Director, African Natural Resources Center at the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) Full Time

Job Title: Director, African Natural Resources Center

Position Number: 50092397
Location: Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire
Position Grade: EL5

The Complex

• The core mandate of the Vice Presidency (ECVP) is to lead the Bank Group on prioritizing the generation, analysis, dissemination, brokering and implementation of relevant knowledge solutions in all High-5 operational priorities and the cross-cutting themes of its Ten-Year Strategy.
• Such solutions must be a clear response to priority development challenges facing regional member countries (RMCs), individually or collectively and need to involve RMCs in both the planning and implementation of the solutions.
• The solutions include:
  • (i) Research on major development issues facing Africa and their relation to global economic governance and other major global public goods;
  • (ii) Country diagnostics and future perspectives;
  • (iii) Policy dialogue and advisory services;
  • (iv) Economic, sector, and thematic knowledge work;
  • (v) Improving national and sub-regional statistical systems;
  • (vi) Preparation, design and support to implementation of public financial management and Governance operations;
  • (vii) Capacity development for policy formulation and implementation;
  • (viii) Technical assistance and advice related to RMCs’ management of natural resources; and
  • (vii) Knowledge dissemination and development of national, regional, and inter-regional knowledge networks.

The Hiring Department

• The African Natural Resources Management and Investment Centre (ECNR) is an interdisciplinary and primarily non-lending department of the African Development Bank with a mandate to assist the African countries maximize development outcomes derived from the full breadth of their natural renewable resource endowments (water, forestry, land and fishery) and non-renewable ones (oil, gas and minerals).
• To achieve this, the Center provides practical knowledge and expertise, advisory services, technical assistance and advocacy for improved and transparent management of the renewable and non-renewable natural resources of the Bank Group’s Regional Member Countries (RMCs).
• The Center is also the focal point for Bank Group’s collaboration activities with African governments, regional institutions, the private sector, civil society organizations (CSOs) and development partners in activities in the natural resources sector.
• The Center provides African countries with practical, solution-focused products, tools and services to increase their capacity to achieve inclusive and sustained growth through effective management of and investment in natural resources wealth by delivering practical solutions on policy, legislative and investment decisions in the sector. In this regard, the Center also acts as a trusted advisor in dialogue between African governments and private investors by providing strategic advice negotiators to ensure that the interests of RMCs are at the forefront of investment agreements.
• Internally within the Bank, the Center seeks to bring cohesion to the Bank’s strategies in natural resources sectors by providing a single lens through which the institution tackles natural resources governance.

The Position

• The African Development Bank Group is currently going through an exciting period of strategic and structural fine-tuning, moving towards a more collaborative, cross-cutting way of working.
• As part of that change, the ECVP Complex is leading on the repositioning of the Bank Group as an innovative and dynamic organisation that works effectively as one. An important element of this will be to strengthen its public profile and policy impact, embedding a critical understanding of economics across all aspects of the Bank Group’s work, including in its engagements with regional member countries, as well as its external engagement with decision-makers and opinion formers and other stakeholders.
• The Director of ECNR will contribute substantially to the Bank Group’s conceptualisation, design, implementation and quality assurance of all the Bank’s strategic work in the area of natural resources management and investment. Specifically, the Director of ECNR will lead the implementation of the Bank Group’s strategy and work program on natural resource management and investment following approval by the Bank Group’s Board of Directors in accordance with the Bank’s Ten-Year Strategy and its High 5 priorities, and especially the three-year business plan for capacitating regional member countries in managing renewable and non-renewable resources in order to improve development outcomes.
• The successful candidate will be part of the senior leadership in the Complex and across the Bank, play a key role in developing the public profile of the institution’s work and lead outreach to a broad range of external stakeholders while also managing a dynamic team of professionals.

Under the overall direction of the Vice President, the overall purpose of the role is:

• To help provide strategic vision, delivery and leadership on natural resource management and investment at the Bank Group, and to inform and shape its work with sound analysis and direction.
• To enhance and develop the Bank Group’s external knowledge profile, its influence and impact on the management of natural resources.
• This will be achieved through credible and persuasive communication of the institution’s strategic ambition to key audiences: RMCs, policymakers, opinion-formers, the media, as well as other stakeholders.
• To build up, lead, manage, mentor and coach a first-rate group of professionals to strengthen the capacity of the Bank Group on country and regional policy dialogue on natural resources management and investment.

