Duty Station: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Closing Date: 30 November 2022
Job Description
General Background
The OEC: The Organisation of Educational Cooperation (OEC) is an international intergovernmental organisation, founded in January 2020 by countries from across the Global South, to “contribute to the equitable, just, and prosperous social transformation of societies by promoting balanced and inclusive education, in order to attain the fundamental rights to liberty, justice, dignity, sustainability, social cohesion, and material and immaterial security for the peoples of the world”.
The CLUB: The Common Leveraging Union of Borrowers (CLUB) – a key instrument of the OEC – is an innovative solution to the several challenges and constraints faced today by sovereign borrowers in the Global South. The CLUB is a union of borrowing countries (OEC Member States) which have combined forces to jointly apply for development loans, oversee the national utilisation of the loan funds, and repay the borrowed amounts. This novel approach, which seeks to be operational in the next two years, has numerous potential benefits for low-income borrowers, including unhindered access to debt instruments, enhanced bargaining power in loan negotiations, and incentives for effective loan utilisation. The CLUB is hosted within the broader OEC organisation and is managed directly by the OEC’s Department of Financing for Development (FINDEV).
The main functions of FINDEV are to:
a. provide technical and policy support to Member States in developing context appropriate frameworks for the implementation of sustainable public private partnerships
b. host and support the Common Leveraging Union of Borrowers (CLUB)
c. collectively secure more favourable financing and debt relief for the CLUB members
d. reinforce the case and actively advocate for a more equitable international financial system considering the interests of Member States.
Role Summary
Under the overall authority of the Secretary-General and the direct supervision of the Under-Secretary-General for FINDEV, the Chief of Section will be responsible for representing the CLUB and the OEC Member States to creditors. This is a highly external-facing role and candidates must have a proven track record of interpersonal, communication and leadership skills as well as a strong network of contacts coming from financial institutions/private sector partners and other relevant bodies. This position provides the unique opportunity of joining the core team of a new international organisation – contributing to its lasting construction and influencing its future trajectory – and an innovative international financing instrument.
Duties
- Coordinate and supervise the team of the CLUB Coordination Section
- Act as a liaison between OEC Member States and creditors
- Responsible for constantly identifying bilateral and multilateral creditors that are willing to provide development finance to the CLUB
- Liaise with a wide range of lending partners (i.e., bilateral/multilateral financial institutions, government officials, public and private sector partners etc.) to establish good relationships and develop development finance opportunities for OEC Member States
- Build and maintain strong relationships with financial institutions, multilateral partners, banking partners and government officials
- Responsible for developing detailed strategies and tactics to target potential creditors
- Support, create and implement strategies to enhance the position and integrity of the CLUB
- Work with the CLUB team and the International Solidarity Fund for Development (ISFD) to review collective loan proposals from OEC Member States prior to negotiating with creditors
- Meet regularly with other OEC departments in order to discuss the CLUB’s progress and discuss ways to champion OEC’s values to creditors
Competencies
- Possess a strong network of contacts coming from financial institutions/private sector financing partners and other relevant bodies
- Strong proven experience of liaising with stakeholders (i.e., donors, government officials, private sector actors, financial institutions)
- Excellent interpersonal, diplomatic and cross-cultural communication skills with a proven track record
- Excellent networking and negotiation skills;
- Strong methodical and strategic thinking skills and ability to develop long-term organisational strategies
Qualifications
- At least 12 years of extensive experience in dealing with external stakeholders (i.e., donors, financial institutions) gained by working at an international financial institution and/or international or regional organisation
- Master’s degree (or higher) in Economics, Finance, Political Science, International Development or other related fields
Language Requirements
Candidate must at least be fluent in English and French. Additional knowledge of one or more other official languages (Arabic, Spanish) is an asset.
HOW TO APPLY
This position is open to international applicants.
All applications must be sent to HRE@OEC-OCE.ORG and must include:
- Subject line: “CLUB [JOB TITLE] – Application”
- Curriculum Vitae
- Letter of Motivation
- Any other relevant information