Junior Legal Counsel - ALSF (EOI) at the African Development Bank Group (AfDB)

African Development Bank Group (AfDB) - Established in 1964, the African Development Bank is the premier pan-African development institution, promoting economic growth and social progress across the continent. There are 80 member states, including 54 in Africa (Regional Member Countries). The Bank’s development agenda is delivering the financial and technical support for transformative projects that will significantly reduce poverty through inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

The African Legal Support Facility ("ALSF" or the "Facility") invites applications for the position below:

Job Title: Expression of Interest for Junior Legal Counsel - ALSF

Location: Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
Consultant type: Junior Consultant

Background
General information about ALSF:

• The ALSF is an international organization hosted by the African Development Bank in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

The ALSF’s main objectives include:

• Assisting African governments in defending against litigation brought against them by vulture funds (and other such entities);
• Providing legal advisory services to African governments in the structuring and negotiation of complex commercial transactions related to extractives and natural resources, energy, sovereign debt, and infrastructure development under public-private partnerships (the “Key Sectors”);
• Capacity building for lawyers and government professionals related to the above; and
• Development of knowledge products.
• The contract agent shall be part of the Advisory Unit of the Operations Division and assist the Division Manager and Head of Operations in:
  • Legal analysis and advisory work and
  • Project supervision and management.
• The Advisory Unit is responsible for the advisory support to African Governments by identifying projects, providing legal advice, and coordinating external legal counsel.
• The Operations Division members also participate to the development and organization of capacity building programs, negotiate financing agreements, and provide other institutional support as required.

Objectives and Tasks of the Assignment

• Analysis of country requests for legal assistance and preparation of project proposals and reports to the Director and Management Board of the Facility Conducting legal due diligence on proposed transactions such as the review of project documents and agreements relating to the Key Sectors of the ALSF (e.g., power purchase agreements, concession agreements, joint venture agreements, management agreements, government support agreements, etc.)
• Draft and negotiate financing agreements and project related agreements and prepare other legal documents as required
• Assist in recruiting and managing external legal counsel, including negotiating fee arrangements, monitoring the work and managing the relationship with the governments
• Regularly liaise and interact with senior government officials to discuss legal interventions
• Contribute to the compilation of precedents and best practices in negotiating complex commercial transactions and in creditor litigation
• Liaise with partners, co-financiers and facilitate cooperation with other development partners
• Draft policy documents on operational matters relating to the Facility
• Assist and provide support to other junior members of the team with less experience
• Ensuring that, if required, documents presented to the Management Board and Governing Council are accurately translated into the official languages of the Facility in a timely fashion
• Perform such other assignments as may be required from time to time by the Chief Legal Counsel, Division Manager and Head of Operations, and Director of the Facility.

Administration/reporting:

• The contract agent will report to the Division Manager and Head of Operations who will adequately brief and guide the contract agent.

Duration of the Assignment

• The assignment will last for twelve (12) months, starting as soon as the process is completed.

Location of the Assignment:

• The Contract Agent will be based in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire or Johannesburg, South Africa.

Qualifications and Experience Required

• At least a Master's Degree in Law, plus admission to the Bar of (or diploma to practice law in) a member of the African Development Bank; or a first university degree plus a relevant combination of academic qualifications in law e.g. Juris Doctor (JD) plus admission to the Bar of (or diploma to practice law in) a member country
• Candidates shall be thirty-two (32) years old maximum, with a minimum of two (2) years of relevant professional experience preferably with an established international law firm, and/or international financial institution, with proven technical competence and experience in international private law, project development and/or finance, extractive resources, international arbitration and/or commercial contracts
• Strong skills in preparation and negotiation of complex legal documents including briefs, legal opinions, commercial transaction agreements and related transactions
• Demonstrated effective coordination skills and an ability to work under pressure in a multicultural environment to complete multiple tasks and meet deadlines;
• High-level skills in communication, team building, inter-personal relationships, writing, and analytical skills
• Competence in Microsoft Office; knowledge of cloud-based project management software and SAP will be considered an advantage
• Ability to communicate and write effectively in English and/or French with good working knowledge of the other language
• Must be a citizen of a member country of the African Development Bank; and
• Willingness to undertake extensive travel (up to 30% of time).

Remuneration

• The contract agent shall be paid a total monthly lump sum, comprising fee, subsistence, or other incidentals, for the duration of the assignment, which is commensurate with the number of years of work experience.
• The ALSF will cover travel and field mission costs (if any) as per African Development Bank rules in this regard.

Application Closing Date
17th February, 2023 at 5 pm (GMT)

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should submit their Expressions of Interest electronically to: [email protected] with copy to: [email protected] using "ALSF Contract Agent - Junior Legal Counsel" as the subject of the email.

Click here for more information

Click here for the Job Description (PDF)

Mandatory Documents
Please attach:

• Curriculum Vitae using the template in Annex 1
• Cover letter expressing your interest in joining the ALSF.
• You may attach any other relevant materials but are not required to at this stage.
• Submission of additional materials will not constitute any advantage.
• Applications that are submitted without a cover letter or that are not compliant with the Curriculum Vitae template will be rejected by the ALSF.

Important Information and Notice

• Unsuccessful candidates will remain in the ALSF’s database for twelve (12) months.
• Any questions and requests for clarifications may be sent to: [email protected], with copy to [email protected], before 10 February 2023 at 5 pm (GMT).
• Only short-listed individuals will be contacted.
• The African Legal Support Facility invites individuals to indicate their interest in providing the above-described services.
• Interested individuals shall provide information on their qualifications and experience demonstrating their ability to undertake this assignment (reference to similar services, experience in similar assignments, etc.), as well as the reason why they are interested in this assignment and in joining the ALSF.