- Position Title: Director General
- Grade: EL4
- Position No.: 50092484
- Posting Date: 17/02/2025
- Closing Date: 03/03/2025
African Development Bank is recruiting a Director General for its activities.
Position Overview:
Founded in 1964, the African Development Bank (AfDB) stands as the leading pan-African development institution, championing economic growth and social progress throughout the continent. The Bank’s mission is to provide financial and technical support for transformative projects aimed at drastically reducing poverty through inclusive and sustainable economic growth. Beyond financing, the AfDB plays a pivotal role as Africa’s representative voice in global economic, financial, and development dialogues—a role that has become increasingly critical amid global integration and interconnected risks.
The AfDB has set forth an ambitious development agenda with five key priorities, known as the “High 5s,” which will significantly enhance Africa’s development impact:
- Light Up and Power Africa
- Feed Africa
- Industrialize Africa
- Integrate Africa
- Improve the Quality of Life of the People of Africa
To drive the successful execution of this vision, the Bank is assembling a world-class senior leadership team.
In line with this goal, the AfDB is adjusting its operational model to effectively deliver on these priorities. Central to this strategy is the creation of five regional development and business delivery offices, each representing one of Africa’s regions: West, East, Central, North, and Southern Africa. The Director General will report directly to the Vice President for Regional Development, Integration, and Business Delivery.
The primary responsibility of the Director General is to ensure the efficient, effective, and successful implementation of the Bank’s work within the designated region, overseeing all facets of the Bank’s operations and delivering on its mission.
Position Specifications:
The African Development Bank has introduced a new development and business delivery model aimed at bringing its operations closer to its clients, expanding its portfolios across both sovereign and private sector operations, and increasing the Bank’s revenue. This innovative model will allow the Bank to deploy high-quality knowledge and advisory services while accelerating its developmental impacts across the African continent.
As part of this strategy, the Bank has established five regional development and business delivery offices, one for each region of Africa: North, South, East, West, and Central.
The Director General will be responsible for driving operational efficiency and ensuring the overall success of the Bank’s portfolio within the region. This includes overseeing the integration and implementation of all aspects of the Bank’s work in the region, leading regional business development, and mobilizing resources to grow the Bank’s operations significantly. The Director General will collaborate closely with Sector Vice Presidents and Directors to deliver the Bank’s regional programs and drive transformational development outcomes.
Key responsibilities include:
- Spearheading business development efforts and expanding the Bank’s investments across the region.
- Working with internal and external partners to identify and accelerate private sector investments.
- Leading the identification of potential projects for Bank funding and facilitating their presentation at the annual African Investment Forum.
Additional Key Objectives:
The Director General will be responsible for achieving a range of strategic objectives, including but not limited to:
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Advancing Regional Integration: Spearheading the development and implementation of major regional infrastructure and development projects, while supporting the growth and effectiveness of Regional Economic Communities (RECs).
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Strengthening Human and Institutional Capacity: Enhancing the institutional capabilities of countries and empowering the Bank’s capacity to lead in the creation of knowledge products and advisory services.
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Fostering Strategic Partnerships: Cultivating strong collaborations with bilateral and multilateral finance and development institutions, driving increased co-financing opportunities and loan syndications.
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Supporting Fragile States: Developing and deploying specialized programs and advisory services to bolster fragile states, addressing their unique challenges.
Director General Responsibilities:
The Director General will operationalize the Bank’s mandate through the following key actions:
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Team Development: Building a highly skilled and motivated team, including country managers, program officers, and administrative and technical staff from sector and development support complexes. This will elevate project quality and ensure the delivery of high-caliber portfolios that meet the diverse needs of regional member countries and the private sector.
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Strategic Support for Countries: Assisting countries in formulating country strategy papers and regional integration strategies, driving local ownership, and ensuring accelerated delivery of the Bank’s operational priorities.
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Project Origination and Sourcing: Developing critical resources and technical expertise necessary for identifying and originating bankable projects, particularly in collaboration with the private sector on initiatives with significant regional social impact.
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Streamlining Project Completion: Improving internal processes to ensure the timely and efficient completion of projects, enhancing operational efficiency, and expediting disbursements for all approved projects.
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Enhancing Value for Money: Promoting cost-effectiveness across all operations, ensuring that country and regional offices operate within budgetary constraints through prudent financial and human resource management.
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Fostering Accountability: Establishing a culture of accountability across all country offices in the region, ensuring results-oriented management and operational excellence.
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Promoting a Unified Bank Culture: Cultivating a “ONE-Bank” ethos, upholding the highest standards of ethics, fiduciary responsibility, and professionalism to protect and enhance the Bank’s reputation.
