African Development Bank Group (AfDB) – Established in 1964, the African Development Bank is the premier pan-African development institution, promoting economic growth and social progress across the continent. There are 80 member states, including 54 in Africa (Regional Member Countries). 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.
We are recruiting to fill the position below:
Job Title: Senior Resource Mobilization & Partnerships Officer, FIRM.2
Location: Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire
Employment Type: Full-time
Position Grade: PL5
The Complex
- The Vice Presidency for Finance oversees the financial management of the Bank Group.
- This encompasses the Bank Group’s treasury activities including borrowings from the capital markets and investment activities; controllership functions including financial reporting and loan administration; strategic resource mobilization and the strengthening of the non-statutory financial resources and instruments; the overall asset/liability management for the Bank Group.
The Hiring Department / Division
- As part of the Finance Complex, the Resource Mobilization and Partnerships Department (FIRM) has fiduciary responsibility for strategic concessionary resource mobilization, as well as donor relationship management and reporting, with the aim to complement and leverage the financial resources and instruments of the African Development Bank Group.
- FIRM is comprised of two divisions – FIRM.1 and FIRM.2 with primary accountability to increase the pool and types of funding available to the Bank’s regional member countries (RMCs).
- The Department sits under the Finance Vice Presidency (FIVP). FIRM.1 is responsible for resource mobilization initiatives and partnerships with sovereign entities.
- It is mandated to mobilize, allocate and monitor resources for the Bank’s statutory capital, including the African Development Fund (ADF) the concessional window. FIRM.1 leads the partnership with sovereign entities such as bilateral aid agencies and manages most bilateral trust funds of traditional partners. FIRM.2 is responsible for managing relationships with new partners, emerging economies and non-sovereign partnerships.
- The Division is responsible for trust fund policy, promotes co-financing with multilateral development banks and bilateral agencies and finds ways to partner with non-traditional donors. It also provides guidance and oversight for the implementation of trust funds and special funds.
- As the global financial architecture evolves, the Bank Group (comprised of the African Development Bank, the African Development Fund and the Nigeria Trust Fund) strives to be a leader in best practices and emerging developments in relation to resource mobilization and partnership approaches.
- A new Trust Fund Policy was approved in 2021 to ensure that the Bank Group’s trust funds are fit-for-purpose and to respond to both current and evolving requirements.
- The 2021 Trust Fund Policy proposed, among others, the following two key changes: 1) in addition to grants, trust funds can now receive and provide reimbursable grants, loans, equity, guarantees, and any other financial instrument available to the Bank; 2) the creation of the Project Specific Vehicle (PSV).
FIRM Division 2:
- Leads the institution’s partnership with emerging shareholder countries (e.g., China, Korea, India, Brazil) and their bilateral aid agencies; multilateral bodies including the European Union, the United Nations, and African Union; and non-sovereign partnerships such as corporates and philanthropic foundation.
- Leads the strategic negotiations for the setting up of financial vehicles and institutional frameworks, necessary for the institution to accept external resources, including all co-financing facilities and trust funds financed by external partners.
- Oversees fiduciary management of the institution’s bilateral, thematic trust funds and special funds; that is, mobilize, allocate, monitor, and support the management of non-statutory capital ensuring compliance with the African Development Bank Group’s rules and the commitments taken upon the replenishment negotiations, as applicable.
- Monitors and manages relationships with existing and new partners, serving as the secretariat for the review committee for new partnerships (i.e., Standing Committee on Partnerships).
- Identifies innovative ways to partner with non-traditional donors and leverage new resource mobilization tools and approaches (e.g., Project Specific Vehicle, crowdsourcing, blockchain) to evaluate their potential applicability and viability for the institution.
- Researches and positions the institution to respond to emerging thematic resource mobilization trends Assists other organizational units of the Bank Group to identify resources for their initiatives (i.e., Jobs for Youth Program, Climate Action Window), including through the coordination of the resource mobilization experts sitting within other Bank Group business units.
- Houses innovative financial products and risk mitigation instruments which catalyze private capital to finance development in Africa (e.g., Private Sector Credit Enhancement Facility) under a blended finance approach.
- Reports globally on the use of resources placed in trust at the African Development Bank Group to management and to outside parties, as required.
- Develops and disseminates to internal and external audiences’ trainings, capacity building, guidance papers and policy documents on resource mobilization at the African Development Bank (e.g., member to MDB Roundtable on Trust Funds and Co-Financing, Business Opportunity Seminars).
The Position
- The Principal Resource Mobilization & Partnerships Officer (PL-4) plays a central role in the department and division.
- The selected individual would contribute directly to engaging, managing, monitoring, evaluating, and reporting on both institutional relationships with external partners and financial commitments, with a focus on delivering impact and results to colleagues, donors, and senior management.
- The successful candidate would be directly implicated 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, programs, and projects.
Key Functions
Under the supervision and guidance of the Division Manager, the Principal Resource Mobilization and Partnerships Officer will:
- Facilitate the coordination and collaboration between relevant Bank Group business units and external partners and/or sovereign donors as assigned.
- Task manage specific resource mobilization efforts including but not limited to statutory and/or non-statutory replenishments, co-financing, fundraising for trust funds or special initiatives and launching of any other innovative partnership mechanisms with the Bank Group’s sovereign and non-sovereign partners
- Serve as a Fund Manager, overseeing the administration and monitoring of existing and new resource vehicles, so as to ensure organizational compliance with donors’ financial and programmatic reporting requirements and with Bank policies, with a focus on impact and results for Africa’s development; consistently monitor and evaluate disbursement rates and grant-level activities, and review activity progress reports, project completion reports, audit reports and other evaluation outputs from the grantees; collect financial statements from the accounting department to assess corrective actions if required; submit documents for review by the respective donor(s); ensure the legal and financial continuity of the Fund
- Serve as the external focal point for assigned donors and initiatives, responding to ad hoc queries and ensuring the highest level of visibility for the partner and the uses to which resources placed in trust have been applied.
