JOB DETAILS
Job title: Lead West Africa and AfCFTA [Accra,]
Line Manager title: Chief of Programmes (CoP)
Countersigning Officer: CEO
Grade: Job group 4
Direct reports: Ghana country and corridor team
Department: Programmes
Location: Accra, Ghana
JOB SUMMARY
This is a challenging and exciting opportunity for a dynamic, results-driven and politically astute leader. TradeMark Africa (TMA) is a leading aid-for-trade organisation, with a track record in delivering substantive results in driving down the cost and time of trade, and enabling companies to benefit from advances. With over a decade of delivery in East Africa, TMA is committed to support continental-wide trade as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) deepens trade integration. As part of this, TMA is scaling up its work in West Africa.
The West Africa and AfCFTA Director will develop and deliver TMA’s programmes that support the AfCFTA, both at the
AfCFTA Secretariat and in selected West African countries. In parallel, s/he will drive TMA’s programme delivery in West Africa at both a country and corridor level – through developing and implementing TMA’s in-country strategies and trade corridor programmes to generate the required results – and with the AfCFTA Secretariat based in Accra, Ghana. S/he will be responsible for liaising with external partners and stakeholders and other major programmes of key development partners, to establish TMA as a significant and respected organisation and programme, in response to the challenges of continental and regional trade. The role involves strategic planning, management, and oversight of TMA’s delivery system to achieve agreed organisational impact objectives. The West Africa and AfCFTA Director will function with a high degree of autonomy, responsibility, and accountability while reporting on key country programme deliverables to TMA’s Chief of Programmes (CoP) and CEO.
A strong track record both in delivering strategic results, and in new business development will be critical, as will welldeveloped trade facilitation, infrastructure and private sector development skills.
PURPOSE OF ROLE
1. The job holder will work with other TMA colleagues to develop and sustain a high-performance culture in West Africa, where TMA will deliver results that demonstrate its expertise in trade and regional integration.
2. S/he works with the CEO, CoP and the other members of the Senior Leadership & Management Team (SLMT) to ensure strong integration across all functional areas to improve TMA’s effectiveness and to drive a results-focus and institutionalise mechanisms that align people and resources to strategy to enable positive impacts on prosperity for African citizens.
3. The position holder will need to be fluent in both English and French, at a high standard both verbal and written.
4. The job holder will establish an office in West Africa and recruit a high performing team for the programme, while fundraising to quickly grow the regional portfolio with SLMT support.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Programme development and delivery (30%)
1. The postholder will be responsible for effective and timely delivery of existing programming, as well as generation of new areas of work to complement and enhance this, including:
1) Proactively develop new business to grow TMA’s portfolio around the AfCFTA and in West Africa. This will include establishing relationships of trust with development partners and clients, horizon scanning for new strategic directions, developing concepts, and dynamically developing programming in order to secure donor investment into the West African Corridor and AFCFTA support programme, with support from TMA teams and SLMT;
2) Implement existing programming focused on supported to the AfCFTA Secretariat and trade facilitation in Ghana, Togo and Benin to a high quality and to deadlines, in line with funding agreements with donors and defined TMA policies and procedures; ensuring best practice project cycle management (PCM) is followed by the team in project design, procurement and contract management;
3) Apply the highest standards of controls and risk management practices and behaviours and embed a positive risk and control culture, analysing and managing risks at national, corridor and regional level, escalating risk in a timely way, and ensuring full compliance with TMA regulations across operations as first line of defence.
4) Ensure that programme has high calibre financial management with expenditure tightly managed; maintaining zero tolerance to bribery, fraud and corruption, and ensuring the immediate reporting of any behaviour that threatens TMA’s reputation;
5) Adhere to safeguarding policies and procedures and immediately report any safeguarding concerns;
6) Deliver corporate financial, programme and results reporting and monitoring, through agreed dashboards, KPIs and corporate processes, as well as organisational review and evaluation mechanisms, liaising with corporate units effectively and collaboratively.
