The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) is the premier pan-African development institution, promoting economic growth and social progress across the continent. 

POSITION : Principal Social Protection Officer

The Hiring Department

• Within the Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery Complex, the Bank has five (5) Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery Directorates, one in each region of Africa: North, South, East, West, and Central. Each Regional Directorate is headed by a Director General and is staffed with the relevant sectoral functions and administrative capabilities for rapid delivery of services to client countries.
• The Regional Directorates provide overall strategic direction to country offices within the regions and are responsible for the Bank’s operations, business development, project management and overall effective delivery of the Bank’s High 5s :‘Light Up and Power Africa’, ‘Feed Africa,’ ‘Industrialize Africa,’ ‘Integrate Africa,’ and ‘Improve the Quality of Life for the People of Africa’.
• The mission of the Agriculture, Human & Social Development Division is to contribute to the Bank’s efforts to reduce poverty and promote sustainable development in Regional Member Countries. It does so by:
  • Contributing to development of country and regional strategies and building sector knowledge and
  • Focusing on project/programme origination and delivery for approval of operations defined under the High 5 priorities.
• The Human Capital, Youth and Skills Development Department, within the Agriculture, Human and Social Development Complex will spearhead the achievement of the High 5s on “Improving the Quality of Life of People in Africa” and contribute to the other High 5s.
• The Department has two divisions:
  • Education, Human Capital and Skills Development Division which focuses on scaling-up of Bank’s support to education, human capital and employment/livelihoods; and
  • Public Health, Security and Nutrition Division focusing on strengthening health systems and nutrition for human wellbeing. It also hosts various pertinent initiatives and trust funds.
• Specifically, the Job for youth and Social Protection division work within the following thematic areas:
  • Technical and vocational education and training development for employability, self-employment and job creation;
  • Inclusive basic and non-formal education opportunities;
  • Public-private partnership and entrepreneurship;
  • Informal sector strengthening;
  • Livelihood restoration in post-conflict settings;
  • Africa’s response to migration.

The Position

• The Principal social protection officer will be responsible to provide substantive technical and operational knowledge and support to the Regional delivery office (southern Africa) management and staff as well as Regional Member Countries in Southern Africa to implement effective social protection/youth employment policies and programmes/projects for poverty and inequality reduction.

Responsibilities

• Prepare studies and analysis within the framework of approved economic and sectoral programmes to identify suitable projects, policies , priorities and institutional issues especially in relation to Social protection, youth employment and gender equality;
• Engage in policy dialogue and provide advisory services to Regional Member Countries on identified social protection issues;
• Contribute Country Strategic Papers and, Regional Integration Strategic Papers by providing socio-economic analysis to recommendations to strengthen Bank responses to social protection and other key social issues in the region or country.
• Provide technical guidance and advise to support Bank teams in Regional hubs on policy dialogue and social protection programmes.
• Develop partnerships with the private sector, multilateral and bilateral Agencies on issues relevant to the Directorate’s mandate.
• Design and lead regional of sub regional events to strengthen visibility, capacity and support for social protection in Regional Member Countries
• Lead and contribute in developing new projects and programs as well as manage existing projects in the area of social protection and youth employment;
• Contribute to the enhancement of the Bank’s sectoral policies and strategies in key Social Development domains such as Social Protection and Youth Employment;
• Perform any other related duties required by the Director and/or Division Manager.

Selection Criteria

• A Master's Degree or its equivalent in Business Development, Social Economics, Economics, Sociology, Law, Labour Economics, or any related field.
• 6 years of professional experience in social protection and/ or youth employment programs.
• Experience in handling operations in the sector in national and international organisations is a requirement;
• Experience in providing support to peers in social protection and youth employment analysis and innovative and new strategic thinking, innovative design of programmes and projects;
• Ability to work independently with little or no supervision;
• Good networking and relationship management skills;
• Communicate and write effectively in French or English, with a good working knowledge of the other language;
• Knowledge of Portuguese language is an added advantage;
• Competence in the use of standard Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint); knowledge of SAP is desirable.
• Demonstrated experience in engaging with senior government officials, private sector, development partners and other stakeholders;
• Experience in resource mobilization is an advantage;
• Having private sector experience will be an added advantage;
• Demonstrable knowledge of Social Protection, Youth employment and other key social development issues as they relate to High Five 5: ‘Improving the living conditions of people in Africa’;
• Advisory and policy advocacy expertise;
• Effective communicator with excellent written and verbal communications skills;
• Ability to deal with sensitive issues in a multi-cultural environment and to build effective working relations with colleagues;