- Job Title: Principal Transport Engineer
- Location: Yaoundé, Cameroon
- Grade: PL4
- Position ID: 50065415
- Date Posted: April 5, 2024
- Application Deadline: May 4, 2024
THE BANK:
Founded in 1964, the African Development Bank stands as the foremost pan-African development institution, dedicated to fostering economic growth and social advancement throughout the continent. With 81 member states, including 54 in Africa (Regional Member Countries), the Bank is committed to providing financial and technical backing for transformative projects that will significantly alleviate poverty by promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth. To sharpen the focus of the Ten-Year Strategy (2023 – 2032) and ensure a more profound developmental impact, five key areas (High 5s) have been identified for intensified efforts, namely energy, agro-business, industrialization, integration, and enhancing the quality of life for Africa’s population.
THE COMPLEX:
The Vice Presidency for Private Sector, Infrastructure, and Industrialization plays a pivotal role in the Bank’s mission to cultivate the private sector, enhance infrastructure, and expedite industrial growth. The complex’s primary functions include (i) enhancing the environment conducive to private sector and financial sector development for inclusive growth and sustainable development, (ii) fostering the development of robust and sustainable infrastructure, encompassing cities and urban development, and (iii) placing renewed emphasis on industrial and trade performance to support structural transformation across Africa. Leveraging knowledge, co-financing, and partnerships, the Complex aims to attract private capital and collaborate with governments to realize the Bank’s development agenda.
THE BANK: THE EMPLOYMENT DIVISION:
The Infrastructure and Urban Development Department (PICU) supports the Regional Member Countries (RMCs) of the Bank by providing loans and grants for transportation projects and programs, as well as non-lending knowledge resources to develop and execute transportation sector policies and strategies. This includes implementing sector reforms to integrate best practices into policy-making, planning, programming, institutional governance, and maintenance and operations.
The Infrastructure and Urban Development Department aims to promote the progress of infrastructure and urban areas in Africa through the detailed design of appropriate interventions eligible for financing by the Bank at regional, national, or continental levels.
THE ROLE:
- The Principal Transport Engineer will facilitate the realization of the Bank Group’s strategic vision for transport infrastructure and associated services, while identifying future areas for sectoral intervention. Key responsibilities for this role include:
OBJECTIVES:
- Enhancing the development of transport infrastructure and the sector overall, while reinforcing and updating the Bank Group’s comprehension of the sector’s contribution to national development.
- Direct involvement in the preparation, supervision, and execution of transport sector projects.
- Active engagement in donor coordination and dialogues via the Country Transport Sector Working Group, which involves development partners engaged in the transport sector.
- Mobilizing resources, particularly through co-financing and other avenues, to support targeted activities within the Bank Group’s transport sector initiatives.
- Collaborating with pertinent national authorities and stakeholders to provide counsel on future transport sector investments by the Bank Group.
- Collaborating with other regional transport sector experts and economists within the regional office to contribute to knowledge management efforts, ensuring that best practices, lessons learned, and effective institutional/governance approaches are integrated into project design.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Policy and Strategy Development:Under the supervision of the Regional Sector Manager and general guidance of the Sector Director, the incumbent will be responsible for:
- Supporting the formulation of policies and strategies for the transport sector both within the Bank and in Regional Member Countries (RMCs), in consultation with relevant government bodies, development partners, and stakeholders.
ADVISORY AND PROGRAMMING:
- Government Advisory and Programming:In this role, the responsibilities include:
- Providing advisory services to governments on policy and institutional reforms within the transport sector, with a focus on areas such as Planning and Programming, transport network expansion, asset management and maintenance, and Private Sector Participation.
- Actively participating in and contributing to country and regional programming activities (CSP and RISP) to ensure that critical sector issues and proposed solutions are appropriately incorporated into resulting country/regional programming documents.
- Conducting analytical and sector-specific research to inform and support the Bank’s downstream interventions in project and program design within the transport sector.
Contributing to Pipeline and Financing Framework for Transport Projects
- Providing Expertise in Transport Sector Development
- Offer specialized technical guidance focused on transport sector initiatives, encompassing roads, highways, ports, airports, inland waterways, railways, and related infrastructure projects.
- Identify suitable projects for integration into the Bank Group’s transport sector lending program.
- Formulate project concept notes outlining critical development issues, project objectives, risk assessments, budgetary considerations, and timelines for managerial decisions.
