Division Manager, Financial Inclusion and Intermediation Division

THE BANK:

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 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 (2023 – 2032) and ensure greater developmental impact, five major areas (High 5s) 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:

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 (i) strengthen the enabling environment for private sector [and financial sector] development conducive to inclusive growth and sustainable development, (ii) support the development of reliable and sustainable infrastructure, including cities and urban development, and (iii) place renewed emphasis on industrial and trade 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:

The primary role of the Financial Sector Development Department (PIFD) is to help the Regional Member Countries (RMCs) increase the reach, depth, and breadth of their financial systems, while safeguarding financial stability. The Department has four long-term objectives: (i) development of a vibrant private sector through an inclusive access by households and enterprises to financial services; (ii) strengthening markets participants; (iii) developing efficient capital markets, and (iv) deepening regional financial integration.

Paired with other Industrialization, infrastructure and Private Sector complex departments, PIFD is responsible for implementing aspects of the Bank’s Ten-Year Strategy related to financial sector development which is to build and support vibrant, innovative, robust and competitive financial systems, both national and regional, and in both the public and private sector levels of RMCs. PIFD plays a transversal role across the Bank by working with other departments to deliver on the High 5 priority goals

THE POSITION:

The Division Manager position requires a highly motivated professional with hands-on experience in designing and managing financial intermediation and inclusion projects targeting banks, non-bank financial institutions such as microfinance institutions and leasing companies, development financial institutions, fintechs, central banks, governments and regional agencies. The Division Manager will provide, supervise and coordinate technical teams working on designing, implementing and monitoring the financial intermediation and inclusion projects and initiatives in Regional Member Countries (RMCs). He/She will provide leadership to improve delivery, increase synergies, sharpen skills, share knowledge and lessons, and improve the impact through evidence-based analysis. He/She will strengthen communications and cement foundations for new interventions and initiatives that support progress towards improvements in quality of financial intermediation support as well as near-universal access to essential financial services.

KEY FUNCTIONS:

Under the overall supervision of the Financial Sector Development Department Director and in close collaboration with the Private Sector, Infrastructure and Industrialization (PIVP) Complex, the manager will perform the following:

Champion and provide strategic guidance and oversight on financial intermediation and inclusion work, role and approach to delivery of the Bank’s Ten-Year Strategy, the Financial Sector Development Action Plan, and High 5 priority goals.
Coordinate the work of the Division by providing technical and investment support for enhancing financial intermediation to priority sectors and market segments as well as mainstreaming financial access and inclusion aspects in the Bank’s operations.

Strategic and Technical Oversight

Conduct policy dialogue with government officials; identify investment opportunities for possible Bank financing; and promote Bank private sector operations and programs to government officials, business operators, development partners, etc. Monitor and analyse economic developments in regional member countries.
Lead targeted resource mobilisation initiatives with both traditional and non-traditional development partners and donors to mobilise concessional financing and grants to support the Bank’s financial intermediation and inclusion work.
Provide advice to the Director on issues relating to financial sector development.
Work closely with other sectors, Regional Departments and Country Offices in identifying, designing, appraising and monitoring projects.
Monitor and analyse economic trends in RMCs and provide leadership and strategic guidance to the team on any changes needed to the strategic and operational orientation of financial intermediation and inclusion work.
Harness the expertise of the financial sector specialists to analyse and provide advice to the Director and other stakeholders on issues relating to financial intermediation and inclusion and as well as financial sector development in general.
Lead and guide the division’s inputs into the development and review of relevant policies, procedures, tools, templates, etc. to improve/enhance Bank delivery of financial sector interventions.
Lead and co-ordinate activities with other departments to develop and deploy financial instruments to support the real sectors such as agriculture and industry.

Knowledge Management

Coordinate and guide financial sector experts in the division in the documentation, synthesis and dissemination of emerging industry trends, best practices, lessons, and case studies in Africa and globally.
Supporting the development of a knowledge management system that ensures the division captures all relevant information and knowledge from the Bank’s work in financial intermediation and inclusion to inform implementation, reporting, communication, and business development.
Represent the Bank in international forums to disseminate information on lessons learned from financial intermediation and inclusion operations.
Contribute to gathering, managing, and disseminating regional and global best practices and institutional knowledge of the advisory business across the Bank.

