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

POSITION : Principal Industrial Policy Officer

The Hiring Department

• In line with the Bank Ten-Year Strategy, and consistent with the Bank’s Industrialization Strategy for Africa, the Division drives the Bank’s interventions in Africa through the implementation of priority programs to scale-up and accelerate industrial transformation in Africa
• Through strategic partnerships with other co-financiers, the Private Sector, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO),the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the African Union Commission (AUC) and Regional Economic Communities (RECs), the Division actively seeks to support governments in adjusting their national industrial policies, identifying potential sectors for industrial development and investment, and providing support for value chain development, advisory and technical assistance as well as operational support through sectoral expertise to operational teams in Regional Hubs
• This will cover non-sovereign operations, advisory and technical assistance pertaining to the industry clusters, investments in Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and linkage projects, establishment of a facility to increase liquidity in African capital markets, technical assistance for capital markets and Public-Private Partnership-targeted projects and special initiatives and activities dedicated to promoting strategic partnerships
• In addition, the Division strives to facilitate government and private sector dialogue to foster coordination between all the industrialization stakeholders.

The Position

• The job of Principal Industrial Policy Officer which reports to the Manager Industrial Development is key to the Bank’s efforts to foster successful industrial policies in RMCs through shared programs and close collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)
• The key objective of the job is to provide policy advisory services and technical assistance to governments, institutions and regulatory bodies in the areas of industrial policies design & diagnostic support, implementation support, monitoring & impact evaluation, and industrial tools & statistics for Africa.
• The incumbent is expected to help governments accelerate industrial upgrading and capacity expansion by recommending ideal policy instruments and industrial development paths; developing analytical (data) tools that help countries identify most promising products, sectors and commercial opportunities; and forge strategic partnerships with relevant international organizations such as UNIDO and UNECA.

Selection Criteria

• At least a Master's or equivalent Degree in Industrial Policy, Economics, Public Policy, International Trade, Business or related fields or related discipline
• Deep understanding of Africa’s industrial structure coupled with practical experience in high-level policy dialogue. Solid network of contacts within the AUC, RECs and key partner agencies such UNIDO and UNECA is a major advantage
• A minimum of six (6) years of relevant experience as an Industrial Policies design and dialogue
• Experience in developing countries is desirable
• Having private sector experience will be an added advantage
• Communication
• Analytical Skills
• Negotiations and consensus building skills
• Problem Solving
• Client Orientation
• Team working and relations
• Deep expertise in industrial/trade policy planning and execution, and Public Private Partnership (PPP) operations management
• Strong understanding of the impacts of industrial, trade and macroeconomic policy decisions within the context of globalization
• Solid conceptual, analytical and problem solving skills, especially the ability to think laterally (across sectors) in the design and implementation of strategies, programs and projects
• Negotiations and consensus building skills to interact with senior policymakers in Regional Member Countries and Regional Economic Communities
• Ability to lead multiple teams and effectively manage time, work prioritization and delegation
• Ability to be flexible, open minded with integrity
• Ability to communicate effectively (written and oral) in both English or French
• Competence in the use of Bank standard software (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint). Knowledge of SAP is desirable.

Specific Accountabilities & Tasks of the Function

• Support the design, implementation and monitoring of industrial strategies and policies for selected countries in Africa in coordination with the UNIDO and UNECA;
• Support the UNECA, UNIDO, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and Renewable Energy Certificates (RECS) in their work to lead research, technical assistance, facilitation and coordinate policy dialogue;
• Lead industrial policies implementation support through execution of Country Strategy Papers (CSP)/Regional Integration Strategy Papers (RISP) and develop industrial skills enhancement zones;
• Lead industrial policies monitoring, through country or regional strategies;
• Lead, jointly with ECON, regional offices and the UNECA, efforts on providing technical assistance in developing standards, collecting data and providing comprehensive statistics across Africa;
• Develop diagnostic/data tools to identify promising sectors and products that could accelerate industrial upgrading and capacity expansion. This includes the provision of advisory services to Regional Member Countries (RMCs) on adequate policy instruments and sequencing and required institutional reforms, and 2 key initiatives with the UNIDO: industrial mapping and country industrial statistics;
• Mobilise resources and create a dedicated fund to support industrial policy design and execution
• Provide intellectual leadership on industrial policies when needed, lead the review and/or fine-tuning of the Bank’s policy and strategy on industrialization to ensure a coherent approach across regions;
• Leverage strategic partnerships at the global and continental levels in the area of industrialization with organizations such as UNIDO, UNECA, World Trade Organisation (WTO), African Union Commission (AUC), World Economic Forum, etc. so as to positively contribute and influence and shape the policy discourse on industrialization in Africa;
• Ensure that cross-cutting issues such as fragility, informality, green production and vulnerability in industrialization are adequately reflected and addressed in industrial policies and all Bank-supported industrial activities.