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 Industrial Development Officer

Location: Yaounde, Cameroon
Employment Type: Full-time

The Complex

• The Vice-Presidency for Private Sector, Infrastructure and Industrialization is central to the Bank’s mission of developing the private sector, improving infrastructure and accelerating industrialization.
• The complex main functions are to:
  • Strengthen the enabling environment for private sector (including financial sector) development conducive to inclusive growth and sustainable development,
  • Pupport the development of reliable and sustainable infrastructure, including cities and urban development, and
  • Place renewed emphasis on industrial, trade and investment climate performance in support of structural transformation across Africa. The Complex leverages knowledge, co-financing, and partnerships to attract private capital and work with governments on delivering the Bank’s development agenda.

The Hiring Department and Division

• The role of the Bank’s Industrial and Trade Development Department is to promote the implementation of the Bank’s 10 Year Strategy and HI 5’s initiatives with special emphasis on the Industrialize Africa strategy. The Department leads the Bank’s activities in the area of industrial policies, ICT, trade and investment climate, and private sector investments in industry and services.
• In line with the Bank Ten-Year Strategy, and consistent with the Bank’s Industrialization Strategy for Africa, the hiring Division, Industrial Development, Trade and Investment Climate drives the Bank’s interventions 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, trade 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 operations, advisory and technical assistance pertaining to industry clusters, investments in Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and linkage projects, technical assistance for 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 as well as supporting meaningful complementarities between industrialization initiatives and trade.

The Position

• The job of Industrial Development Officer, reporting to the Manager of the Industrial Development, Trade and Investment Climate Division, is key to the implementation of the Bank’s Industrialization Strategy for Africa.
• The incumbent is responsible for developing and implementing programs, projects and initiatives of the Bank including lending operations and non-lending activities to Regional Member countries, in relation with the Bank’s Industrialization Strategy.
• The incumbent is responsible for providing advice, developing technical assistance and lending operations to governments, institutions, and regulatory bodies in the areas of private sector and industrial development, in relation to the Bank’s Industrialization Strategy.
• The incumbent is expected to help countries identify most promising products, sectors and commercial opportunities, and forge strategic partnerships with relevant international organizations and development financiers.
• Assist in defining and expanding the Division’s industrialization agenda and to mainstream in consultation with the Manager, the complementarities with the trade policy/trade facilitation workstreams into the Bank’s operational and analytical work.
• Meaningful contribution to the preparation of the industrialization and trade-related aspects of Country and Regional programming instruments.

Key Functions
Under the overall guidance and direct supervision of the Manager Industrial Development, Trade and Investment Climate Division (PITD1), the incumbent will perform the following:

• Support the implementation of the Industrialize Africa Strategy by developing operations relating to the following flagship programs:
  • Fostering successful industrial policies;
  • Promoting and driving enterprise development; c) promoting strategic partnerships;
  • Supporting governments in developing efficient industry clusters across Africa.
• Lead the identification, preparation, appraisal, approval and supervision/implementation support of Bank operations; and monitor projects fiduciary and safeguards compliance and disbursement and reporting systems to ensure that these are consistent with Bank’s rules of procedures, in collaboration with relevant divisions within the Bank.
• Work with the Regional Hubs to support and/or lead the design and delivery of sovereign sectoral operations both in industrialization and trade policy/facilitation.
• Collaborate within the division to strengthen the quality of operations by contributing to project design, peer reviewing documents,
• Collaborate with divisions across the Bank on joint projects and initiatives to ensure the successful implementation of the Bank’s Industrialize Africa Strategy
• Contribute and provide technical inputs in the preparation and implementation of Country Diagnostic Notes (CDNs), Country Strategy Papers (CSPs), and Regional Integration Strategy Papers (RISP) Country Portfolio Reviews.
• Lead / contribute to knowledge generation efforts and provide technical inputs in strategy and sector policy development, and provide intellectual leadership as needed.
• Mobilize resources to carry out non-lending technical assistance activities.
• Leverage partnerships with other co-financiers, the Private Sector, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the African Union Commission (AUC) the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) in support of joint operations and initiatives.
• In consultation with the Manager, establish complementarities between industrialization, trade policy/facilitation work-streams with emphasis on developing projects/programmes that are operationally relevant for the Bank.
• Provide support to other duties as assigned by the Manager.

Competencies (Skills, Experience and Knowledge)

• Hold at least a Master’s Degree in Economics, Public Policy, Industrial Policy, International Trade, Business Administration or related fields or related discipline.
• A minimum of five (5) years of relevant experience in a similar institution and/or solid experience in industrial development, Strong understanding of Africa’s industrial structure.
• Experience with multilateral development institutions in developing countries is highly desirable.
• Experience/ good knowledge of one of the following sectors is highly desirable: textile, building materials, mining, consumer goods, pharmaceuticals, automotive, machinery and equipment, consumer durables, metal manufacturing, chemicals, agroindustries, tourism and blue economy.
• Negotiations and consensus building skills; Communication; Problem Solving, Client Orientation, Team working and relations.
• Experience conducting cost benefit analyses/ economic analyses of projects financed by development finance institutions is highly desirable.
• Ability to communicate effectively (written and oral) in English or French, with a working knowledge of the other.
• Competence in the use of Bank standard software (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint). Knowledge of SAP is desirable.

Application Closing Date
29th February, 2024.