Infrastructure Specialist

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

Close relatives¹ of ADB staff, except spouses of international staff, are not eligible for recruitment and appointment to staff positions. Applicants are expected to disclose if they have any relative/s by consanguinity/blood, by adoption and/or by affinity/marriage presently employed in ADB.
¹Close relatives refer to spouse, children, mother, father, brother and sister, niece, nephew, aunt and uncle

Staff on probation are not eligible to apply. Applicants for promotion must have served at their position for at least one year and must have normally served at their personal level for at least two years immediately preceding the date of the vacancy closing date. Applicants for lateral transfer must have served at their position and personal level for at least one year immediately preceding the date of the vacancy closing date (reference A.O. 2.03, paragraphs 5.8 and 5.9).

In the event that the staff appointed to a new category (i.e. from AS to NS, or from NS to IS) is rated at 2 or lower in the first two performance reviews after appointment at the new level, they will return to the level occupied immediately prior to their appointment in the new category.

This is a special fixed-term appointment for a period of two (2) years following Section 3.1 (c.) of Administrative Order No. 2.01 (“Recruitment and Appointment’). This appointment is not convertible to a regular appointment. It may be extended on exceptional basis for a further fixed period at the option of ADB. This appointment is open to internal and external applicants.

If the successful candidate is an ADB staff member holding a regular appointment, his/her regular appointment will be converted to a special fixed-term appointment. A special fixed-term appointment will automatically and without prior notice expire at the end of the original or extended term.

Overview

Asian Development Bank (ADB) is an international development finance institution headquartered in Manila, Philippines and is composed of 68 members, 49 of which are from the Asia and Pacific region. ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. ADB combines finance, knowledge, and partnerships to fulfill its expanded vision under its Strategy 2030.

The position is assigned to ADB’s Papua New Guinea Resident Mission (PNRM) in Port Moresby. PNRM is a resident mission within the ADB’s Pacific Department (PARD). PNRM supports and manages ADB’s portfolio, projects, and country relationships in Papua New Guinea (PNG) including client relationships with the Government of PNG.

ADB only hires nationals of its 68 members.

To view ADB Organizational Chart, please click here.

The position will be funded by Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade under the Pacific Partnership Facility.

Job Purpose

The Infrastructure Specialist will formulate and articulate sector policies and strategies, engaging Papua New Guinea (PNG) Governments and development partners in policy dialogue and conducting ADB’s activities to support sector policy and reforms. The incumbent will identify, develop, implement and administer loans/grants, technical assistance (TAs) and both non-lending products and services (NLPS) in a range of infrastructure sectors, and work within broad policies and objectives, with limited supervision and oversight. The position will report to Country Director, PNRM and may supervise National Staff and Administrative Staff.

Responsibilities

Strategy and Planning
• Support the development of policies and strategies for a range of infrastructure sectors in PNG, in consultation with relevant government agencies.
• Lead policy dialogue and develop policy-based programs to assist governments in undertaking sector reforms, ensure efficient use of resources and encourage participation of the private sector.
• Identify with governments investment opportunities in a range of infrastructure sectors for sustainable economic growth to support poverty reduction especially in rural areas.
• Participate in country teams and provide sector inputs for Country Partnership Strategies (CPS).
• Coordinate with Headquarters (HQ) for consistency of approach, exchange of experiences, and continuous improvement of practices and integration of policy commitments to the management of projects.

Donor coordination and co-financing
• Engage with other multilateral and bilateral donors on policy and regulatory issues.
• Ensure coordination and alignment of ADB programs with other donors.
• Identify and coordinate co-financing operations with major bilateral donors.

Project Preparation and Management
• Coordinate preparation of major projects in key infrastructure sectors, including liaising with other bilateral and multilateral donors as well as the partner government.
• Develop, process and administer loans/grants and TAs in a range of infrastructure sectors, possibly with moderate to high levels of risk and complexity.
• Review and provide advice on tender documents, and provide support in the procurement processes of projects administered by PNRM.
• Lead missions, when assigned, for the formulation and processing of loans and TAs in the infrastructure sectors and provide inputs on technical aspects of project design, implementation arrangements, cost estimates and assessing the capacity of the executing and implementing agencies.
• Liaise and coordinate with development agencies on program loans and investment projects.
• Ensure key technical, economic, financial and crosscutting issues are incorporated into projects.
• Participate in and undertake review missions for the supervision and administration of ongoing infrastructure projects.
• Policy and Project Evaluation
• Undertake analysis of the transport, communications, and energy sector policies with a view of ensuring comparability to best practices and responsiveness to development needs of ADB’s portfolio in PNG.
• Contribute to the evaluation of cost and benefits of projects as well as draw lessons for future projects.
• Support the evaluation of the impact of projects to ensure compliance with ADB’s environmental safeguards policies.
• Contribute to project implementation and in the preparation of project completion reports.

Knowledge Sharing
• Develop and maintain suitable networks within a range of infrastructure and energy sectors to keep abreast of the latest developments and issues.
• Participate in and contribute to relevant internal and external training and conferences and other activities for advocacy, dissemination and knowledge building.

Staff supervision
• Provide leadership and support to reporting staff.
• Supervise the performance of reporting staff, providing clear direction and regular monitoring and feedback on performance.
• Ensure the on-going learning and development of reporting staff.

Qualifications

Relevant Experience & Requirements

• Master’s degree in Engineering, Economics, or Business Administration or related fields, or University degree with at least 5 years ADB work experience
• At least 8 years of relevant professional experience in the relevant infrastructure sectors(s)
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English
• Thorough understanding of multilateral bank’s policies and procedures;
• Demonstrated ability to engage effectively with counterpart governments as well as a range of multilateral and bilateral donors;
• Strong leadership qualities and interpersonal skills; and
• Solid analytical, organizational, and negotiation skills.
• International experience working in development, preferably in Papua New Guinea
• Please refer to the link for ADB Competency Framework for IS3-4

General Considerations

The selected candidate, if new to ADB, is appointed for an initial term of 2 years.

ADB offers competitive remuneration and a comprehensive benefits package. Actual appointment salary will be based on ADB’s standards and computation, taking into account the selected individual’s qualifications and experience.

ADB seeks to ensure that everyone is treated with respect and given equal opportunities to work in an inclusive environment. ADB encourages all qualified candidates to apply regardless of their racial, ethnic, religious and cultural background, gender, sexual orientation or disabilities. Women are highly encouraged to apply.

Please note that the actual level and salary will be based on qualifications of the selected candidate.