Resource Allocation and Administration

Lead and coordinate the preparation of the Division’s budget and resource prioritization and allocation.
Lead and coordinate the allocation of tasks to the financial sector experts in the division including collaborative efforts with other divisions and departments.
Lead the planning and monitoring of key performance parameters for the Division’s portfolio of projects.
Contribute to the setting of the division and staff Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) as well as monitoring and appraising progress towards the attainment of the division’s targets.

People Management

Plan, organize and supervise the activities and staff of the Division.
Build and manage a team of motivated professional and support staff in providing efficient and high-quality services that support the business.
Set realistic individual and team performance goals and motivate staff to deliver them consistently.
Be a collaborative member of the Department’s Management Team, contribute and share expertise and foster a collegial environment.
Serve as a role model and mentor, leading by example.

Leadership:

Maintain a clear vision and strategy for the division that can be communicated and understood by partners, clients, the media, and various internal stakeholders.
Champion the financial inclusion and intermediation work within the Bank and with external stakeholders including clients, regulatory authorities, and other development partners.
Take primary operational responsibility for the delivery of financial intermediation and inclusion projects.
Develop and direct the implementation of objectives, policies, procedures, and work standards for the division. Ensure compliance with Bank policies and regulations.
Lead complex missions involving negotiations with clients, regulators, government officials and other partners.
Improve customer service orientation of staff of the division and ensure provision of efficient services to clients.

Staff engagement:

Promote collaboration and facilitate teamwork across teams and across organizational units, particularly with the Regional and Country Offices.
Maintain a high standard of professional integrity, treat individuals fairly and respectfully and be sensitive to differences across cultures, nationalities, and gender.
Provide on-the-job training and advice to less experienced staff and supervise their work.
Demonstrate deep technical knowledge of the financial sector, act as a technical resource for team members and lead and/or create opportunities for professional training and growth for staff in technical areas that add value to Division’s work.

Corporate Communication

Communicate effectively to staff and management how the strategy, policy, and processes support the needs of the business and enable a productive, positive and engaging work environment .
Develop and coordinate the Bank’s relationships with other institutions involved in financial sector development.
Effectively represent the Bank in key events to communicate the Bank’s strategy, work, and contribution to Africa’s development objectives.
Facilitate delivery of synergies across various activities of the division and other departments to enhance regular interaction and communication and encourage sharing of information and knowledge.
Maintain ongoing and effective engagement with key internal and external stakeholders.

COMPETENCIES (Skills & Knowledge)

A minimum of a master’s degree in Finance, Economics, Business Administration or any other discipline that is relevant to the operations of the Financial Inclusion and Intermediation Division.
A minimum of eight (8) years of relevant professional experience in client relationship management, credit analysis and people management preferably within the financial sector, and three (3) years must have involved managing and/or supervising teams.
Experience in financial intermediation and inclusion, including digital financial inclusion and financial sector studies and operations, from project origination, financial and economic analysis and transaction structuring to approval and implementation.
Demonstrated track record of successfully leading interdisciplinary and multicultural teams across different geographic locations.
Experience working with Multilateral Development Banks, commercial/investment banks, and non-bank financial institutions.
Experience of working in emerging markets, especially Africa.
Proven track record in the structuring of a range of financial products such as loans, lines of credit and guarantees as well as capacity building and technical assistance initiatives.
Demonstrates broad knowledge of project management tools and methodologies; identifies risks and mitigations measures; interprets background analysis and proposed solutions.
Demonstrated in-depth understanding of core “access to finance” areas: MSME finance, Women/youth finance, digital financial services, climate finance, policy and regulatory reforms; financial intermediation challenges and opportunities at macro- and micro-levels.
Demonstrated in-depth knowledge of public policy, regulation, supervision and enforcement related to financial system stability, integrity and development; ability to deliver strategic advice and technical assistance to policy makers.
Demonstrated ability to coordinate, participate in, and act as a catalyst for, strategic cross-sector dialogues with internal and external stakeholders, including Bank colleagues in various departments, other development finance institutions, governments, and other organizations.
Practical experiencing in developing project structures, including project design, planning, risk management strategy, issue management strategy, communication management strategy, lessons learned and handover, and other critical success factors, strategies, policies, procedures and practices of multilateral development banks.
Possess highly developed and proven negotiation skills.
Highly developed strategic thinking skills allied to an ability to translate strategic concepts and direction into real and sustainable projects and programs.
Proficiency in English or French with a working knowledge of the other.
Competence in the use of standard MS office applications (Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint).