Chairman - ERERA at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is a regional group of fifteen West African countries. Founded on 28 May 1975, with the signing of the Treaty of Lagos, its mission is to promote economic integration across the region.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Chairman - ECOWAS Regional Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERERA)

Location: Accra, Ghana
Grade: D2
Status: Permanent
Agency: ECOWAS Regional Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERERA)
Line Supervisor: Commissioner, Energy And Mines

Supervising

• Council Members(Engineer, Economist, Lawyer, Finance/Accountant)
• Principal Officer, Communication
• Principal Officer Administration, HR and Finance
• Principal Programme Officer, Technical Regulation
• Principal Advisor Strategy
• Principal Internal Auditor
• Principal Officer, Head of External Relations & Communications Unit
• Office Manager
• Driver

Role Overview:

• Under the supervision of the Commissioner, Energy & Mines, the incumbent shall oversee all activities, programs, projects, policies, guidelines related to the development of the regional electricity market and regulation in the ECOWAS region.

Role and Responsibilities

• The Chairman is the Chief authorizing Officer of the Regulatory Council. He represents the Regulatory Council in all activities and represents ERERA in any case of law;
• Organizing, monitoring, coordinating and supervising all the activities of ERERA and its staff;
• Preparing the agenda, convening and chairing the Regulatory Council meetings;
• Authorizing and implementing the budget prepared by the ERERA Regulatory Council and approved by the ECOWAS Council of Ministers;
• Ensuring the dissemination and publication of decisions taken by the Regulatory Council’s on the regulation of cross-border electricity exchanges within ECOWAS and ensuring the day-to-day operation of the organization;
• Supervising activities related to Administration, Finance, Accounting and Human Resources carried out by ERERA;
• Promoting teamwork and collaboration amongst the ERERA staff under his/her direct supervision by providing clear direction and guidance, setting achievable objectives and goals and fomenting an environment that enables them to perform their duties responsibly, effectively and efficiently;
• Fostering a positive work environment, respectful of both men and women, and ensuring that the highest standards of conduct are observed in the Center;
• Identifying opportunities and implementing innovation and continuous improvement in support of organizational excellence and world-class performance;
• Updating the ECOWAS Commissioner for Energy and Mines, on an ongoing basis, on the progress and challenges faced in the implementation of programs and projects, as well as on technical, policy, strategic, administrative, financial and accounting issues and resources mobilization;
• Overseeing and monitoring all ERERA activities, ensuring opportunities are maximized to coordinate work programs, by providing technical and policy guidance and inputs and ensuring the application of the highest quality standards, within the appraisal framework of ERERA;
• Implementing of financing agreements and/or technical assistance and interacting regularly with technical and financial partners;
• Elaborating of the ERERA annual budget, following up its implementation and monitoring;
• Evaluating programs and projects implemented by the center;
• Preparing reports and their submission to the ERERA statutory bodies;
• Collaborate deeply with the West Africa Power Pool(WAPP) to develop the ECOWAS regional electricity market;
• Reinforce the capacity building of the national energy regulatory bodies;
• Perform any other as assigned to him/her by the superiors.

Academic Qualifications and Experience

• Master's degree (or equivalent) in Electrical/Electromechanical Engineering, Energy, Economics, Finance or Law from a recognized university in a discipline related to the mandate of the organization and the position.
• 15 years of progressively responsible experience in the field of energy specially in generation, transmission, distribution or sale and/or regulation, law, economics and finance financial management, diplomacy in a senior leadership capacity with a minimum of 7 years’ experience working on issues related to the ECOWAS region; experience working with Member States and delegations in the context of international organizations; extensive experience in program and project planning, financing and oversight;
• Good knowledge of institutional reforms and electricity sector regulation;
• Good knowledge of energy policy issues, in particular electricity sector institutional reforms, as well as economic issues related to cross-border electricity exchanges and electricity market management (planning, tariff/pricing, competition, funding, etc.);
• Good knowledge of Community institutions and mechanisms within the ECOWAS region, as well as proven experience in the area of electricity sector regulation in West Africa. Experience in international relations and negotiations will be an added advantage;
• Knowledge of policy and strategy development, change management and related issues, with broad geographical outcomes/impacts;
• Ability to lead the development, management/review of reports and papers on technical and policy issues;
• Knowledge of ECOWAS policies, management, administrative, budgetary and staffing systems, procedures and regulations;
• Progressive senior leadership experience in establishing strategic partnerships, working collaboratively and building consensus with multiple stakeholders on critical and/or complex issues.

Age Limit:

• Be below 50 years old. This provision does not apply to internal candidates.

Ecowas Key Competencies:

• Demonstrated passion and commitment to public service principles, values and ethics, and the practice of accountability in public sector management;
• Ability to inspire, motivate and engage others to solve problems and resolve conflicts, to modify leadership style, to meet situational requirements, and to lead successfully in uncertain and volatile environments; develops a culture where people hold themselves personally accountable for results;
• Exhibit consistency on actions, values, methods, confidentiality, ethics, measures, principles, expectations and outcomes which connotes a deep commitment to do the right thing for the right reason, regardless of the circumstances;
• Knowledge of the ECOWAS mandate, strategic plan/priorities as well as the economic, political and social state/trends of member states, especially as pertains to own scope of work.
• Ability to conduct high-stakes negotiations with high-level clients while taking account of different stakeholder agendas, cultural norms, situational factors, ECOWAS interests; demonstrates the ability to partner with internal and external clients;
• Demonstrates the ability to personally, commit to advancing ECOWAS goals for improved client services and stakeholder relations; assures appropriate measures are established to deliver client service excellence;
• Knowledge of ECOWAS member states future business requirements, balanced with an understanding of internal capacity, culture and climate.
• Understands diverse cultural views especially within west Africa, and sensitive to group differences; sees diversity as an opportunity, challenges bias and intolerance;
• Plays a leadership role in shaping the ethics, values and culture of the organization by consistently communicating and exemplifying them;
• Ability and responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work
• Ability to identify roadblocks to principles of equity, fairness and transparency, to oversee diversity indicators for planning and program development and to create a workplace free of discrimination  and harassment.
• Knowledge of ECOWAS institutions and specialized agencies, and how they interrelate as well as superior understanding of member countries, their social, economic and political opportunities and challenges, their cultural and geopolitical ties and shared common interests;
• Knowledge of ECOWAS legal framework and approaches to policy development.
• Ability to think creatively and innovating generating alternatives, visualizing new possibilities, challenging assumptions, and being open to additional information;
• Ability to analyze reporting or working relationships between several departments agencies and institutions, and recognize areas of potential obstacle or challenges and produce  solutions or alternatives to achieve strategic priorities;
• Ability to obtain information, opinions and recommendations from various sources to inform decisions, produce conclusions and to drive change.
• Communicates strategically, considering such aspects as optimal message timing, and form of communication; skillfully handles complex on-the-spot questions from others, such as senior public officials, special interest groups, citizens or the media;
• Proficiency in  information communication technologies(ICT);
• Fluency in oral and written expressions in one of the ECOWAS official languages of the Community (English, French & Portuguese). Knowledge of an additional one will be an added advantage.
• Ability to develop clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjust priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing tasks;
• Foresee risks and provide for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary and use time efficiently;
• Translate the strategic direction, including vision, mission and values into effective strategies; develops, leads and ensures meaningful communication of shared vision, values, mission and strategic direction to inspire and influence others; positions the organization to deal with emerging and long-term trends, issues and opportunities.

Annual Salary
UA 76,359.51 USD120,480.04

Application Closing Date
10th November, 2020.