Reporting to: Head, Intra-African Trade Initiative
Responsible for: Head Office Intra-African Trade Business Development
Vision & Purpose
The role is supposed to help the Bank to achieve its mission “stimulating a consistent expansion of and diversification of African trade so as to rapidly increase Africa’s share of global trade, while operating as a first class, profit oriented, socially responsible financial institution and a centre of excellence in African trade matters” by developing opportunities for trade facilitation and market access for intra African trade finance, projects and export development finance at the continental and regional level.
Nature & scope
The position holder is supposed to assist and support the Head of the IATI in:
- defining the policy space within which intra-African trade should be enhanced;
- drawing up the framework and rules of implementation, and then
- putting into place the tools and processes at operational level.
Duties and responsibilities
- Preparation of an annual Intra-African Trade Facilitation Plan, derived from the Bank’s Strategic Plan for Management’s Approval;
- Implementing approved trade facilitation plans and strategies for facilitating the deepening and expansion of various activities of intra-African trade;
- Initiating and actively securing mandates, MoUs and collaboration agreements for executing all initiatives aimed at easing intra-African trade flows, including among others, the following:
- Policy advocacy and government relations, including relationships with Regional Economic Communities;
- Resource mobilization for major regional infrastructure projects, including convening conferences;
- Managing an efficient Intra-African Trade Information and Export Advisory Services;
- Managing important partnerships necessary for delivery of the Bank’s intra African trade strategic objectives.
- Assist in building capacity and training of partner institutions on related subject matter to ensure that they will be better placed to implement and rigorously apply required conventions and standards to facilitate the flow of regional and continental trade.
- Take responsibility for conceptualizing and implementing Afreximbank-driven intra-African Trade Fairs.
- Carry out related research work with partner institutions to identify exisiting bottlenecks to intra-African trade and propose solutions as well as implementing monitoring and evaluation mechanisms that highlight required changes to existing facilitation mechanisms to enhance intra-African trade
- As may be delegated by Senior Management, representing the Bank in high level meetings, fora and making presentations in conformity with the high standards for which the Bank has become known.
Skills, Knowledge and Attitude
- Bachelor’s degree and post graduate degree in Economics, International Trade, or other trade related disciplines from a recognized University or a recognized post graduate professional qualification in a relevant area;
- Sound experience of at least 10 years with a leading trade policy and facilitation consulting firm, think tank, or development/international finance institution and familiarity with the practical solutions that should be applied at macro and micro level to enhance the growth of intra-African trade;
- Knowledge of existing regional and international trade conventions and protocols e.g regional trade blocs agreements, WTO, WCO, UNCTAD
- Demonstrated experience of bilateral and multilateral trade related negotiations
- Knowledge of ttrade finance related products that can be deployed to enhance trade in the maritime, aviation and road transport spheres and products and instruments that can be used to to facilitate trade related loans especially structured trade finance, syndication, co-financing, club deals, correspondent banking products including documentary credit, factoring, forfaiting, structured trade finance, risk bearing, corporate finance risk participations, project-related financing;
- Ability to communicate and function in a culturally diverse and change oriented setting with good knowledge of banking practices in Africa;
- Ability to interact with senior officials of national, regional and international trade facilitation bodies and national governments and to represent the Bank in important professional fora where oral presentation of papers will be necessary to high level technical and professional audiences;
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English. Knowledge of the Bank’s other working languages is an added advantage (French, Arabic and Portuguese);
- Demonstrated leadership capabilities, including ability to organize and manage human resources to attain goals.
Ability to demonstrate proof of passion and commitment to the socio-economic empowerment of African countries and the ability to support the achievement of Afreximbank’s mandate