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Representing the Bank: Serving as the Bank’s primary representative in the region, fostering strong partnerships with governments, regional economic communities, and other key development partners.
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Effective Staff Management: Ensuring the efficient management of country and regional office staff, overseeing day-to-day operations and optimizing performance.
Reporting Line:
The Director General will report directly to the Vice President for Regional Development, Integration, and Business Delivery.
Key Competencies (Skills, Experience, and Knowledge):
Desired Qualifications and Experience:
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Educational Background: A Master’s degree in Finance, Project Management, Business Administration, Economics, Business Law, or a related field.
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Professional Experience: A minimum of 15 years of relevant experience in international development finance or with a top-tier private sector financial institution, with at least 10 years in a senior management role.
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Proven Track Record: A demonstrated history of successfully managing complex projects, portfolios, country engagements, and partner relationships across Africa, with substantial experience in project planning, development, and execution.
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Leadership and Partnership Skills: A proven ability to engage effectively with senior leaders in the public, private, and civil society sectors, while mobilizing partners for transformative outcomes.
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Language Proficiency: The ability to communicate fluently in both English and/or French, with proficiency in the other language being highly desirable. Strong written and oral communication skills are essential.
Key Competencies and Performance Requirements for the Role
Business Acumen
- Comprehensive knowledge of multilateral development institutions, their strategies, and operational challenges.
- Deep understanding of the critical elements necessary for delivering and evaluating development outcomes in Africa through targeted projects and programs.
- Strong ability to forge meaningful connections across sectors to enhance development impact at both country and regional levels.
- Advanced negotiation skills, demonstrated success in securing favorable outcomes with senior stakeholders, both internally and externally.
Strategic Leadership
- Proven ability to innovate, communicate, and implement new strategic initiatives pivotal to the success of the Regional Development, Integration, and Business Delivery Complex.
- Exceptional strategic thinking, coupled with the ability to translate concepts into actionable and sustainable projects and programs.
- Skilled in leading the Bank’s activities through uncertain and challenging circumstances, with a focus on effective strategy execution.
Results-Driven Execution
- Expertise in project planning, development, and management, with a track record of delivering and overseeing high-quality portfolios.
- Demonstrated capacity to take informed business risks and make timely, well-considered decisions that drive results.
- Resilience and capability to perform under pressure in a dynamic, multicultural, and geographically dispersed organization.
Team Leadership
- Strong ability to design long-term plans and programs aimed at enhancing staff competencies in alignment with the Bank’s strategic priorities.
- Proven track record in building and leading motivated, high-performing teams across functional and geographic boundaries.
- Ability to inspire and sustain staff commitment, fostering a culture of professional excellence and continuous development.
- High adaptability and resilience in managing successful organizational change processes.
Relationship Building and Influence
- Expertise in cultivating and strengthening partnerships internally across functions and externally with key institutions, promoting regional integration and development.
- Skilled in developing constructive working relationships at the highest levels within the Bank and with external stakeholders, effectively addressing complex and often contentious issues.
- Ability to listen attentively and communicate effectively with stakeholders at senior levels across diverse sectors.
- Strong negotiating skills in both English and French, facilitating effective collaboration and problem-solving.
The roles will be located at the African Development Bank’s regional development and business delivery offices. The Director-General (DG) will be required to travel frequently to the Bank’s headquarters, country offices, and across their respective region to work closely with teams and strategically engage with key stakeholders and partners.
This position offers a dynamic scope, which is not confined to the responsibilities outlined above. It is expected to evolve over time in line with further organizational reviews.
Position Classification and Employment Terms
This position is categorized as International Recruitment and is subject to international terms and conditions of employment.
Only applicants who meet the Bank’s requirements and are shortlisted for further assessment will be contacted. Applicants should submit a concise and updated Curriculum Vitae (CV), along with any other documents as specified in the application instructions. The President of the African Development Bank reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level if deemed appropriate. The Bank is committed to equal opportunities and strongly encourages female candidates to apply. Visit afdb.org
Fraud Prevention Notice
The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) does not charge any fees at any stage of the recruitment process (application, CV review, interview, or final processing). Additionally, the Bank will never request applicants’ bank account information. The AfDB also disassociates itself from any fraudulent job offers or unauthorized use of its name.
Dual Nationality Policy
Please note that the African Development Bank does not accept dual nationality. If hired, applicants must declare the nationality they wish to be considered for throughout their career. Supporting documents such as a passport, national identity card, or certificate must be uploaded as part of the application process.
