Chief Regional Funds Coordinator 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: Chief Regional Funds Coordinator

Position Number: 50067659
Location: Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire
Position Grade: PL3

The Complex

• Within the Regional Development, Integration, and Business Delivery Complex, the Bank has five (5) Regional Development and Business Delivery Offices, one in each region of Africa: North, South, East, West, and Central. The Regional Development and Business Delivery Offices are headed by Director Generals. The Complex also includes a dedicated directorate for Nigeria, a department for Transition States, and a Regional Integration Coordination Office.
• One of the key mandates of the Complex is the implementation of the Regional Integration Strategic Framework. The Regional Integration Strategic Framework is the Bank’s overarching strategy to support the operationalization of Integrate Africa, Agenda 2063, and the African Continental Free Trade Area. It aims to accelerate the free flow of goods, services, people, and capital across Africa. The Regional Integration Strategic Framework is underpinned by large-scale investments in regional infrastructure, especially energy, transport, water, and information and communications technology.

The Hiring Department

• As the custodian of Integrate Africa, the Regional Integration Coordination Office helps ensure strategic, programmatic, and operational coherence, as well as the efficient and transparent allocation of resources for regional operations and regional public goods.
• In close collaboration with the Joint Secretariat Support Office, the department supports high-level policy dialogue with the African Union Commission, the Regional Economic Communities, the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area, and related intergovernmental organizations to streamline cooperation mechanisms, drive investments, and promote reforms that accelerate the implementation of Agenda 2063, Integrate Africa, and the Africa Continental Free Trade Area.
• Internally, the department helps mainstream regional integration into Bank strategies and operations. It monitors the performance of the regional integration portfolio, generates lessons-learned through periodic reviews, and provides strategic, policy, and operational insights to senior management to improve performance.  
• The department also pioneers the design, publication, and maintenance of flagship analytical products and advocacy tools such as the Africa Visa Openness Index and the Africa Regional Integration Index.

The Position

• The position of Chief Regional Funds Coordinator reports to the Director of the Regional Integration Coordination Office. The position is key to the attainment of the Bank’s Integrate Africa agenda.
• The incumbent provides specialized advisory support in managing the regional envelope, a multibillion-dollar allocation from the African Development Fund for financing regional operations and regional public goods in low-income countries. This includes responsibilities in co-financing and portfolio management. He/She also manages the day-to-day activities of the regional operations’ secretariat and works closely with sector departments (transport, energy, water, and agriculture), the regional integration coordinators, and regional program officers, to continuously generate a robust, multi-year pipeline of transformative regional operations and regional public goods.
• The Chief Regional Funds Coordinator also provides thought leadership in resource mobilization, particularly co-financing and parallel financing related to regional integration. He/She will be expected to develop specialized analytical products that are operationally relevant and enhance the Bank's role as a knowledge broker in financing regional operations.

Key Functions
Under the general guidance and supervision of the Director, Regional Integration, the Chief Regional Funds Coordinator will perform the following duties and responsibilities:

• Provide policy, technical, and operational advice to the Director on all matters pertaining to resources mobilization and portfolio issues for Integrate Africa. 
• Manage the day-to-day operations of the regional operations’ secretariat, including overseeing the call for proposals of the regional envelope and related prioritization exercises, in accordance with prevailing rules and guidelines.
• Monitor and regularly reports on the performance of the Bank’s regional integration portfolio.
• Provide high-level technical inputs for the mid-term reviews and replenishment exercises of the African Development Fund.
• Work proactively with sector departments (particularly transport, energy, agriculture, and water) and regional offices to generate a robust, multi-year pipeline of transformative regional operations and regional public goods.
• Provide technical and operational support in the design, financing, and implementation of flagship regional operations and regional public goods.
• Initiate, build, nurture, and strengthen existing partnerships and coalitions outside of the Bank, especially with potential co-financiers such as development partners and finance institutions, bilateral agencies, philanthropies, and institutional investors.
• Promote innovative financial models for regional infrastructure finance through increased blending of public and private capital, concessional and non-concessional financing instruments, including guarantee products.
• Represents the Bank in regional and global forums and performs high-level engagement and dialogue with senior government officials to support the Bank’s resource mobilization efforts.

Competencies (Skills, Experience and Knowledge)

• A minimum of a master’s degree in Economics, International Relations/Trade, Law, Finance, Social or any other related international development fields.
• A minimum of 7 years’ relevant experience at increasingly technical levels. Experience in regional integration, regional policy dialogue, infrastructure finance, and project management is highly desired.
• Demonstrated teamwork and communications skills and ability to manage diverse teams.
• Solid understanding of the architecture of global development finance, especially concessional finance, and related instruments and products.
• Strong capacity to analyse actions from the perspectives of stakeholders, including regional member countries, regional economic communities, development partners, and private sector, and to translate strategic thinking into compelling action plans
• Demonstrated ability to take prudent business risks and make effective, timely and well-determined decisions.
• Competence in the use of Bank standard software applications (SAP, Microsoft Office, Collaboration Suites).
• Ability to communicate effectively (written and oral) in English or French, preferably with a working knowledge of the other language.

Application Closing Date
2nd August, 2024.

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