Director, Social Development, Culture and Sports 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 Organization 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, Social Development, Culture and Sports

Requisition ID: 2061
Location: Addis Ababa / Ethiopia
Reports to: Commissioner HHS
Directorate/Department: Health, Humanitarian Affairs & Social Development
Division: Social Development, Culture and Sports
Number of Direct Reports: 2
Number of Indirect Reports: 21
Number of Positions: 1
Job Grade: D1
Contract Type: Regular 

Purpose of Job

• To provide strategic leadership in planning, developing, and implementing strategic policies of the Directorate while promoting inter- directorate/department collaboration.

Main Functions

• Develops and maintains operating rules and procedures.
• Provides technical leadership and ensures efficient functioning of all Divisions within the department/directorate.
• Manages the work of the Department/Directorate and supervises direct reports to ensure their effective performance as per the organization’s performance management policy and system.
• Leads the directorate/department and ensures effective management of personnel, budget, performance, quality, employee’s relations matters, and training in conformity with relevant organization’s applicable rules and procedures.
• Determines, develops, and executes the overall strategy for the department and ensures alignment with the organizational overall strategy.
• Designs and develops a business continuity plan to address unforeseen circumstances.
• Develops and oversees policy development and guidelines according to the organization's legal framework.
• Designs policies consistent with the AU’s goal to address the pertinent issues in the relevant area.
• Manages risks and recommends mitigation strategies.
• Prepares and oversees integrated programs projects of overall activities of the organization.
• Builds and maintains a strategic plan to form good working relations with another directorate/department.
• Develops and maintains regular working relations with top-level stakeholders in appropriate agencies of Member States and partners.
• Organizes coordination meetings between the organization and other relevant partners.
• Prepares periodic financial and budget execution reports and other reports.
• Oversees the collection of contributed funds to the organization.
• Initiates and takes necessary actions to collect funds for the African Union as a whole.
• Provides strategic, innovative, and operational leadership for the implementation of the programs of the Department and ensures the departmental contribution to the overall AU Strategies and Vision.
• Proposes training programs relating to program designing and coordination.
• Promotes awareness and training of best practices in the area of expertise.

Specific Responsibilities

• Provides technical guidance and supervises the preparation and formulation of appropriate programs, policies, and strategies related to Social Development, labor, employment, migration, Culture, Sport, drug control, and crime prevention, etc., at the continental level and follow up on their implementation.
• Supervises the activities of the Specialized Agencies and Institutions of the African Union within the Department working in the areas of social development, labor, employment, sports, and culture.
• Facilitates interactions with the other Director within African Union including the Agencies and Institutions in charge of migration.
• Supervises the preparation and management of Ministerial Conferences and other relevant high-level meetings and engagements in the areas of the Directorate.
• Develops and promotes a rights-based approach framework for each thematic program of work within the Department.
• Provides technical guidance in the analysis of problem situations and major trends and harmonization of related development programs and issues for the realization of an inclusive society where all human beings, including those in vulnerable situations such as older persons, persons with disabilities including albinism, children, indigenous people, have an equal say and standing in Member States.
• Provides quality assurance in the programs by ensuring that they meet the overall objective of the Department.
• Develops and maintains appropriate working relations with partners of the African Union, on social and development issues.
• Supervises, guides, and delegates Heads of Divisions in their duties, ensuring department policies and guidelines are clearly communicated while assessing, managing, and resolving problematic developments and situations.

Key Relationships:

• Internal Relationships
  • Commissioner, Health, Humanitarian Affairs, and Social Development: Daily - For seeking guidance, reporting, and technical briefings.
  • The Other Department: Weekly - Support and integrate relevant joint activities.
  • Other AU Departments, relevant AU Offices, and Organs: Monthly - Coordinate, complement, and collaborate on relevant programs and activities.
  • PRC, Relevant PRC Sub-Committees and AU Decision-making bodies: Monthly - Support and facilitate their activities as well as prepare draft documents, report, and draft decisions and support monitor and report situations and activities at the national level.
• External Relationships
  • Member States: Regularly - Support and facilitate their activities as well as prepare documents, report, and draft decisions and support monitor and report situations and activities at the national level.
  • RECS: Regularly - Collaborate, coordinate, harmonize, and support the implementation of AU policies and activities at the regional level.
  • Relevant Partners: Regularly - Collaborate and facilitate joint programs and activities at national, regional, continental, and global levels.

Academic Requirements and Relevant Experience

• Master’s Degree in Sociology, Arts, Law, International Studies, Public Administration, or other related Human and Social Science studies.
• A minimum of 15 years of relevant experience, eight (8) of which should have been obtained at the managerial level and 5 years at the supervisory level.

Required Skills:

• Managerial skills.
• 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 program 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; fluency in another AU language is an added advantage.

Leadership Competencies:

• Strategic Focus
• Developing Organizational Capability
• Change Leadership
• Strategic Risk Management

Core Competencies:

• Building Partnerships
• Drives Accountability Culture
• Learning Orientation
• Communicating with impact

Functional Competencies:

• Conceptual Thinking
• Job Knowledge Sharing
• Drive for Results
• Fosters Innovation

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.

Gender Mainstreaming:

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

Languages:

• Proficiency in one of the AU working languages (Arabic, English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish) and fluency in another AU language is an added advantage

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
11th December, 2023 (11h59 p.m. EAT).