Principal Transport Engineer (PICU) at the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) Full Time

Job Title: Principal Transport Engineer (PICU)

Position Number: 50065415, 50054575
Location: Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire / Abuja, Nigeria
Position Grade: PL4

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:
  • Strengthen the enabling environment for private sector [and financial sector] development conducive to inclusive growth and sustainable development,
  • Support the development of reliable and sustainable infrastructure, including cities and urban development, and
  • 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 Infrastructure and Urban Development Department (PICU) provides assistance to the Bank Regional Member Countries (RMCs) in the form of loans and grants to finance transport projects and programs; and non-lending knowledge products to formulate and implement transport sector policies and strategies, sector reforms to ensure best practices are mainstreamed in policy, planning, programming, institutional governance, and maintenance and operation.
• The Infrastructure and Urban Development is to foster advancement of infrastructure and cities in Africa by detailed development of appropriate interventions which the Bank might finance on a regional, national or a continent-wide basis.

The Position
The Principal Transport Engineer will support the implementation of the Bank Group’s vision for transport infrastructure and related services, and its future prospective areas of intervention in the sector. The main work objectives of the position are the following:

• Contributing to the development of transport infrastructure and the sector as a whole, including strengthening and maintaining the Bank Group’s understanding of the sector’s role in national development;
• Contribute to Preparing, supervising and implementing transport sector projects;
• Actively participating in the donor coordination and dialogue through Country Transport Sector Working Group of development partners active in the transport sector;
• Mobilizing resources, particularly through co-financing and other opportunities, for targeted activities in the Bank Group’s work in the transport sector;
• Working with the relevant national authorities and other stakeholders to advise on future investments in the transport sector by the Bank Group; and,
• Working with other transport sector specialists in the region as well as the economists in the regional office to contribute to efforts in knowledge management so as to ensure best practices and lessons learned related to transport development, and institutional/governance approaches are mainstreamed in project design.

Key Functions
Under the supervision of the Regional Sector Manager and general guidance of the Sector Director, the incumbent will be required to:

• Support the development of policies and strategies for the transport sector within the Bank and in RMCs in consultation with relevant government agencies, development partners, and other stakeholders.
• Advise Governments on issues pertaining to policy and institutional reforms in the transport sector, especially in the areas of Planning and Programming, transport network development, asset management/maintenance, and Private Sector Participation.
• Participate and contribute to country and regional programming activities (CSP and RISP) and ensure that key sector issues and proposed solutions are adequately reflected in the resultant country/regional programming documents.
• Conduct analytical and sector work to inform and underpin the downstream intervention of the Bank in project and program design in the transport sector.

Contribute to the development of a pipeline and lending program for transport projects and programs:

• Provide technical advice with particular regard to transport sector projects (roads/highways, ports, airports, inland waterways and railways), as well as other infrastructure projects;
• Identify suitable projects for inclusion in the Bank Group lending program in the transport sector and be responsible for the formulation of the project concept note identifying key development issues, project/program objectives, risks assessments, budget and timetables for management decisions;
• Advise member countries on the preparation, organization and execution of feasibility studies and assist in drafting Terms of Reference; review the progress reports of studies; select the components to comprise the eventual project; review and supervise the work of consultants engaged by the Borrowers to the assigned projects/studies;
• Lead or Contribute to the preparation and appraisal of transport projects and programs involving broad planning of resources and techno-judgment of alternative ways of shaping projects towards optimal contribution to development objectives; prepare and process the appraisal report involving detailed assessments of technical aspects, economic and financial feasibility, environmental and social safeguards, fiduciary issues, institutional arrangements, etc.

Lead or Contribute to monitoring implementation progress of on-going transport projects, programs and technical assistance funded by the Bank:

• Supervise projects; play a key role in following up the progress of projects; supervise and monitor procurement activities for goods, works and services in accordance with Bank Group’s rules; review the submissions from the Borrowers, including tender lists, bidding documents, bid evaluation reports, award recommendation and contracts documents; study and analyze data submitted by Borrower; verify and approve contracts for disbursement of funds;
• Lead or participate in project midterm review missions, sector portfolio review missions and country portfolio review missions and prepare the related reports;
• Lead project completion report mission and collect adequate data for the preparation of the Bank Group’s project completion-report; advise the Bank Group on lessons derived from the project which will guide future intervention in the sector and in the relevant countries; and
• Manage fiduciary responsibilities including procurement and ensuring compliance with the Bank guidelines and the provisions of loan/grant agreements.

Lead or Participate in sector dialogue and donor coordination activities:

• Advise regional member countries on Bank Group’s financing requirements; act as a key person to liaise with government officials and spokesman of the Bank Group in the transport sector; negotiate sensitive and delicate policy and sector reforms issues with borrowers and other parties
• Coordinate with other development partners and RMCs for consistency of approach, exchange of experiences, and continuous improvement of practices and integration of transport sector policy commitments to the management of projects.
• Collaborate with other development partners in the transport sector for consistency and harmonization of approach, exchange of experience, partnership and co-financing where appropriate.

Contribute to the dissemination of best practices in Transport integrating a broad spectrum of issues:

• Develop and maintain a knowledge base in the transport sector, keeping abreast of the latest developments and issues related to policy and planning, institutional development, design and construction, financing, operation and maintenance, and regulation;
• Provide support to heads of executing agencies, in terms of advice and expertise concerning different transport sector issues and priorities, technical aspects of projects and Bank rules of procedure, particularly relating to procurement of goods and services and disbursement; and,
• Contribute to activities for advocacy, dissemination and knowledge building around transport sector issues.

Competencies (Skills, Experience and Knowledge)

• Hold at least a Master’s degree in Civil or Transportation Engineering or related fields.
• A minimum of six (6) years’ experience in the transport sector with proven ability to work on policy, institutional and financing aspects of transport projects, road and other transport infrastructure construction and maintenance, contract management and procurement, planning and programming of capital and maintenance works, knowledge of private sector participation, and the connection to economic development and poverty reduction.
• Be able to apply advanced technical knowledge, skills and expertise in the transport sector to advise and support Project/Country teams and transport sector stakeholders in policy and institutional development and implementation.
• Full understanding of the principles of the project cycle with good experience in result-based project management.
• Be able to apply technical skills in a team leadership role to resolve and manage complex issues in relation to transport project/program design and implementation from a broad developmental goal of poverty reduction.
• Thorough knowledge of roads and highways development, Institutions and regulations.
• Competence in decision-making, team working and self-motivation.
• Policy dialogue skills – Ability to identify and assess critical policy issues and actively dialogue with governments and/or other stakeholders to develop solutions.
• Excellent spoken and written French; a working knowledge of English will be advantageous.
• Competence in the use of Bank standard software (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint); Knowledge of SAP.

Application Closing Date
3rd December, 2021.

Note: This position is classified international recruitment and attracts international terms and conditions of employment.