To provide technical leadership for the effective and efficient management of the integration and Trade division of the AU.
Main Functions
Supervises staff of the division with regard to organisation and performance evaluation;
Leads the design of strategies and policies consistent with the Directorates goals in order to address the pertinent issues in the relevant area;
Contributes to the development of the directorates business continuity plan and ensures the implementation at division level;
Ensures the appropriate risk management and mitigation strategies for the division;
Leads the design and plans policy programs to achieve the required strategies;
Develops new and expand on existing activities as components of the strategies and policies;
Ensures the division makes inputs into policy formulation in line with integration and trade strategies of the AU;
Ensures the preparation of the annual action plan and its corresponding resources for the division;
Engages stakeholders within Members States and RECs in designing and implementing strategies;
Represents the organisation and explain its position at conferences. Mobilise funding from all donors to use to execute strategies and activities;
Contributes to the preparation of periodic financial and budget execution reports and monitors budget execution at division level.
Specific Responsibilities
Coordinates the implementation of the African integration agenda including attending/organising technical Coordination Committee meetings of the AUC and RECs for the preparation of the Coordination Summit meeting of Heads of States and Government;
Coordinates the initiation and formulation of policies, programmes and projects aimed at promoting African integration process as well as trade and market integration among African Member States;
Coordinates and supervises the preparation of technical reports and research papers on current global issues and their potential implications on trade patterns and African integration process, in particular, working closely with AU Member States, RECs and other key partner institutions;
Leads the formulation and management of key policies and programmes of economic analysis and those aimed at enhancing continental and regional integration in line with ACFTA and AU Agenda 2063 in close collaboration with Member States and RECs;
Coordinates the identification of new and emerging international trade issues, regarding Member States, RECs, UNECA, WTO, UNCTAD, AfDB as well as other key stakeholders;
Liaises with Research and Policy Division to organize meetings for Specialized Technical Committee on Finance, Monetary Affairs, Economic Planning and Integration as well as activities of the F-15 Ministers in close collaboration with the Director of Finance;
Leads the preparation and dissemination of the AU Flagship publications and policy papers on regional integration and trade, Status of Regional Integration, African Integration and Development Journal; Integration bulletin and continental Integration booklet;
Supervises staff economists undertaking technical reports in areas of regional integration and trade;
Supervises all economic studies and analyses on regional integration and trade matters;
Coordinates the preparation of speeches and regular briefs for senior staff and makes presentations on economic issues for specialist or non-specialist audiences on regional integration and trade;
Provides policy advice, strong intellectual guidance and direction on issues of sustainable structural economic transformation and development;
Coordinates programmes designed to help accelerate the region’s integration with global value chains;
Oversees the progress of implementation of activities of the Division;
Performs any other related assignment as may be assigned by the Director.
A Master’s degree in Economics, Finance, International Business, Public Administration, Monetary Economics or any closely related field with twelve (12) years of relevant work experience of which a minimum of seven(7) years at managerial and 5 years at supervisory level.
Required Skills
Ability to initiate and promote collaborative approaches between geographically and culturally disparate partners;
Ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and working relations both internally and externally;
Ability to Identify key strategic opportunities and risks;
Ability to effectively lead, supervise, mentor, develop and evaluate staff;
Proficiency in one of the AU working languages (French, English, Portuguese, Arabic); fluency in another AU language is an added advantage.