Director – Peace Fund Secretariat at the African Union (AU)

The African Union (AU) is a continental body consisting of the 55 member states that make up the countries of the African Continent. It was officially launched in 2002 as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU, 1963-1999).  We are an Integrated, Prosperous and Peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena.

We are recruiting to fill the position of:

Job Title: Director – Peace Fund Secretariat

Requisition ID: 1088
Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Reports to: Chairperson of the Commission
Directorate: Peace Fund Secretariat
Number of Direct Reports: 9
Number of Indirect Reports: 0
Job Grade: D1
Contract  Type: Regular

Purpose of Job

• To provide strategic and technical leadership for the effective management and operations of the Peace Fund secretariat at the African Union.

Main Functions

• Ensures that the work programme and annual budget of the Peace Fund are developed and submits to the Executive Management Committee for review prior to submission to the Board of Trustees.
• Ensures the provision of a secretarial function for the Peace Fund Board of Trustees.
• Ensures that the operating rules and procedures of the Secretariat and the Peace Fund are developed and maintained.
• Provides technical leadership and ensures efficient functioning of all divisions.
• Leads the Secretariat and ensures effective      management of personnel, budget, performance, quality, employees relations matters and training in conformity with relevant applicable rules and procedures.
• Determines, develops and executes the overall strategy of the Peace Fund and ensures alignment with Commission-wide approach.
• Consults with the relevant Peace and Security AU organs to ensure alignment with Peace Fund projects and priorities.
• Designs and develops a business continuity plan to address unforeseen circumstances.
• Develops and oversees policy development and guidelines according to the AU’s legal framework and goals.
• Manages risks and recommends mitigation strategies.
• Prepares and oversees integrated programmes projects of overall activities of the Peace Fund.
• Builds and maintains a strategic plan to form good working relations with other directorates/departments.
• Develops and maintains regular working relations with top level stakeholders in appropriate agencies of Member States and partners.
• Ensures the organisation of meetings between the Peace Fund stakeholders and other relevant partners.
• Ensures the preparation of periodic financial and budget execution reports and other reports.
• Oversees the collection of contributed funds to the Peace Fund.
• Initiates and takes necessary actions to collect funds of and for the Peace Fund.
• Proposes training programmes relating to programme designing and coordination.
• Promotes awareness and training of best practices in area of expertise.

Specific Responsibilities

• Sets the vision and priorities of the Peace Fund through translation of the aspirations of the AU Agenda 2063 into concrete implementable programmes.
• Determines annual performance targets for the Peace Fund and reports on progress to the Board of Trustees and the Executive Management Committee.
• Provides regular reports to the Chairperson of the Commission on portfolio delivery.
• Conducts regular engagement and collaboration with, and timely reporting to the PRC and respective subcommittees.
• Drives the implementation of the AU Institutional Reform Agenda as part of the senior leadership team.
• Leads partnership negotiations and resource mobilisation with Strategic Partners to finance the Peace Fund’s programmes and priorities.
• Collaborates with other members of the senior leadership team to ensure strategic coherence and overall synergy in the implementation of the Commission’s programme and the delivery of high impact results for the continent.
• Supervises Peace Fund staff and inspires high performance and delivery across the portfolio.
• Develops and implements strategies that will ensure the long-term sustainability of the Peace Fund.
• Establishes and maintains effective relationships between the Secretariat and the Fund’s stakeholders, namely other departments and organs of the African Union, the Executive Management Committee, Advisory Panel, Board of Trustees, AU Member States, International Co-operating Partners and any other contributors to the Peace Fund.
• Ensures that the Independent Evaluation Group receives the requisite support from the Peace Fund and its stakeholders to fulfil its mandate without undue hindrance.
• Promotes collaboration and co-operation between the Peace Fund’s stakeholders and ensures that their interests, aims and expectations are embraced in decision-making processes.
• Leads the Secretariat’s efforts to support the governing structures of the Peace Fund.
• Isolates and resolves administrative bottlenecks in progress reports from officers, managers and other governance structures of the Peace Fund.
• Co-ordinates the Secretariat’s interactions with the Fund Manager and oversees      implementation of accountability mechanisms for the Fund Manager.
• Recruits and retains professional staff for the Secretariat, ensuring that selection is open, transparent and based on merit, taking into account geographic and gender balance, in accordance with the organisational structure and administrative budget approved by the Board of Trustees.
• Leads the Secretariat’s team of professionals, responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Peace Fund to ensure effective and efficient financial management, sustainable resource mobilisation, and effective monitoring and evaluation.
• Manages and develops staff to maximise performance and promote an inclusive and healthy working environment by: (i) providing regular and structured performance feedback to Secretariat staff, (ii) identifying capacity development needs and supporting interventions for improving Secretariat staff’s capacity to deliver on the Peace Fund’s objectives.
• Oversees the preparation of the Peace Fund’s annual work plans and budgets.

Academic Requirements and Relevant Experience

• Master’s Degree in International Development, Conflict Studies, Public Policy, Masters in Business Administration, Finance, Management, or closely related fields from a recognised institution.
• Minimum of fifteen (15) years of relevant professional experience with at least eight (8) years served in a managerial role and five (5) years at supervisory level, preferably in global or regional multilateral institutions, or within national governments.

Required Skills:

• Leadership and management skills
• Negotiation and interpersonal skills
• Planning and organisational skills
• Research and Analytical skills
• Communication, report writing and presentation skills
• Knowledge in the use of Microsoft office suite
• Proficiency in one of the AU working languages, fluency in another AU language is an added advantage.

Leadership Competencies:

• Strategic Focus
• Developing Organizational Capability
• Change Leadership
• Strategic Risk Management

Core Competencies:

• Building Partnerships
• Drives Accountability Culture
• Learning Orientation
• Communicating with impact

Functional Competencies:

• Conceptual Thinking
• Job Knowledge and information sharing
• Drive for Results
• Fosters Innovation

Tenure of Appointment

• The appointment will be made on a regular term contract for a period of three (3) years, of which the first twelve months shall be considered as a probationary period.
• Thereafter, the contract will be for a period of two years renewable, subject to satisfactory performance and deliverables.

Gender Mainstreaming:

• The AU Commission is an equal opportunity employer and qualified women are strongly encouraged to apply.

Languages:

• Proficiency in one of the AU working languages (Arabic, English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish) and fluency in another AU language is an added advantage.

Remuneration
Indicative basic salary of US$78,138.00 (D1 Step1) per annum plus other related entitlements e.g. Post adjustment (46% of basic salary), Housing allowance US$ 26,208.00 (per annum), and education allowance (100% of tuition and other education-related expenses for every eligible dependent up to a maximum of US$ 10,000.00 per child per annum), for internationally recruited staff and a maximum of $3,300 per child per annum for locally recruited staff.

Deadline: 2nd May, 2022.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online