Division Manager, Rural Infrastructure Development, AHFR2 at the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) Full Time

Job Title: Division Manager, Rural Infrastructure Development, AHFR2

Position Number: 50092412
Location: Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire
Position Grade: PL2

The Complex

• The Vice Presidency for ‘Agriculture, Human, and Social Development’ is a Sector Complex focusing on the Bank’s Ten Year Strategy High 5s priorities of “Feed Africa” and “Improve Quality of Life for the People of Africa”.
• The complex objectives are (i) to develop, policy and strategy; (ii) provide deep sector expertise to the Regions by gathering pools of experienced individuals who can be consulted to provide sector expertise on complex transactions; (iii) develop new financing instruments; (iv) the Vice President will act as the spokesperson to represent the Bank with external stakeholders on aspects of “Feed Africa” and Improve Quality of Life for the People of Africa”.

The Hiring Department

• The Agriculture Finance and Rural Development Department works closely with the Agriculture and Agro-Industry Department and the Regional Directorates to provide support for the delivery of Feed Africa: Strategy for Agricultural Transformation in Africa, 2016-2025. Of the “7 Enablers”,
• Increase productivity by catalyzing the development of effective input distribution systems and reduction in post-harvest waste and loss;
• Realize the value of increased production by facilitating increased investment into output markets and supporting market incentives for value addition;
• Increase investment into enabling infrastructure, both hard and soft infrastructure;
• Create an enabling agribusiness environment with appropriate policies and regulation;
• Catalyze capital flows  (especially commercial lending and private investment) to scale agribusinesses;
• Ensure inclusivity, sustainability and effective nutrition beyond what the market may deliver otherwise; and
• Coordinate activities to kick start transformation, align activities and investments of different actors, and guide initial activities to the point where private sector actors can be crowded in, the Agriculture Finance and Rural Development Department focuses on delivery of the following Enablers:
  • Increasing investment into enabling infrastructure, both hard and soft infrastructure;
  • Catalyzing capital flows (especially commercial lending and private investment) to scale agribusinesses;
  • Coordinating activities to kick start transformation, align activities and investments of different actors, and guide initial activities to the point where private sector actors can be crowded in.
• The core mandate of Agriculture Finance and Rural Development Department is to develop the strategy of the Bank related to agricultural and rural finance and rural development, represent the Bank with external stakeholders, provide sector expertise to the regions by gathering experts who can be consulted by operations and closing the financing gap for private sector-led development of agricultural value chains.
• The Department is to mobilize and deploy the required expertise; and, provide support the design and implementation of agricultural finance and rural development operations for key commodity value chains.  The Department is structured into two Divisions:
  • Agriculture and Rural Finance Division; and
  • Rural Infrastructure Development Division.
• The Rural Infrastructure Development Division will be responsible for hard and soft infrastructure, primarily developing and executing Agropoles, promote mechanisation and Information Communication Technologies governance platforms that promote private sector investments for value chain development. The Division  has the following deliverables:
• Agropole Development and Execution
• High-quality and Innovative Instruments e.g. information and communication technologies governance platforms Integrated into Projects
• Practical Implementation Arrangements with Key Implementing Partners
• Knowledge Management of Rural Infrastructure Best Practices
• Enabling Environment and Alliances with Key Stakeholders
• Monitoring of Performance and Recommendations for Corrective Actions

The Position
The manager, Rural Infrastructure Development Division, reports to Director, Agricultural Finance and Rural Development Department. The job of the Manager Rural Infrastructure Development Division is:

• Designing and implementing of quality hard and soft rural infrastructure, in particular, for the special agro-industrial processing zones (SAPZs), critical for the agricultural transformation in Africa;
• Supporting Regional Directorates/Business Development Units with innovative business models, specifically public private partnership, private sector-led management and operation to implement the special agro-industrial processing zones (SAPZs);
• Partnering with financial institutions and commercial banks to find solutions for financing tenant companies in the special agro-industrial processing zones (SAPZs) along the key priority agricultural value chains;
• Developing knowledge and share lessons of special agro-industrial processing zones (SAPZs) that have successfully provided value chain related employment opportunities to women and youth;
• Carrying out policy dialogue for a business enabling environment for special agro-industrial processing zones (SAPZs), which includes the legal, regulatory and institutional framework;
• Mobilizing resources for special agro-industrial processing zones from other Development Partners, Development Financial institutions and Non-Traditional sources including climate financing, sovereign wealth funds and pension funds;
• Providing implementation support and supervise the special agro-industrial processing zones (SAPZs) to ensure effective contribution to the goals of the Feed Africa Strategy, impact poverty, enhance competitiveness and transform agriculture.

