African Development Bank Oct. Vacancies 2018

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. In order to sharply focus the objectives of the Ten Year Strategy (2013 – 2022) and ensure greater developmental impact, five major areas (High 5s), all of which will accelerate our delivery for Africa, have been identified for scaling up, namely; energy, agro-business, industrialization, integration and improving the quality of life for the people of Africa. The Bank is seeking to build a management team that will lead the successful implementation of this vision.

Job Description

Job Title: Country Office Assistant/ Secretary

THE COMPLEX:

The Bank has reorganized and is developing the Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery Complex whose major objective is to build regional capabilities and bring responsibility for client activities closer to the regions. Five Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery Hubs have been created, each run by a Director General: Southern Africa, North Africa, West Africa; East Africa, and Central Africa.

THE HIRING DEPARTMENT:

The various Country Office falls within one of the five (5) Regions of the Africa Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery Hubs. The Hub oversees a combination of country and liaison offices, as well as non-presence countries. The Director General is accountable of the specific African region. Each Hub will house relevant operations, business development and project implementation functions and administrative capabilities in a shared service for rapid deployment into the individual countries, to help drive the overall business of the Bank effectively on the ground.

Country Offices of the African Development Bank have been established to strengthen policy dialogue between the Bank, Governments and other stakeholders; improve performance of the project portfolio and aid coordination with other development partners

THE POSITION:

Under the Supervision of the Country Manager, The Country Office Assistant/ Secretary will work closely with the Country Manager and the Team to provide administrative support. The incumbent of the position will help the Country Manager and the team to make the best use of his time by dealing with secretarial and administrative tasks.

The Country Office Assistant / Secretary will perform the following:

1.  Make appointments for the Country Manager and experts and other staff of the Country Office and keep their schedules up to date in the calendar and diary;

2.  Receive visitors and attend to them with tact and discretion;

3.  Prepare briefing material used by the Country Manager for official missions and special meetings;

4.  Handle protocol-related issues concerning  reception of the visitors of the Country Manager and of the  Office;

5.  Organize Country Manager’s meetings ; coordinates official receptions given by the Country Manager;

6.  Participate in staff meetings, take notes and produce reports ;

7.  Draft correspondence on non-substantive issues and ensure its follow-up;

8.  Manage Country Manager’s incoming and outgoing mail and telephone communication;

9.  Maintain an appropriate filing system; process experts’ back-to-office reports, ascertain the quality of documents requiring the approval and / or signature of Country Manager, Experts and other staff members;

10.  Prepare and finalize draft correspondences (letters, faxes, etc. ) concerning  various aspects, on behalf of the Country Manager;

11.  Handle Country Manager’s travels and hotel reservations;

12.  Carry out other ad hoc activities as may be assigned by the Country Manager.

Including desirable skills, knowledge and experience

1.  Hold a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree or its equivalent in business administration, commerce, administration or a related field, supplemented by training in secretarial functions/administration/office management;

2.  Have a minimum of four (4) years of relevant experience in progressive positions, attached to an executive’s office,  preferably in an international organization;

3.  Be able to work under pressure and to prioritize in the dynamic setting of an international and multicultural setting. Ability to work and cooperate with others from diverse background;

4.  Handling speedily and efficiently internal and external requests;

5.  Ability to multi-task and manage simultaneous and shifting demands, priorities and tight deadlines

6.  Proficiency in the use of standard equipment (computer, fax, scanner, photocopies etc.);

7.  Demonstrable commitment to delivering excellent customer service focused reception and administration services;

8.  Be able to multi task, excellent problem solving skill and attention to detail;

9.  Effective communication; highly client oriented, good team working and relations;

10.  Ability to operate effectively in a multicultural organization;

11.  Good  innovative and creative approaches to activities in order to enhance performance and create added benefits for the clients and the organization;

12.  Integrity  and confidentiality;

13.  Proficiency in written and verbal communication in English or French, with a working knowledge of the other;

14.  Competence in the use of Bank standard software (Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint). Knowledge of SAP or other ERP systems would be an asset.