African Development Bank (AfDB) - the premier pan-African development institution, promoting economic growth and social progress across the continent. 

POSITION : Manager, Operation Office - Implementation Support

The Hiring Department

• The Implementation Support Regional Operations Manager Office is a Division within the Bank’s Regional, Development, Integration and Business Delivery hub focusing at the regional level on the implementation of the Bank’s Ten Year Strategy, High 5s priorities, ‘Gender Strategy,’ ‘Feed Africa,’ ‘Jobs for Youth,’ and the ‘New Deal on Energy for Africa’ flagship programmes.

The Position

• As part of the Regional, Development, Integration and Business Delivery Complex, the Manager for Implementation Support plans, directs and oversees the Division’s operations to ensure effective project completion through results oriented oversight and support of project management, disbursement, legal, procurement and other service functions.
• The incumbent manages staff to actualize the Project Implementation Plans by driving the processes within their scope and navigating through their execution for achievement of project deliverables.
• The position of Manager Implementation Support is key to follow-up of implementation of approved operations and overall portfolio management in close collaboration with relevant departments and divisions in the Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery, Energy, Agriculture, and Infrastructure Complexes.

Responsibilities

• Developing partnerships - Lead the Division’s contribution in the creation of networks and partnerships to implement the ‘Light up and Power Africa’ High 5 and make impact on ‘Feed Africa,’ ‘Industrialize Africa,’ ‘Integrate Africa,’ and ‘Improve the Quality of Life for the People of Africa’ High 5s.
• Build strong relationships - A strategic focus with regional and local private businesses, Regional Economic Communities, River Basin Organizations, Civil Society Organizations, United Nations Organizations, bilateral and multilateral partners and Government officials to develop investment opportunities and to ramp up co-financing and loan syndications.
• Execute staff performance management, including work performance appraisals and assessments of staff potential and training and development needs.
• Foster an environment that stimulates and rewards performance, initiative and innovation, and encourages continuous learning, open communication and teamwork.
• Champion the Complex / Regional mandate and purpose - Provide a direct and indirect operational support that contributes to the regional output and mandate in assigned Country.
• Lead the strategic staffing of the Implementation Support Division team in the respective region, giving due support to and championing the Bank’s Gender Strategy, and promoting a culture of gender equality.
• Lead, plan, organize, manage and supervise the activities and work program of the Division with appropriate delegation of day-to-day activities.
• Drive and ensure operational efficiency and effectiveness of the Division in achieving the Bank’s strategic imperatives and the management of change and its budget resources management.
• Cultivate and ensure a culture of "ONE-Bank" in the Implementation Support Division, with the highest levels of ethics, fiduciary responsibility and professionalism to protect and enhance the reputation of the Bank.
• Provide both technical and managerial leadership to staff in the definition and realization of the Key Performance Indicators of the Division.
• Advance regional integration through the development and execution of major regional transformative development projects to attain the Bank’s High 5s.
• Strengthen the human and institutional capacities of countries, and deepen the capacity of the Bank to become the thought leader in knowledge products and advisory services to countries.
• Lead or contribute to the development/review of appropriate strategies, policies and guidelines for efficient and effective implementation of the Bank’s portfolio.
• Advise the Director General on strategic options and approaches to improve the overall health of the Bank’s portfolio and achievement of results.
• Work with the relevant Sector Complexes to draw on and/or contribute resources as needed.
• Support the business development division teams in the preparation of detailed Project Implementation Plans during project due diligence activities at preparation and appraisal stages to ensure effective implementation of project/programs post Board approval.
• Support various aspects (fiduciary, legal, environment, etc.) of - business development during project origination and processing for Board approval to ensure compliance with bank policies and high quality at entry, in close collaboration with the sector Regional Operations Managers.
• Support and advise the Director General on all issues relating to project implementation, portfolio management and monitoring.
• Drive operational efficiency and effectiveness of project implementation boosting the overall health of the Bank’s portfolio across the different regional management division of the High 5s to achieve significant developmental results and impacts from the Bank’s interventions.
• Ensure impact is made on the objectives of the ‘Gender Strategy,’ and the ‘Feed Africa,’ ‘Jobs for Youth,’ ‘New Deal on Energy for Africa’ flagship programmes.
• Drive accountability for operational efficiency, effectiveness, and the overall health of the Bank's portfolio to achieve significant impacts in the delivery of the High 5s across the regions.
• Ensure that when implementing projects in countries in fragile situations, there is effective liaison with internal Fragility and Resilience Experts to ensure effective application of fragility-lens, taking into consideration the fragility context (economic, political, social, environmental, and regional factors) and implications from a risk management point of view to minimize impact, and if within scope of the project to make an informed beneficial impact.  Give appropriate feedback to them when working in the field.
• Strengthen the capacity of regional and country teams, as well as project implementation units and execution agencies within each region for efficient and effective portfolio management and performance.
• Drive effective and efficient project management, disbursements and compliance with loan/grant conditions, supported by robust service-level standards in procurement, disbursement, legal and fiduciary safeguards.
• Monitor closely, in collaboration with Country Managers, portfolio performance and drive achievement of performance KPIs (Key Performance indicators) and results.
• Recognize and make appropriate interventions when loan conditions aren’t met.
• Develop partnerships with the donor community in the region for effective project implementation collaboration, portfolio management, and achievement of Key Performance Indicators.
• Disseminate and promote Bank Group project implementation and portfolio management and monitoring related policies, guidelines, frameworks, and procedures in the Regional Member Countries to improve their capacity to implement Bank Group operations.
• Work closely with Country Managers, Deputy Director Generals and other relevant Departments in the Bank for project implementation, portfolio management and contributing lessons learned for the production of best practices and Portfolio Management/Monitoring reports.

