Principal Strategy and Policy Officer - Macroeconomist at the African Development Bank Group (AfDB)

African Development Bank (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 Strategy and Policy Officer - Macroeconomist - SNSP1

Reference: ADB/18/086
Location: Côte d’Ivoire
Grade: PL4
Position N°: 50093732

The Complex

• The Senior Vice-Presidency complex (SNVP) is responsible for supporting the President in the day-to-day management of the Bank Group to achieve it strategic objective, and drive performance culture that will align all processes and systems to deliver high impact results.
• The SNVP will provide effective leadership and exceptional coordination to ensure implementation and monitoring of key corporate decisions as well as the identification of necessary corrective measures and actions.
• The SNVP leads senior management discussions, decisions-making process and the implementation of key board and management decisions.

The Hiring Department

• The Strategy and Operational Policy Department (SNSP) plays a key role in shaping a corporate vision and a strategic perspective for the African Development Bank as well as developing the operational policies aimed at guiding the Bank’s agenda.
• The primary roles of the department are:
  
  • To develop and help maintain (along with other units) corporate strategies and operational policies necessary for the Bank to deliver according to the spirit of its Charter and in line with the Bank’s 2013-2022 Strategy, the High 5 priorities, and other strategies;
  • To play a prominent role in keeping the Bank a strategy-focused organization in line with its policies; 
  • To support the Bank in raising its profile and engaging strategically at international fora, as well as to foster cross-fertilization and greater coordination with other MDBs ; and,
  • To lead the Bank in the development of a new culture of innovation and change, including the incubation of new financial/non-financial  products and business lines.

The Position

• The key objectives of the position of the Principal Strategy and Policy Officer – Macroeconomist will be:
• Contribute to the implementation of the Bank Group’s Credit Policy by providing technical support to creditworthiness and risk assessments. 
• Provide support to the Bank’s implementation High 5 with particular focus on Governance Cross Cutting priority.
• Contribute to SNVP efforts to ensure policy and strategic focus in decision-making across the various Departments, and the improved alignment of resources with strategic priorities, with a focus on private sector and infrastructure issues.
• Provide strategic and technical guidance on Bank’s operations and documents (i.e. Project Concept Notes (PCNs), Project Appraisal Reports (PARs), Country Strategy Papers (CSPs), and Regional Integration Strategy Papers (RISPs), among other.

Duties and Responsibilities
Under the supervision of the Director – Strategy and Operational Policies, the Principal Strategy and Policy Officer will perform the following:

• Conduct on regular basis creditworthiness assessments, risk analysis, debt sustainability to determine readiness for country graduation or to have access to African Development Bank (ADB) sovereign resources (the non-concessional window of the Bank).
• In coordination with relevant Bank’s units, implement, monitor and report on the Bank’s Group Credit Policy, Diversifying the Bank’s Products to Provide ADF-only Countries Access to ADB Sovereign Resources Policy and the Transition Framework for Changing Countries Credit Status.
• Provide, as requested, up to date research on debt trends, including international bonds issuance by RMCs, as well as public finance management policies conducive to debt sustainability and creditworthiness in targeted countries.
• Serve as a focal point and spokesperson, as requested, on issues related to debt, country graduation and more broadly public finance management, including domestic resources mobilization and debt management to internal and external constituencies and expert strategy groups.
• Monitor and report on the implementation of the Bank’s Governance Action Plan II.
• Participate as part of the core SNSP team in corporate strategy development and its subsequent monitoring, updating and refinement in line with sustainable lending and resource options.
• Conduct or facilitate policy analysis to ensure coherence of advice to country programmes (CSPs), project design and implementation support.
• Lead in the preparation of specific analytical products that are conducive to a better understanding of the policy agenda that underpins African Development Bank projects.
• Support operational sector departments in developing, and consolidating sector-specific strategies and policies in line with the Bank’s Ten-Year Strategy (2013-2022) and the High 5s priorities.
• Contribute (in conjunction with the SNSP core team) to the preparation of the Annual Strategy Review, for Senior Management, including preparation of the mid-term review and periodical and special updates and reports. Contribute to the preparation of Board documents on selected process enhancement recommendations.
• Support the SNSP team to assist Senior Management to formulate the strategic policy objectives, ensure alignment with the strategic planning orientation and the Bank Strategy 2013-2022.
• As part of the core SNSP team, ensure that all new policy proposals and strategic initiatives are aligned with the Bank’s planning directions and strategy, including the High 5s and the TYS 2013-2022.
• Provide support to the office of the President as required, in particular on recent policy developments, and on the Bank’s response to emerging international issues.
• Represent the department as requested at key policy decisions, institutional reforms and initiatives.
• Participate (on behalf of the SNSP Department) to the preparation of selected Bank’s country and regional strategies and mid-term reviews.
• Represent the SNSP department as requested at selected key strategy meetings and on important missions. Serve as a focal point and spokesperson, as requested, on strategy issues to internal and external constituencies and expert strategy groups.
• Work closely with the Director and the Division Manager as a member of the departmental management team; represent the Director and Department at internal and external fora.

Selection Criteria
Including desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

• Hold a Master's degree or PhD in Economics, Macroeconomics or Development Economics, Finance or related development fields and a broad knowledge of development issues.
• Have a minimum of six (6) years of relevant experience, specifically hands-on experience in development of strategic documents and policy guidelines. Proven combination of hands-on operational experience with solid analytical skills.
• Proven eexperience on public finance management issues, in particular debt and domestic resource mobilization related issues. Having experience in conducting creditworthiness assessments and sovereign risk analysis is required. Knowledge or familiarity with debt sustainability analysis (DSA) will be an added advantage.
• Good understanding of development economics and specificities of RMCs.
• Experience with international organizations is an asset.
• Ability to think laterally and independently.
• High level skills in communication and negotiation as well as ability to build partnerships with a broad range of clients and deliver results that meet the needs and long-term interest of clients within and outside the Bank.
• Ability to work collaboratively with several teams of multi-cultural backgrounds, both internally and externally to the Bank.
• Ability to manage multiple and simultaneous and shifting demands, priorities and tight deadlines.
• Innovation and creativity.
• Communication.
• Client orientation.
• Problem solving.
• Team working and relationships.
• Operational effectiveness.
• Ability to communicate effectively (written and oral) in English or French, preferably with a working knowledge of the other.
• Competence in the use of standard MS office applications (Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint) and preferably SAP.

Application Closing Date
13th June, 2018.

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