Director - Industrial Mining and Entrepreneurship 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 below:

Job Title: Director - Industrial Mining and Entrepreneurship

Requisition ID: 271
Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Organization: African Union Commission - AUC
Reports to: Commissioner Economic Development, Trade, Industry, and Mining
Department: Industrial Mining and Entrepreneurship
Number of Direct Reports: 3
Number of Indirect Reports: 15
Job Grade: D1

Purpose of Job

• To provide strategic direction and leadership in managing the operations of the Industrial Mining and Entrepreneurship Department in order to achieve the AU strategic objectives and goals.

Main Functions

• Develops and executes the overall strategy for the department and ensures alignment with overall organizational strategy
• Manages and supervises employees within the  Department, ensures the timely delivery of the  Department’s goals and effective staff performance evaluation
• Drives the implementation and monitoring of policies, strategies and programs to contribute to the effective implementation of relevant AU Policy Organs Decisions
• Ensures the delivery of the  Department’s annual targets in line with the organization’s overall goals and maintains robust departmental monitoring and evaluation systems
• Provides technical leadership and ensures efficient functioning of all Divisions within the directorate
• Manages the work of the Department and supervises direct reports to ensure their effective performance in line with the organization’s performance management policy and system
• Leads the directorate and ensures effective management of personnel, budget, performance, program quality, employee relations matters and training in conformity with relevant rules, policies and procedures
• Builds and maintains good working relations and collaboration with other directorates / departments
• Develops and maintains regular working relations with senior stakeholders in Member State and partner institution
• Coordinates meetings between the organization and relevant partners
• Ensures the preparation of periodic financial and budget execution reports and other reports
• Ensures the effective management of funds contributed to the organization, attributed to the directorate / depertment
• Implements and Maintains thematic partnerships in support of the mandate of the  Department
• Develops and oversees policy development and guidelines in line with the organization’s legal framework
• Designs policies consistent with the AU’s strategic goals and mandate in order to address the pertinent issues in the relevant area
• Prepares and oversees integrated programs, projects and overall activities of the organization
• Maintains a positive work environment that facilitates collaboration and information sharing and is conducive to attracting, retaining, and motivating diverse talent.

Specific Responsibilities

• Coordinates cooperation programs and activities among Member States, the RECs as well as other pertinent African and international organizations to ensure the maximum impact of their activities on African Industrial Development and Integration within the context of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area AfCFTA, the Treaty establishing the African Economic Community, AUDA-NEPAD, Assembly Decisions on the African Mining Vision (AMV), the strategy for the Accelerated Industrial Development of Africa (AIDA), decisions relating to the Boosting of Intra-African Trade and the establishment of the Continental Free Trade Area (BIAT / CFTA) and the Small and Medium Enterprise Strategy (SME)
• Coordinates and harmonizes industrial policy measures, strategies and regulatory frameworks in the continent in order to promote industrial development and growth by, among others, promoting raw materials development and utilization by the industries and thereby encourage the development of resource-based industries in Africa
• Promotes technology transfer and commercialization of industrial research and development program, establishment of technical support centers for SMIs, incubation centers, Special Economic Zones (SEZs), Industrial Parks, etc
• Collaborates with Regional Economics Communities and Member States to strengthen capacity and institutional frameworks for industrial development and promote and strengthen Quality, Standardization, Metrology, Certification and Accreditation structures at continental, regional and national levels; Collaborate with relevant national, regional and continental and global institutions in the development of intellectual property rights (IPRs) and access to knowledge
• Leads the development of comprehensive programs to position Africa to benefit from digital economy and the 4th Industrial Revolution, encourage industrial competitiveness and monitor industrial performance through among others the establishment of an African Industrial Database
• Builds and maintains strong relationships with the Diaspora and global private investors, businesses and institutions; multilateral partners and government agencies to support private sector development
• Leads the development of comprehensive programs for strengthening financial Facilitate the design and implementation of specific programs for strengthening   corporate governance, institutional and managerial capacity and providing technical assistance to MSMEs and business associations to upgrade their operational efficiency and competitiveness
• Promotes initiatives for supporting the efforts of Regional Economic Communities and Member States to develop infrastructure through public-private partnerships by assisting to develop legal and regulatory framework for public-private partnerships operation and financing in the continent
• Develops programs to capture and organize the informal private sector as part of the overall strategy to expand the continental organized private sector
• Builds win-win partnerships and trust relationships with key partners and external stakeholders and act as a point of contact for important external stakeholders; engage with key stakeholders as and when required to enhance industrialization in the continent
• Provides strategic advice and technical support to the Commissioner for Economic Development, Trade, Industry and Mining in preparing statements, proposals, briefs, reports and other relevant tasks
• Performs any other related duties that may be assigned by the supervisor.

Academic Requirements and Relevant Experience

• A Master’s degree in Economics, Business, Finance, International Trade, Engineering or a relevant field, with fifteen (15) years’ of experience in Industrial, mineral resource or entrepreneurship development in progressively responsible positions, of which eight (8) years at managerial level and five (5) years at supervisory level
• A higher qualification will be an added advantage.

Required Skills:

• Ability to use managerial delegation, political tact and supervisory skills to achieve documented objectives
• Ability to work effectively with people from various backgrounds and create an environment where diversity is respected
• Ability to collaborate and communicate effectively with top level stakeholders 
• Ability to identify key strategic opportunities and risks
• Ability to actively seek, identify and apply appropriate technology to improve programme delivery
• Ability to delegate the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority with regard to performance management and professional development
• Proficiency in one of the AU working languages (Arabic, English, French, Portuguese and Spanish) and fluency in another AU language is an added advantage.

Leadership Competencies:

• Strategic Perspective
• Developing Others
• Driving Change
• Managing Risk.

Core Competencies:

• Building Relationships
• Responsibility
• Learning Orientation
• Communicating with impact.

Functional Competencies:

• Conceptual Thinking
• Job Knowledge and Information Sharing
• Drive for Results
• Continuous Improvement Orientation.

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.

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.

Application Closing Date
31st May, 2021.

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

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