Prosperity Fund Programme Advisor at the British High Commission (BHC)

The British Government is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer.  We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organisational capability. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or other category protected by law. We promote family-friendly flexible working opportunities, where operational and security needs allow.

We are recruiting to fill the vacant position below:

Job Title: Prosperity Fund Programme Advisor – Business Environment and Future Cities

Ref No: 03/18 LOS
Location: Lagos
Grade: C4 (L)
Type of Position: Fixed term, with possibility of renewal
Duration of Post: 12 months
Job Category: Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Policy & Political roles)
Job Subcategory: Economic and Prosperity
Reports to: The Prosperity Team Leader in Lagos
Start Date: 1st March, 2018.

Main Purpose of Job

• As Programme Adviser for the “Easing the Business Environment” and “Future Cities” Prosperity Fund programmes in Nigeria, you will work to build strong relationships with international and local implementers, UK and Nigerian Government officials and private sector and civil society in Nigeria to help deliver programme objectives.

Roles and Responsibilities

On 25 November 2015, the UK Chancellor announced a new cross-Whitehall Prosperity Fund with the primary aim of supporting growth in partner countries. This Fund came into effect on 1 April 2016. Nigeria is priority partner country for the Fund in a number of multi-year, thematic programmes aimed at promoting sustainable and inclusive prosperity. This role will be as programme advisor to two of these programmes, Business Environment and Future Cities.

The Business Environment programme will support business environment reforms in Nigeria in partnership with multilateral expertise from the World Bank Group that will improve the investment climate in Nigeria by tackling barriers to inclusive growth and poverty reduction. The successful candidate will provide a steering role with the World Bank to ensure activities are aligned with programme objectives and UK prosperity objective.

The Future Cities programme is aimed at unlocking private and public investment in energy, infrastructure and urban development in Lagos and the corridor to Abeokuta/Ogun State. Cities are drivers of economic, job creation and magnets for international development but poor urban planning, including lack of urban transport, reliable power, clean water and sanitation vastly reduces economic potential.

The successful candidate will work with implementers to provide UK advice and technical advice in helping to lead, plan, design and implement future cities. Both programmes will open up opportunities for two-way mutually beneficial trade between the UK and Nigeria.

80% Programme Management:

• Lead on the management for the Enabling the Business Environment and Future cities programmes in Nigeria by working with contracted management agents, multilateral partners and implementation partners. You will build relationships with these partners and their local supply chain to ensure that programme objectives are reached and delivery is monitored.
• Pre-empt and attempt to mitigate any risks as these projects develop, and informing Prosperity colleagues in Nigeria and London to ensure programmes deliver their stated intentions. This may include intervening with stakeholders and robustly representing UK Government interests.
• Present updates on these programmes at Prosperity and strategy boards, as well as oversee any local governance boards, alongside other representatives from across the High Commission, to ensure that implementers’ activities are in line with programme and UK-Nigeria prosperity objectives, and are delivering impact. 
• Lead internal and external communication on the programmes in Nigeria to ensure UK Governmenthas recognition for this work.
• Undertake regular travel to Abeokuta/wider Ogun State as part of the Future cities programme work, and travel to Abuja as required and no less than once a quarter.

20% Policy Delivery and Advice:

• Monitor the current business regulatory environment in Nigeria and build knowledge of the
• development opportunities in the Future Cities sphere, with attention to opportunities and risks that may impact on the programmes objectives. 
• Build relationships with key decision makers in Nigeria’s government, civil society and private sector in support of these programmes, looking to leverage these and UK diplomatic engagement to drive forward regulatory and policy shifts in support of prosperity objectives.
• Provide reporting on your analysis and meetings on programmes to UK government colleagues. Coordinate your work with others in the British High Commission and Deputy High Commission, as well as relevant government departments in London to ensure these programmes are fully coordinated with the other parts of the Prosperity Fund and relevant High Commission programmes and workstreams.

Who would this job suit?

• This will be an ideal job for flexible, motivated self-starter who has strong programme management and stakeholder engagement skills.
• A successful applicant would need to demonstrate a combination of business environment and urban development subject knowledge, with an ability to use self-directed study to learn further about these areas as the programmes develop.
• Applicants will also need to demonstrate strong communication skills to work in a team and influence others. Local travel will be required, including to Abuja and parts of Ogun State.
• No direct line management is envisaged at this time. However team management and/or leadership experience is preferred given the jobholder will be responsible for ensuring strategic direction of the programmes as a whole and leading, negotiating with others.

Essential Qualifications, Skills and Experience 

• Internationally recognized qualifications and or at least 2 years’ experience in project / programme management and delivery
• Solid knowledge of current business regulation in Nigeria and ongoing efforts to improve business environment to attract international trade and investment
• Excellent oral and written English communication skills with ability to tailor communications appropriately to suit audience, including senior UK and Nigerian Government officials;
• A flexible and creative problem-solver, able to work collaboratively with stakeholders on innovative solutions to complex challenges and challenge assumptions
• IT ability in MS Office applications i.e. Outlook, Excel, Word and PowerPoint

Desirable Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• Any additional technical qualifications or experience relating to urban infrastructure and planning
• Experience with international development agencies associations
• Regional knowledge and experience of dealing with government useful

Required Competencies: 

• Seeing the Big Picture, Making Effective Decisions, Leading and Communicating, Collaborating and Partnering

Additional information:

• This role is Lagos based and reports to the Prosperity Team Leader in Lagos.
• Local travel will be required.

Starting Monthly Salary
N745,870

Other benefits and conditions of employmen:

• The successful applicant will have access to a range of Learning and Development opportunities provided in-house and possible overseas training, these include:
• Prosperity Fund training; and
• Programme management and delivery.

Application Closing Date
12th February, 2018.

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