Lead, Regional Integration – PL2

THE BANK:

Established in 1964, the African Development Bank (AfDB) is the premier pan-African development institution, promoting economic growth and social progress across the continent. There are 81 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 (2024-2033) 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 COMPLEX:

Within the Regional Development, Integration, and Business Delivery Complex, the Bank has five (5) Regional Development and Business Delivery Offices, one in each region of Africa: North, South, East, West, and Central. The Regional Development and Business Delivery Offices are headed by Director Generals. The Regional Development, Integration, and Business Delivery Complex also includes a dedicated directorate for Nigeria, a department for Transition States, and a Regional Integration Coordination Office.

One of the key mandates of the Regional Development, Integration, and Business Delivery Complex is the implementation of the Regional Integration Strategic Framework. The Regional Integration Strategic Framework is the Bank’s overarching strategy to support the operationalization of Integrate Africa, Agenda 2063, and the African Continental Free Trade Area. It aims to accelerate the free flow of goods, services, people, and capital across Africa. The Regional Integration Strategic Framework is underpinned by large-scale investments in regional infrastructure, especially energy, transport, water, and information and communications technology.

THE HIRING DEPARTMENT:

As the custodian of Integrate Africa, the Regional Integration Coordination Office helps ensure strategic, programmatic, and operational coherence, as well as the efficient and transparent allocation of resources.

The department helps mainstream regional integration into Bank strategies and operations. It monitors the performance of the regional integration portfolio, generates lessons-learned through periodic reviews, and provides strategic, policy, and operational insights to senior management to improve performance.

Externally, and in close collaboration with the Joint Secretariat Support Office, the department coordinates high-level policy dialogue with the African Union Commission, the Regional Economic Communities , and the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area to drive investments and promote reforms that accelerate the implementation of Agenda 2063, Integrate Africa, and the African Continental Free Trade Area.

The Regional Integration Coordination Office also pioneers the design, publication, and maintenance of flagship analytical products and advocacy tools such as the Africa Visa Openness Index and the Africa Regional Integration Index.

THE POSITION:

The position of Lead, Regional Integration, reports to the Director of the Regional Integration Coordination Office. The position is key to the attainment of the Bank’s Integrate Africa agenda.

Working closely with the Director, Regional Integration Coordination Office, the Lead provides technical and specialized advisory support to the Regional Integration Coordination Office and assists the Director in all aspects of planning and execution of the activities of the department. The incumbent works closely with the lead economists, the country economists, and the regional program officers to coordinate policy dialogue with the African Union, the Regional Economic Communities, the African Continental Free Trade Area, and related intergovernmental organizations.

The Lead also provides thought leadership on regional integration within the Bank and in engagement with external stakeholders. The incumbent is expected to develop specialized knowledge and analytical products that are operationally relevant and help cement the Bank’s position as a knowledge-broker on regional integration.

KEY FUNCTIONS:

Under the general guidance and supervision of the Director, Regional Integration Coordination Office, the Lead will perform the following duties and responsibilities:

1. Provides policy, technical, and operational advice to the Director, as well as senior management, on all matters pertaining to regional integration;
2. Offer strategy advice on accelerated action on the Integrate Pillar of the new Bank Ten Year Strategy (2024 – 2033) focused on operationalizing the African Continental Free Trade Area, design and finance of transformation regional operations, promoting capability in cross border infrastructure, building productive capacity and regional value chains, people mobility and financial integration.
3. Oversees all technical aspects of the design and implementation of the Regional Integration Strategic Framework and the Regional Integration Strategy Papers, in close collaboration with the lead economists, country economists, and regional program officers;
4. Collaborates with the lead economists, country economists, and regional program officers across all five regions to develop knowledge and analytical products that are operationally relevant and help improve strategic and operational performance;
5. Advises and assists the Director in the management of the regional operations envelope of the African Development Fund, a dedicated facility to provide concessional financing for regional integration projects in low-income counties;
6. Acts as Strategic Advisor to the Director, RDRI;
7. Collaborates with lead economists, country economists, and regional program officers across all five regions to develop a robust multi-year pipeline of regional operations and regional public goods;
8. Supervises all technical aspects of the design, implementation, and maintenance of the Bank’s flagship regional integration knowledge products, especially the Africa Regional Integration Index, the Africa Visa Openness Index, and the Trade Facilitation Due Diligence Tool;
9. Initiates, builds, nurtures, and strengthens existing partnerships and coalitions outside of the Bank, especially with the African Union, the Regional Economic Communities, and related Intergovernmental Organizations;
10. Develops innovative solutions to strengthen coordination mechanisms between the African Union, the Regional Economic Communities, the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area, and other related continental and regional organizations;
11. Represents the Bank in regional and global forums and performs high-level engagement and dialogue with senior government officials to promote reforms and support the implementation of Agenda 2063, the High Fives, and the African Continental Free Trade Area.

COMPETENCIES (Qualifications, Experience & Skills):

1. A minimum of a Master’s degree in Economics, International Relations/Trade, Law, Social or any other related international development fields;
2. A minimum of 8 years’ relevant experience at increasingly senior levels and in multilateral organizations. Experience in regional integration, regional policy dialogue, infrastructure finance, and project management is highly desired;
3. Demonstrated leadership, teamwork, and communications skills and ability to manage highly diverse teams;
4. Solid understanding of Africa’s regional integration architecture, especially the workings of the African Union, the Regional Economic Communities, the African Continental Free Trade Area, and related intergovernmental organizations;
5. Strong capacity to analyse actions from the perspectives of stakeholders, and to translate strategic thinking into compelling action plans;
6. Demonstrated ability to take prudent business risks and make effective, timely and well-determined decisions;
7. Competence in the use of Bank standard software applications (SAP, Microsoft Office, Collaboration Suites);
8. Ability to communicate effectively (written and oral) in English or French, preferably with a working knowledge of the other language.

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