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

POSITION : Principal, Resource Mobilization & Partnerships Office

The Hiring Department

• Responsible for strategic partnerships, donor resource mobilization and the leveraging of the financial resources and instruments of the African Development Bank Group. The department is comprised of two divisions whose primary, joint role is to increase the pool and types of funding available to the Bank's regional member countries, particularly for transformative projects in line with the Bank's Ten-year strategy and High five priorities.
• The Non-Sovereign and International Institutions Division is responsible for managing relationships with new partners, emerging economies and non-sovereign partnerships including relationships with private sector co-financiers and institutional investors, Sovereign Wealth Funds, pension funds, Development Finance Institutions, private sector entities, and philanthropic foundations.
• The Non-Sovereign and International Institutions Division also leads the partnership with sovereign entities such as bilateral aid agencies and manages a number of bilateral sovereign trust funds.
• The Non-Sovereign and International Institutions Division also promotes co-financing with non-sovereign entities through co-financing facilities; finds innovative ways to partner with non-traditional donors and to work with other organizational units of the Bank to find resources for their initiatives (e.g. the Africa50 Fund); and works to develop innovative financial products and risk mitigation instruments which catalyze private capital to finance development in Africa (e.g. Private Sector Facility). Finally, the Non-Sovereign and International Institutions Division is also responsible for the required periodic reporting on the use of funds as well as for the review of proposals for new partnerships through the Standing Committee on Partnerships.

The Position

• The Principal Resource Mobilization & Partnerships Officer is an important professional in the division who plays a key role in mobilizing and deploying the Bank Group’s resources, by contributing to the planning, conceptualization, elaboration and operationalization of key Bank Group key resource mobilization and partnerships processes.

 Responsibilities

• Provide internal stakeholders with technical advice and information on development partner funding priorities to strengthen opportunities for target fundraising and facilitate the coordination and collaboration between Bank Group business units ;
• Organize regular internal and external outreach events for the benefit of staff and other stakeholders to explain the activities of the different funds and key drivers of the allocation system;
• Participate in and contribute to key partnerships meetings, (including those with other Multilateral Development Banks and other international organizations and philanthropic organizations) to seek for new resource mobilization and partnership opportunities for the Bank Group; contribute to effective collaboration with other departments and complexes;
• Take a key role in the conceptualization, elaboration and presentation of Bank Group resource mobilization and negotiation documents; elaborate policy and strategy papers relevant to resource mobilization and/or negotiation process;
• Contribute to the development of strategic options for positioning the Bank Group in the global aid architecture, mobilizing and deploying its resources, by contributing to the planning, conceptualization, elaboration and presentation of the Bank Group key resource mobilization and negotiation documents;
• Task manage specific resource mobilization efforts through statutory replenishments, co-financing, fundraising for trust funds, special initiatives and any other innovative partnership mechanisms with the Bank Group’s traditional, sovereign and non-sovereign partners;
• Promote the efficient utilization of mobilized resources by user Departments based on best practice;
• Oversee the administration, monitoring of these funds as well as their disbursement, and preparing progress reports/financial reports to the respective Donors and to senior management;
• Assist in elaborating division objectives, work programs and their execution, while ensuring that deadlines are met and that outputs reach the highest technical standards.

Selection Criteria

• Understands the strategic fit of new product/service opportunities.
• Actively contributes and shares with established networks.
• Has shown proof of Operational Effectiveness.
• Has demonstrated Innovation & Creativity in the face of problems.
• Proven ability to persuade, influence and win over a skeptical audience; and tailor arguments to all levels of stakeholders.
• Ability to proactively manage relationships with internal and external partners and donors.
• Ability to communicate effectively (written and oral) in English or French, preferably with a working knowledge of the other language.
• Hold at least a Master's Degree (or its equivalent) in Finance, Economics, Law, International Affairs and/or other relevant fields.
• Have a minimum of six (6) years of relevant and practical experience including in resource mobilization, preferably across (i) public and/or non-profit; and (ii) private sectors along with established operational track record in achieving results.
• Private sector experience will be an added advantage.
• Strong grasp and understanding of the key trends in development finance (including the various donors’ assistance policies, bilateral and multilateral partnership trends in the short-, medium-, and long-term) and what these all imply for the Bank Group’s mandate at any one time.
• Knowledge of the Bank Group’s various financial instruments and policies as well as of its resource mobilization and on-lending activities.
• Negotiation skills - proven diplomatic skills to effectively conduct complex negotiations with public and private institutions.
• Competence in the use of standard software (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint).