Divisional Manager – Syndications and Co-Financing at the African Development Bank (AfDB)

African Development Bank (AfDB) – 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 80 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. The Bank is seeking to build a management team that will lead the successful implementation of this vision.

Reference: ADB/17/143/3
Location: Côte d’Ivoire
Grade: PL2
Position N°: 50092453

The Complex
The Vice Presidency for Finance oversees the financial management of the Bank Group.
This encompasses the Bank Group’s treasury activities including borrowings from the capital markets and investment activities; controllership functions including financial reporting and loan administration; strategic resource mobilization and the strengthening of the non-statutory financial resources and instruments; the overall asset/liability management for the Bank Group.

The Hiring Department/Division
The Syndications and Financial Technical Services department within the Finance complex will;
Provide centralized syndications to the entire Bank group cutting across both public and private sectors lending activities and across products;
Establish and coordinate the achievement of bank-wide mobilization targets and Key Performance Indicators;
Serve as a platform to build institutional capacity for two related activities, namely balance sheet management (risk mitigation on the existing portfolio) and agency functions which are the back office activities needed to support a full service syndication function.

The Position
Under the oversight of the Department’s Director, the Division Manager has the overall responsibility to:
Establish the African Development Bank as the leading arranger of syndicated development co-financing in Africa;
Mobilize funding from all external investors – commercial banks, Development Finance Institutions, Export Credit Agencies, Pension Funds, etc. – to leverage the development impact of deployment of the Banks’s risk capital;
Mobilize resources from the many development partners and other related agencies with whom the African Development Bank has ongoing relationships or with whom otherwise Memorandums of Understanding have been signed;
Integrate syndication and co-financing into operations, so that the mobilization of external funding becomes the standard business model;
Support investment officers and task managers in identifying co-financing opportunities and promoting the unit’s products to borrowers / sponsors;
Assist with the structuring and pricing of proposals by feeding back market intelligence;
Enable the Bank to manage its existing portfolio of assets through secondary sales/securitizations and any other balance sheet optimization mechanism.

Duties and Responsibilities
The Divisional Manager-Syndications and Co- financing will:
Manage the resources of the division to maximize its effectiveness in supporting investment officers and task managers, marketing investors and executing transactions;
Provide structuring guidance to Investment Officers and actively participate in presenting proposals and mandate letters to clients, emphasizing the benefits of syndication and financing;
Establish working relationships with the widest possible group of commercial co-financiers;
Execute A/B-loan co-financings and Development Financial Institutions’ syndications, sharing responsibilities where appropriate with co-arrangers;
Conduct market soundings, pricing and provide risk appetite feedback to senior management for their consideration;
Review syndication guidelines and make recommendations for amendments and improvements;
Develop internal operational processes and procedures for the division;
develop training, communication and marketing material and conduct staff and co-financiers information campaign
Act as deputy and Officer-In-Charge in the absence of the departmental Director;
Identify existing assets for potential secondary sale, obtain market feedback on likely cost of sale and, where applicable, seek all necessary approvals;
Work with, inter alia, Operations (both public and private) / Financial Control / Financial Treasury, Financial Management, Legal and other departments within the Bank to establish capacity to act as agent for all B-loans, Development Financial Institutions’ syndications and other co-financings.

Selection Criteria
Including desirable skills, knowledge and experience:
Hold at least of a Master’s Degree or equivalent in Finance, Economics or Business Administration or related disciplines
A minimum experience of ten (10) years acquired in a reputable financial institution and at least 5 which should be in a supervisory capacity. A track record of direct responsibility for at least 5 successfully executed syndications deals is required;
Private sector experience will be an added advantage;
The ability to propose innovative and creative approaches to activities in order to enhance performance and create added benefits to the Bank and its clients;
The ability to communicate clearly and concisely and work with others to maximize team effectiveness and develop strong working relationships within and outside of the Organization.
Ability to apply business knowledge to the resolution of problems and identifies solutions to the benefit of the client (internal and external) and the Organization
Demonstrable knowledge and application of the systems, procedures and culture within the Organization in order to deliver the required results.
Working knowledge of a range of financing alternatives and financial instruments and ability to conduct a range of financial analysis and understanding of project financing process.
Strong analytical, quantitative and financial market skills
Ability to plan strategically in an uncertain environment and achieve desired results timely.
Good negotiating skills
Ability to lead, guide, develop, mentor and motivate staff members to achieve optimum performance in their roles.
Ability to communicate effectively (written and oral) in English or French with a good working knowledge of the other language.
Proficient in the use of standard MS Office software applications, particularly Word, PowerPoint, Excel and SAP.