Selection Criteria

• Executing for Results: Ability to pull together all aspects of project origination and drive the process to deliver the lending program.
• Influential:  Can build a vision of how the division should be in terms of corporate culture/climate, broad objectives/goals/targets, then motivate and inspire staff to move forward as individuals, as a unit, and as upstanding Bank representatives.
• Decisive, Takes Initiative/Spotting Opportunity/Pushing Strategy:
• Mentorship/Coaching: Empowers staff by seeking to understand how to upskill them and then applying the right methodology for each to convey and apply counsel.
• Excellent Professional written and verbal communications in English or French with a working knowledge of the other.
• Competence in the use of standard MS office applications (Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint).
• A minimum of Master’s Degree in Business Administration, Economics, Engineering or any other relevant field
• A minimum of eight (8) years of relevant professional experience, 3 years of which should be in a management position or leadership role.
• Having private sector experience will be an added advantage
• A proven track record for origination and in managing the delivery of projects in at least one of the sectors/sub-sectors covered by the Division.
• A track record demonstrating a high level expertise of project appraisal including environmental, social, economic and financial analysis and the provision of technical assistance to improve service delivery.
• Demonstrated experience in project origination, financial and economic analysis, and financial structuring (project finance and corporate finance) in a multilateral financial institution with special focus on at least one of the sectors in the assigned Division.
• Experience in and strong understanding of socio-economic and development issues and dynamics in at least one of the sectors covered by the Division particularly in Africa and/or assigned region Africa.
• Experience with working in a team oriented, multi-cultural, multi-disciplinary, international and professional environment.
• Track record of leading and developing teams and managing projects and programmes.
• Innovation & Creativity: Ability to deploy a strategic mind-set and the capacity to steer the Division’s agenda while empowering staff during a phase of institutional reforms and transformation towards greater country focus of the Bank’s activities.
• Client Orientation, First-rate interpersonal skills, Communication Skills, Business Acumen
• Familiarity with strategies, policies, procedures and practices of multilateral development institutions.
• Comprehensively understands projects structures, including project planning, risk management strategy, issue management strategy, communication management strategy, lessons learned and handover, and other critical success factors, strategies, policies, procedures and practices of multilateral development banks.
• Highly developed negotiation skills proven to yield positive outcomes with senior counterparts, both internal and external, and understands when and how to apply tact, influence, maintain a hard line, make or break contacts, understand unwritten lines of influence and conduct oneself accordingly.
• Knowledgeable in the structuring and execution of debt and equity investments in the assigned sector projects and programs.
• Professional Expertise: Continuously expands understanding of relevant business products, practices and systems/technology.
• Implementing Strategy: 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.