and inclusion aspects, within the five high priorities of the Bank, at the strategic level with support to the operational level;
• Leads project teams in the preparation, appraisal and implementation of financial sector projects and initiatives for the purposes of Medium Small Medium Enterprises access to finance and financial inclusion;
• Contributes to the team work on supporting Regional Member Countries to implement supportive policy reforms to broadening access to financial services, in particular for Medium Small Medium Enterprises and entrepreneurs (including women and youth) – develop legal and institutional frameworks to develop micro finance, credit bureaus, consumer protection;
• Contributes to the policy dialogue on financial sector issues in Regional Member Countries, at both policy and technical level;
• Provide assistance to other financial sector officers in designing specific innovative transactions, projects and initiatives that will contribute to improved access to finance by Small Medium Enterprises including requisite performance monitoring and reporting frameworks
• Providing support to Financial sector and other departments in the designing of support to establish/enhance their Small Medium Enterprises risk management capacity e.g. through credit scoring models as well as support to credit reference bureaus; Medium Small Medium Enterprises Marketing, Distribution Channels
• Support management to review the project proposal and provide technical guidance to improve quality at entry;
• Participates in the development of a capacity building program of African Private and Public Institutions, to create an efficient platform for the provision of access and financial inclusion solutions to underserved populations in Africa;
• Contributes in the Building of partnerships within and outside the Bank for the promotion of access and financial inclusion (exchange of information on projects, policies, operational experience, identification of co-financing opportunities, organization of joint promotional activities, etc.);
• Participates in knowledge sharing and learning activities on access and financial inclusion, and contribute to dissemination activities, conferences, workshops and learning programs;
• Provides support to other duties as assigned by the Division Manager.

Selection Criteria
Including desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

• Hold at least a Master's or its equivalent in Development Economics, or any other discipline that is relevant to the operations of the Bank.
• Have a minimum of six (6) years of relevant professional experience in financial systems development.
• Strong knowledge of socio-economic development issues and policies of African countries.
• Having private sector experience will be an added advantage.
• Engagement with microfinance ecosystem, with entrepreneurship and MSMES financing vehicles.
• Good knowledge of financial infrastructure, financing payment systems, in particular for mobile banking, including payments by the government (G2P).
• Proven track record in the structuring of a range of Bank products, such as loans, guarantee products and technical assistance, policy based operations.
• Experience working in developing/emerging market economies, especially Africa.
• Innovation and creativity: The commitment to search for and produce innovative and creative approaches to activities in order to enhance performance and create added benefits to the Bank and its clients.
• 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.
• Problem solving:  Applies business knowledge to the resolution of problems and identifies solutions to the benefit of the client (internal and external) and the organization.
• 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.
• Team working and relations: Works with others to maximize the effectiveness of the team as a whole, sharing the knowledge and workload. Develops strong working relationships with colleagues and contributes to creation of a positive team environment.
• Operational project management: Demonstrates broad knowledge of project management tools and methodologies; identifies risks and mitigations measures; interprets background analysis and proposed solutions.
• Financial regulation: Demonstrates in depth knowledge of public policy, regulation, supervision and enforcement related to financial system stability, integrity and development; delivers strategic advice and technical assistance to policy makers.
• Sector representation: Demonstrates ability to coordinate, participate in, and act as a catalyst for, strategic cross-sector dialogues within the networks, across the country, among Bank colleagues and other development institutions, governments and other organizations.
• Financial economic policy: Demonstrated broad knowledge of economic policy development; demonstrates strong analytical skills and writing ability to help identify and asses policy issues in support of policy dialogue.
• Knowledge and experience in development: translates technical and cross-country knowledge into practical applications and contributions to country and sector strategies; interacts with clients and policy level.
• Capacity to conduct independent research and analyses, identify problems, propose solutions, and make recommendations to Management.
• Capacity to prepare reports and documents. Capacity to present and defend the consistency of proposed programs and projects. Capacity to work within specified time limits.
• Ability to communicate effectively (written and oral) in English or French, preferably with a working knowledge of the other.
• Competence in the use of Bank standard software (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint).

Application Closing Date
7th July, 2017.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online