Manager, Intra-African Trade Initiative (Trade Facilitation - Transit & Customs) at the African Export Import Bank (Afreximbank)

African Export Import Bank (Afreximbank) was established in Abuja, Nigeria in October, 1993 by African Governments, African private and institutional investors as well as non-African financial institutions and private investors for the purpose of financing, promoting and expanding intra-African and extra-African trade.

The Bank, headquartered in Cairo, the capital of the Arab Republic of Egypt, commenced operations on 30 September, 1994, following the signature of a Headquarters Agreement with the host Government in August, 1994. It has branch offices in Harare, Abuja and Abidjan and will open an East Africa branch office shortly.

CA Global Headhunters has been retained by the Afreximbank based in Cairo, Egypt to recruit for the position below:

Job Title: Manager, Intra-African Trade Initiative (Trade Facilitation - Transit & Customs)

Reference Number: RSBBLR034
Location: Cairo, Egypt

Responsibilities

• Implement the specific Trade Facilitation interventions identified in the Intra-African Trade Strategy;
• Engage with various stakeholders (public, private, and civil society) at the national, regional, and continental level and develop partnerships to implement the key Trade Facilitation activities identified by the Bank;
• Mobilise resources from partners to support the implementation of key Trade Facilitation activities identified by the Bank;
• Ensure execution of activities in line with approved work plans;
• Preparation of an Annual Intra-African Trade Facilitation Work Plan and Budget, derived from the Intra-African Trade Strategy and the Bank’s Strategic Plan for Management’s Approval;
• Implementing approved trade facilitation plans and strategies towards increasing intra-African trade. This includes implementing key trade facilitation activities identified in the Intra-African Trade Strategy such as:
• Support the Bank to implement the Activities under the Afreximbank-African Collaborative Transit Guarantee Scheme. A lot of work is required in this area in terms of supporting the implementation of the transit guarantee scheme including:
• Engagement with COMESA and supporting the implementation of a joint action plan agreed with COMESA as well as collaboration on other trade facilitation matters;
• Engagement with other RECs such as SADC, ECOWAS and ECCAS on transit matters;
• Engagement with the Tripartite Free Trade Agreement (TFTA) and explore the possibility of collaborating with them on a corridor monitoring system developed under the TFTA;
• Engagement with the AfCFTA Secretariat on the development of the Continental Regulatory Framework on Transit, Continental Regulatory Transit Guarantee Mechanism, and a Continental Technology Platform. The consultant will assist with developing the draft regulatory framework as well as standardized transit documents that will be introduced in the AfCFTA;
• Engagement with IRU, WCO, WTO, UNCTAD and other entities;
• Work with AU/AfCFTA Secretariat and RECs to identify gaps on ICT customs interconnectivity and other pre-requisites for a functional transit system.
• Promote reform of customs practices through simplification and standardization of trade- and customs-related procedures based on international standards towards more integrated supply chain. That might also include undertaking a review of customs and trade practices to support the recovery and promote regional economic integration to address development challenges, brought about by COVID-19 pandemic;
• Engagement with AUDA-NEPAD on the Traffic Light System (TLS), which seeks to  measure how well African borders are performing and explore how the TLS could be integrated into the African Trade Gateway and also explore the development of an integrated data management system/single window at the borders to reduce inefficiencies in data entry and link this to the Bank’s Trade Regulations  Platform (TRIP);
• Supporting work on harmonisation of standards, including working with AfCFTA Secretariat and ARSO to support implementation of agreed standards on automotive sector, and medical and pharmaceutical sector and identify new standards;
• Development of One Stop Border Posts, Border Markets, Single Windows, etc. This is an area that is critical in terms of supporting the implementation of the AfCFTA;
• Supporting the Bank to implement the recommendations from the SADC-Trade Carrying infrastructure including engagement with partners to mobilise resources to implement identified projects and expanding the study to other regions.;
• Supporting the implementation of the Bank’s work on informal cross-border trade (ICBT) including implementing the second phase of the ICBT project in West Africa as well as the development of a continental framework on ICBT;
• Supporting work on the Maritime and Logistics study;
• Develop linkages with international and regional trade facilitation and transport/logistics agencies to broaden advocacy on policy interventions. This will include engaging African countries, Regional Economic Communities, and other stakeholders (private sector and civil society) with a focus on key trade facilitation activities identified by the Bank;
• Provide technical and administrative oversight in the execution of studies, workshops, training, and other activities related to the Bank’s Trade Facilitation activities;
• Facilitation of transport and trade activities which constitutes one of the key areas to support competitiveness, better market access, and more integration of the value chains;
• Initiating and actively securing mandates, MoUs and collaboration agreements for executing all initiatives aimed at easing intra-African trade flows;
• Managing important partnerships necessary for delivery of the Bank’s intra African trade strategic objectives;
• Carry out related research work with partner institutions to identify existing 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; and
• Any other duties as may be assigned by senior management from time to time.

Requirements - Qualification and Skill

• Master's Degree in International Trade or International Economic Law with specialization in International Trade, Economics or equivalent combination of education and work experience.
• Sound experience of at least 8 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 facilitate intra-African trade.
• Demonstrate experience in executing and delivering solutions relating to Trade Facilitation in section 4 (b) above.
• Expert knowledge of relevant protocols, such as the WCO Revised Kyoto Agreement, WCO SAFE Framework of Standards and WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement, IRU.
• Experience of cross-stakeholder engagement, such as customs brokers / freight forwarders / trade associations / Ministry of Trade.
• Knowledge of existing bilateral, regional, and international trade conventions and protocols (e.g. bilateral trade agreements, regional trade agreements among RECs, the Tripartite FTA, the AfCFTA, WTO) as well as other trade related initiatives by WCO, UNCTAD etc.
• Demonstrated experience of bilateral, regional, and multilateral trade-related negotiations.
• Knowledge of trade finance related products that can be deployed to enhance intra-African trade.
• 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; and
• 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.

Contractual Information

• Permanent.
• Willing and able to relocate to Cairo, Egypt.
• Suitably qualified candidates from all African nationalities are encouraged to apply.

Application Closing Date
30th July 2021.