7) Ensure implementation of key crosscutting results and strategies for gender, poverty, safeguards, extractives and climate change;
Strategy Delivery (20%)
1. Lead on development and delivery of coherent operational strategy, working effectively with senior management and technical departments in order to deliver results agreed with strategic national, regional and international partners, and to ensure effective coordination with other development partner work on trade facilitation;
2. As part of this, develop and deliver allied business and financial planning, producing Project Appraisal Reports (PARs) on proposed work inputs, activities and outputs in line with TMA’s strategy and business plan, for approval by National Oversight Committees (NOCs), Board and Council;
3. Contribute actively to broader TMA strategy and corporate effectiveness, ensuring integration of West Africa issues into corporate objectives and approaches, and appropriate cross-regional learning;
Stakeholder engagement and partnership development (25%)
1. Oversee and contribute to strategic analysis, portfolio analysis and stakeholder perceptions, as well as ongoing comprehensive political economy analysis, in order to position TMA’s work most effectively and inform future programming, and oversee and shape TMA’s strategic political, stakeholder and diplomatic engagement for the support to the AfCFTA Programme and the West Africa portfolio;
2. Lead collaborative and effective engagement with critical top-level stakeholders, developing strategic (formal and informal) partnerships to enable TMA to achieve its objectives, with national Governments, AfCFTA and ECOWAS Secretariats, the international community, the private sector and civil society, liaising and fostering coordination;
3. Actively represent and promote TMA’s work and profile and deputise in national and international public events and fora for the CEO and CoP, particularly those related to TMA operations in West Africa and with the AFCFTA; and
4. Promote local procurement of all proposed, direct or indirect, TMA sub-contracts and related opportunities in order to develop Africa based service provider capacity.
Team Management (10%)
1. Recruit a team to support the implementation of the portfolio in line with the funding streams; providing inspiring and results-driven strategic leadership and management, in order empower teams to deliver; and
2. Ensure close coordination, harmonisation and strong integration between (possible) countries of operation in West Africa.
Support TMA’s governance and oversight structures (10%)
1. Establish the governance mechanisms for West Africa programming in collaboration with development partners and other stakeholders, chief of which will be the National Oversight Committees, ensuring that TMA programming is overseen by national, regional and development partner stakeholders;
2. Support CEO and CoP in provision of support to the Board of Directors (including Board Committees) and Council including drafting high-quality Board and Council papers.
Corporate level responsibilities (5%)
1. Applies best practice in financial management, is the accounting officer for programme and project funds, monitors costs and ensures value for money in project activities and outputs. Ensures accurate financial information including informed budgets and reliable forecasts and works with engages partners and grantees to ensure that budgeting, forecasting and expenditure is commensurate with progress and results.
2. Support TMA business, contributing to knowledge generation and dissemination;
3. Promote and adhere to TMA’s core values and ensure compliance with organisational policies and procedures;
4. Undertake other related responsibilities that may be assigned by the CEO and CoP from time to time.
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ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
Undergraduate or Master’s degree preferably in Economics, Development Studies, International Trade, Planning, Finance or Management.
Work experience
1. Undergraduate degree holders will have at least 12 years’ relevant working experience, and postgraduate degree holders will require at least 10 years’ relevant working experience.
2. Five years of leadership and management experience.
3. Minimum of seven years’ experience in leading business units or development programmes, particularly in areas related to TMA’s core focus areas of infrastructure development, trade facilitation and private sector engagement.
4. Demonstrable knowledge, skills and experience in programme cycle management and programme delivery, political economy analysis, donor management and fundraising.
5. Three years of senior level experience within West Africa or other developing economies are essential for this role.
Additional skills
Essential:
1. Strong experience and ability to think strategically, plan and deliver complex programming;
2. Excellent political networks and influencing skills, competence, and ability to generate and communicate complex ideas in a simple and understandable way, both verbally and in through the written word in both
3. French and English;
4. Well-developed technical knowledge of the AFCFTA, trade facilitation and regional trade integration in West Africa in particular, and across the Continent;
5. Fluency in both French and English, both verbal and written. Candidate needs to exhibit excellent writing skills in both English and French often under time pressure, in addition to excellent verbal presentation, communication and personal effectiveness skills;
6. Excellent leadership and management skills of diverse teams, with demonstrable strong people management, and delivering tangible change and achieving results;
7. Ability to establish and maintain strong collaborative partnerships/relationships with development partners, senior government officials, civil society and business organisations;
8. Sound decision-making, judgement, problem solving, organisational and analytical skills; and
Desirable:
Knowledge and practice in the areas of financial management, grant management or risk assessment in a development organisation.
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English 
FRENCH