Key Functions
The manager, Rural Infrastructure Development Division, under the oversight of the Director, Agricultural Finance & Rural Development Department, is responsible for the following:

Technical oversight and strategic vision:

• Innovation and Technical Advice in Design and Implementation of Public and Private Partnerships (PPP) financed Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZs)
• Developing innovative rural infrastructure approaches with specific focus on developing SAPZs through Public and variants of PPPs;
• Guiding teams in development of functional and technical specifications, project designs and feasibility studies for commercially viable SAPZs;
• Capacity building of regional and country staff and implementing partners to apply and adapt private sector led infrastructure models for Bank designs, tailored to the local conditions, environment and country priorities;
• Providing deep sector expertise for design, implementation, and supervision of projects by gathering experts for projects and work with a network of consultants, transaction advisors, service providers, implementing partners and private sector developers.

Knowledge Sharing on Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones:

• Developing a learning ladder, including models from other geographic regions, Asia, Latin America, and the African Continent to share knowledge on SAPZs;
• Monitoring implementation around a set of impact indicators around development impact and job creation for women and youth and share best practices, and share lessons learnt;
• Developing guidelines, toolkits and other knowledge products based on best practice emanating from empirical evidence during project implementation.

Policy and Partnerships with Public and Private Stakeholders

• Carrying out stakeholder engagement and increased private sector participation in special agro-industrial processing zones (SAPZs) and associated rural infrastructure;
• Developing and carry out an alliance strategy with financial institutions at the country level to support small medium size enterprises;
• Convening of African and global leaders to generate support for and commitment for the special agro-industrial processing zones (SAPZs).

Teamwork:

• Managing a team of professional level and support staff in providing efficient and high quality services that support the business. Set realistic performance goals and motivate team members to meet them, both for individual staff and for the team as whole;
• Managing team’s staffing and resources competently and responsibly to achieve the Division’s objectives;
• Assessing the training needs of staff in the Division, monitor and evaluate their performance, and recommend personnel actions to the Director;
• Being a collaborative member of the department Management Team, contribute and share expertise and input and foster a collegial environment;
• Building strong relationship management and understand the business needs to assist in developing practical and effective solutions.

Leadership:

• Managing the efficient use of the financial and human resources of the Division, including the career development of staff.  On the technical front the work requires analytical and strategic skills, as well as personal knowledge and practical experience in the main areas of Bank intervention;
• Ensuring that the division produces a high-quality output within available resources, by making the best use of its human, financial and technological assets, and by monitoring and enforcing efficiency targets;
• Supervising complex project identification, preparation and appraisal for Bank Group financing and verify quality of the projects.

Staff engagement:

• Leading People: Serve as a role model, leading by example, builds alignment and commitment. Is courageous in challenging others to move the Bank forward;
• Promoting collaboration and facilitate teamwork across teams and across organizational units;
• Maintaining a high standard of professional integrity, treat individuals fairly and respectively and be sensitive to differences across culture, nationalities and gender.

Corporate communication:

• Ensuring effective communication between the Management and staff of the Bank, the authorities of member countries, officials from other organizations;
• Monitoring best practice in the industry and, as appropriate, liaise with counterparts in other organizations.
• Performs other duties assigned by the Director, Agricultural Finance and Rural Development.

Job Requirements
Competencies (skills, experience and knowledge):

• Hold at least a Master’s Degree in Agriculture, Agriculture Economics, Finance, Engineering, or closely related disciplines;
• Have a minimum of eight (8) years of relevant professional experience in the area of rural infrastructure development with seven (7) years working with a private sector company working on infrastructure projects or an international multilateral institution working on Public Private Partnerships and three (3) years of which should be at a managerial level;
• Sound experience with International Development Financing Institutions in developing countries including a satisfactory knowledge of their operational policies and procedures;
• Proven leadership in matters relating to rural development such as policy dialogue, technical review of reports and consultation with other financiers, among others;
• Knowledge of Africa and the rural development needs, opportunities, development challenges and possible solutions;
• Comprehensively understands projects structures, including project planning, risk management strategy, issue management strategy, communication management strategy, and other critical success factors, strategies, policies, procedures and practices of other similar institutions;
• Acute knowledge and understanding of the elements essential for the effective delivery and measurement of development impacts through projects and programs in Africa;
• Ability to identify and create meaningful linkages across sectors to drive development impact at a country and regional level;
• Highly developed negotiation skills proven to yield positive outcomes with senior counterparts, both internal and external;
• Ability to innovate, influence, and implement new country and regional integration strategy approaches essential to the operational effectiveness of the assigned Division and achievement of the clients’ development aspirations;
• Highly developed strategic thinking skills allied to an ability to translate strategic concepts and direction into the implementation of workable and sustainable projects and programs;
• Ability to provide enabling environment for staff members performance; to communicate clearly and concisely, in giving instructions; delegate authority and to assign work to staff members;
• Communicate and write effectively in French or English, with a good working knowledge of the other language;
• Competence in the use of standard Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint) knowledge of SAP is desirable.

Application Closing Date
28th August, 2021.

Important Information and Notice

• This position is classified international status and attracts international terms and conditions of employment.
• Should you encounter technical difficulties in submitting your application, please send an email with a precise description of the issue and/or a screenshot showing the problem to “HR Direct” via: [email protected]

Apply for this Position:

• To apply for this position, you need to be national of one of AfDB member countries.