African Development Bank Group (AfDB) - Established in 1964. 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.

POSITION : Director, Gender, Women and Civil Society

Location: Cote d'Ivoire

The Complex

• The Vice Presidency for ‘Agriculture, Human, and Social Development’ is a Sector Complex focusing on the Bank’s TYS High 5s priority 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 pool of experienced individuals who can be consulted to provide sector expertise on complex transactions; (iii) develop new financing instruments; (iv) the VP will act as the spoke person 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 AfDB group sees the expansion of opportunities for gender equality as critical to its goals of eliminating poverty and inclusive growth.
• The AfDB group is an active proponent of Gender Equality and, since the adoption of its strategy on Gender Equality for Africa’s Transformation (2014 – 2018), has made large strides in promoting and integrating Gender into strategies and operations.
• The Bank has also prepared CSO Engagement Framework with an evolving implementation plan and has taken a conscious decision to forge partnerships with civil society to deliver the priority areas of the High 5s.
• The Bank seeks stronger, better-resourced and more researched evidence to address gender inequalities in human development, access to services and sustainable development, especially for the poorest; and to also focus on areas that could have transformational impacts such as gender-based violence, inequality at work, and discriminatory laws that impede women’s equal participation in economic and financial spheres.
• The Department of Gender, Women and Civil Society is established to achieve this ambitious corporate goal.

The Position

• The AfDB Group seeks to recruit a dynamic professional to fill the position of Director, Department of Gender, Women and Civil Society.
• The incumbent will be supported by a department and leverage relevant expertise and resources located across the Bank.
• He/She will report to the Vice President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development and also to the Senior Vice President recognizing the cross-cutting nature of this position.

Duties and Responsibilities
Under the general supervision of the Vice President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development, the Director, Gender, Women and Civil Society Department is responsible for developing a strategic approach to defining, planning, organizing, coordinating and leading the activities of the Department. His/her duties includes:

• Lead the department, including setting goals, recruiting top-notch staff and providing leadership to deliver on the strategy.
• Develop and significantly grow the Bank’s agenda in gender, women and civil society, including developing policies and strategies, working across complexes in the Bank through innovative and creative approaches.
• Provide intellectual and strategic leadership to the gender, women and, civil society agenda for the AfDB group, working across technical, geographic and institutional boundaries to support the delivery of development solutions to a diverse range of clients.
• Lead the Bank in its engagement efforts with the civil society to ensure access in delivering programs to all members of society
• Enhance the civil society’s function of ensuring government transparency, accountability and citizen participation.
• Build partnerships with internal and external stakeholders to engage at the most senior levels to coordinate and mobilize resources to achieve the Bank’s strategic goals.
• Develop effective collaboration with the newly created Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery Vice Presidency and other complexes in mainstreaming gender and women in the Bank’s projects.
• People Management:  Lead the team to provide efficient and high quality services and to achieve business objectives; manage human and financial resources of the Department competently.  
• Staff engagement: Foster an environment that stimulates and rewards innovation, creativity and accountability for results, and motivate and coach staff to deliver significant developmental impacts.
• Promote collaboration and facilitate teamwork across teams and across organizational units.

Selection Criteria
Including desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

• Hold at least a Master’s degree in Gender, Economic Development, Business Administration, Management  or other relevant disciplines;
• Have  a minimum of ten (10) years of extensive and progressive experience in development in an international organization or similar institution in the financial services sector, academia or civil society, with preferably five (5) years of experience at a managerial level. A solid knowledge and good grasp of socio-economic and development issues in Africa;
• Demonstrated strong leadership qualities, technical excellence and an established operational track record of excellence in achieving results;
• Strategic mindset; strong capacity to analyze actions from the perspectives of stakeholders and translate strategic thinking into compelling plan of action;
• Demonstrated ability to take prudent business risks, develop innovative approaches and make effective, timely and well-determined decisions;
• Evidence of ability to build and lead motivated and committed teams across functional boundaries, and utilize talent and expertise of team members in a productive way;
• Demonstrated ability to present and win support for ideas; a good listener; and cultural sensitivity, commitment to diversity and capacity to initiate and manage innovations and change;
• Proven ability to build partnerships with a broad range of clients and deliver results that meet the needs and long-term interests of clients within and outside the Bank;
• Competence in the use of standard Microsoft Suite applications such as Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint;
• Strong verbal and written communications skills in English or French with a working knowledge of the other language.