- Leading Implementation Monitoring of Transport Initiatives
- Supervise ongoing transport projects, actively tracking progress and ensuring adherence to project timelines.
- Oversee and monitor procurement activities for goods, works, and services in alignment with Bank Group regulations.
- Review borrower submissions, including tender lists, bidding documents, evaluation reports, and contract-related materials.
- Lead or participate in midterm project reviews, sector portfolio assessments, and country-specific portfolio evaluations, culminating in comprehensive reports.
- Manage fiduciary responsibilities, ensuring procurement compliance and adherence to loan/grant agreement provisions to safeguard the Bank’s interests and objectives.
Engaging in Sector Dialogue and Donor Coordination
- Advising on Financing Requirements and Policy Negotiations
- Provide counsel to regional member countries on the Bank Group’s financing needs within the transport sector.
- Serve as a primary liaison with government officials and spokespersons for the Bank Group, engaging in negotiations on sensitive policy and sector reform matters with borrowers and stakeholders.
- Coordinate efforts with development partners and regional member countries (RMCs) to ensure consistency in approaches, exchange of experiences, and enhancement of practices in managing transport sector policies.
- Collaborating for Best Practices Dissemination in Transport
- Develop and curate a comprehensive knowledge repository focused on the transport sector, staying updated on policy, planning, institutional development, design and construction, financing, operations, maintenance, and regulatory developments.
- Offer expert support to heads of executing agencies, advising on various transport sector issues, project priorities, technical considerations, and Bank procedural guidelines, particularly regarding procurement and disbursement.
- Contribute to advocacy activities, disseminating knowledge and promoting awareness on pertinent transport sector issues.
Key Qualifications:
- Possess a minimum of a Master’s degree in Civil or Transportation Engineering or a related discipline.
- Require at least six (6) years of practical experience within the transportation sector, demonstrating proficiency in policy development, institutional frameworks, and financial aspects of transport initiatives.
- Proven track record in overseeing road and other transport infrastructure projects, including contract management, procurement, and project planning for capital and maintenance activities.
- Familiarity with private sector engagement and its impact on economic growth and poverty alleviation.
Technical Expertise:
- Apply advanced technical expertise within the transport domain to guide Project/Country teams and stakeholders on policy formulation and institutional enhancements.
- Comprehensive understanding of project life cycles and robust experience in result-driven project oversight.
- Exhibit adeptness in team leadership, effectively addressing and managing multifaceted challenges within transport project design and execution to promote broader development objectives such as poverty alleviation.
- Deep knowledge of roads and highways development, relevant institutions, and regulatory frameworks.
Professional Skills:
- Proficient in decision-making, collaborative teamwork, and self-driven motivation.
- Demonstrated proficiency in policy dialogue, adept at identifying and addressing critical policy matters through constructive engagement with governments and stakeholders.
- Fluency in spoken and written French is essential; proficiency in English is advantageous.
- Competency in utilizing standard software tools (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint) and familiarity with SAP systems.
International Employment Status:
- This role falls under international classification, offering corresponding terms and conditions of employment.
Technical Support:
- If you encounter technical issues while submitting your application, kindly email a detailed description of the problem or a screenshot displaying the issue to HR Direct at HRDirect@AFDB.ORG.
Application Process:
- Regular Staff: Current African Development Bank regular staff members can apply for this position by clicking the button below.
- Apply for this Position
- External Candidate: If you are not presently employed by the African Development Bank, including Short Term Staff (STS), Technical Assistants, or Consultants, click the button below to submit your application.
- Apply for this Position
Eligibility Criteria:
To be eligible for this position, applicants must be nationals of an African Development Bank member country.
Application Submission:
Applicants meeting the Bank’s requirements will be contacted for further assessment.
Please provide a concise Curriculum Vitae (CV) and any specified additional documents.
The President of the African Development Bank reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level. The African Development Bank promotes equal employment opportunities and encourages female candidates to apply.
Visit African Development Bank for more details.
The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) does not require any payments from applicants at any stage of the recruitment process (including job application, CV review, interviews, and final processing of applications). Furthermore, the Bank does not ask for details regarding applicants’ bank accounts. The African Development Bank Group disclaims any responsibility for fraudulent job postings made in its name or for any unauthorized use of its name.
Please be aware that the Bank only accepts applications from individuals with single nationality. Therefore, if selected for employment, you must specify the nationality under which you wish to be considered throughout your career. Kindly provide supporting documentation such as a passport, National Identity Card, or similar government-issued identification.