Key Functions
Under the supervision and guidance of the Chief Economist/Vice President for Economics Research, Policy Dialogue and Knowledge Management, the Director will perform the following functions:

Strategy and Knowledge Leadership:

• Oversee the implementation of the Bank Group’s overall vision and strategy for assisting RMCs to better manage and harness their natural resources so as to improve the quality of life for both present and future generations
• Ensure that best expertise available in Africa and worldwide in the area of natural resource management and investment is brought to bear in the provision of customized policies for individual client countries or groups thereof.
• Advice the Bank Group’s RMCs on the design of socially desirable natural resource management and investment laws, policies, standards and related guidance (including on, but not limited to cooperation and agreements, environmental guidance, inventory standards, legislation and regulations, species and ecosystems data and information security, transfer of authority, contract negotiations and implementation, etc.)

Work Program Validation and Execution:

• Review and validate the objectives and work program for the department, ensuring alignment to the Bank, Complex and department strategic priorities.
• Monitor their execution and provide guidance as needed to the teams.
• Review and validate the budget, and its effective implementation.
• Report on the work program execution and propose alternative and corrective measures as needed.
• Actively contribute to the designing and monitoring of the department key performance indicators.

Technical Oversight on The Department Activities:

• Provide strategic guidance to the Bank through the Vice-President on Bank wide natural resources related strategies.
• Coordinate regional natural resources governance support through programs knowledge.
• Collaborate with the Director Generals to grow and meet demand for policies and projects in natural resources.
• Advise the Vice-President on the Center’s strategic and operational matters by identifying areas of support to regional member countries and regional offices.
• Support Director Generals by providing expertise, technical assistance and building knowledge dissemination of natural resources sectors at country level.
• Oversee the narrowing of knowledge and skills gaps in relevant natural resources sectors as relates to the delivery of High 5s through leadership of internal and external knowledge development initiatives.
• Lead work plans for the development of solution-oriented policy tools by ensuring the products respond effectively to natural resources development policy, legal and institutional development needs.

People Management:

• Ensure the department has the appropriate skills-mix at any time for effective delivery of the objectives defined in the work program.
• Review and validate the staffing needs and build with the Human Resources department the required recruitment plans.
• Assess work performance, appraise staff potential and determine training needs.
• Put in place, with the assistance of the Human Resources department, talent management mechanisms, to build a talent pool for the department for business continuity.
• Organize effective delegation of responsibilities by empowering staff at all levels.

Relations with Stakeholders:

• Procure adequate human and financial resources to deliver the mandate by leveraging internal resources and forging external partnerships.
• Represent the Bank at relevant platforms by articulating the Center’s value proposition and increasing the Bank’s brand visibility.
• Serves as Acting Chief Economist/Vice President for Economics Research, Policy Dialogue and Knowledge Management Complex, when required.
• Performs other duties assigned by the Vice President.

Competencies (skills, experience and knowledge)

• Hold at least a Master’s Degree in Natural Resources Management, Resource Economics, Natural Resources Policy or related disciplines. A Ph.D. degree will be a strong asset.
• Have a minimum of ten (10) years of relevant and progressive professional experience in the areas of natural resources management and policy reforms of which at least 5 years must be in managerial role. (Prior work in multilateral, bilateral or regional development agencies a plus).
• An excellent understanding of contemporary debates in renewable and non-renewable resource management policy formulation and implementation, broadly understood, both in the Africa and elsewhere, informed by both orthodox and heterodox economic theory.
• Strong familiarity with the role of other development finance institutions in facilitating prudent management of natural resource endowments in addressing poverty reduction in developing countries.
• Strong technical skills, specifically on natural resource management and investment issues as well as ability to think strategically and to design long-term plans and programs in line with strategic priorities.
• Strong strategic influencing skills and demonstrated ability to present and win support for ideas as well as a track record of application of sound and balanced judgment, even under stressful situations.
• Excellent written and oral communications skills, both orally and in writing, in French or English, with a good working knowledge of the other language.
• Competence in the use of standard Office Suite packages. Knowledge of SAP is highly desirable.

Application Closing Date
5th June, 2022.

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