- Assure a support and oversight role for donor-funded Funds and other Initiatives managed by other Bank Group business units; ensure organizational compliance with donors’ financial and programmatic reporting requirements and with Bank policies, with a focus on impact and results for Africa’s development; participate in the different committee meetings (e.g. technical review committee, oversight committee) and review the documents submitted (e.g. funding requests, annual report, annual work plan and budget); support donors relationship and resource mobilization efforts;
- Build sector expertise related to the portfolio of Funds overseen to provide relevant guidance regarding potential donors, resource mobilization trends and opportunities for synergy with similar initiatives.
- Provide internal stakeholders with technical advice and information on the priorities and availability of development partner and donor funding to strengthen opportunities for fundraising of targeted Bank Group initiatives.
- Contribute to the design and implementation of key systems and processes for the strengthening of the operational environment for resource mobilization and management, and partnerships management, improving overall the quality of client services provided by the department; it includes contributing to the development of management systems (e.g. application, software), updating and or developing related implementation procedures and operational guidelines for receipt and use of funding or new financial instruments , and being responsive to the Bank Group business units’ needs;
- Serve on the Secretariat of the Standing Committee on Partnerships (SCP) and contribute to the monitoring of new and existing partners, including supporting other Bank Group business units in the establishment of new partnerships, and regularly evaluating the performance and strategic alignment of existing partnerships.
- Assist or lead in the organization of regular internal and external outreach events for the benefit of staff and other stakeholders to explain the activities of the different funds, facilities and instruments of the Bank Group
- Participate in and contribute to key partnerships meetings and conferences (including those with other Multilateral Development Banks, international philanthropic organizations, global funds annual meetings, thematic conferences) to seek new resource mobilization and partnership opportunities for the Bank Group
- Contribute to the conceptualization, elaboration and presentation of Bank Group resource mobilization and negotiation documents relevant to successful fundraising of new resources; elaborate policy and strategy papers relevant to resource mobilization and/or negotiation process.
- Contribute to the development of white papers and other reports to address emerging fundraising innovations (i.e., crowdsourcing; social impact bonds; blended finance) and the evolving positioning of the Bank Group within the evolving global aid architecture.
- Serve as an advisor on documentation presented for review to various relevant internal committees including the Operations Committee (OPSCOM).
- Assist in elaborating the Division’s objectives, work programs and their execution while ensuring that deadlines are met and that outputs meet the highest technical standard.
Competencies (Skills, Experience, and Knowledge)
- At least a Master’s Degree in Social Sciences (including but not limited to International Development, Law, Public Policy, International Affairs, Economics, Administration, Politics, Diplomacy, etc.), Development Economics and Impact Assessment, or related disciplines.
- A minimum of six (6) years of relevant work experience, at least four (4) of which must be in establishing and cultivating strategic partnerships across diverse stakeholders, preferably within either (i) a public financial institution and/or non-profit sector, or (ii) the private sector; and
- Have a minimum of two (2) years of experience in engaging in high-level international consultations and engagements (as evidenced by successful participation in key international forums, meetings, etc.), and demonstrate a track record of effectively navigating and contributing to complex negotiations with diverse international stakeholders and persuading skeptical audiences to drive consensus on crucial issues.
- Demonstrate a track record of effectively nurturing and managing relationships with international partners to align interests, achieve tangible outcomes, and fulfill organizational priorities.
- Possess experience in developing operational guidelines as well as writing policy papers, briefing materials, and strategy documents to support organizational objectives.
- Demonstrate a strong grasp and understanding of key trends in international development finance (e.g., climate finance, sustainable development, sustainable debt), as well as an understanding of ODA approaches and policies of major international donors (e.g., the US, Canada, Japan, Germany) and emerging donors, and their implications for the Bank Group’s fundraising efforts.
- Demonstrate mature relationship management skills, capable of balancing the requests and expectations of external donors with the strategic priorities and policies of the Bank Group, and adeptly navigating complex stakeholder dynamics with diplomacy and discretion.
- Possess a general knowledge of the Bank Group’s shareholders, various financial instruments and facilities, capitalization goals, and lending volume.
- Demonstrate a general understanding of trust funds, including fiduciary best practices, budget and project portfolio management, monitoring and evaluation requirements, and donor relationship management.
- Possess a strong professional network with international stakeholders to facilitate partnership opportunities and the Bank Group’s engagement with donors.
- Demonstrate the ability to provide concise and comprehensive briefings and presentations to relevant internal and external audiences, synthesizing complex information into actionable insights.
- Exhibit the ability to execute discrete tasks under tight deadlines to support organizational priorities.
- Be a client-oriented problem solver, capability and willing to be flexible, innovative, and creative in the face of challenges.
- Possess excellent verbal and written communication skills in English and/or French, preferably with a working knowledge of the other language to engage donors, participate in international engagements, and articulate fundraising strategies to internal and external stakeholders.
- Demonstrate cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality, and age sensitivity and adaptability for effective communication and collaboration with diverse stakeholders.
- Proficiently use standard software (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint); knowledge of SAP and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software is a plus.
- Be a team player, with the ability to work well with other staff/consultants in a collaborative and inclusive work environment.
Application Closing Date
26th April, 2024.
Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should: