Principal Business Solution Development Officer 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.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Principal Business Solution Development Officer, CHIS1

Reference: ADB / 20 / 146
Location: Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire
Grade: PL4
Position N°: 50000574

The Complex

• The Vice-Presidency, Human Resources and Corporate Services ensures the delivery of efficient, people-centred, client-oriented, corporate services to ensure overall institutional effectiveness in all aspects of the Bank’s corporate services.
• The complex leads efforts to digitalize and transform the Bank into a knowledge-driven workforce, promote human resources policies that enhance talent, drive a performance-driven culture, and ensure the competitiveness of the Bank as the employer of choice. The complex ensures that all Human Resources and Corporate Services are re-aligned to drive greater corporate performance and execution of the Bank’s strategic vision and priorities.
• The complex is responsible for providing leadership in the formulation and implementation of Bank’s strategies on people, IT, General services and institutional procurements, Language Services, business continuity and, health and safety strategies.

The Hiring Department / Division:

• The Corporate IT Services Department and the Business Solution Development Division are mandated by the Bank to deliver the best possible IT services for Bank staff and help achieve the results that get the Bank closer to accomplishing its poverty reduction goals in Africa mostly within the High 5s Business Model. AfDB strategic vision has considerable implications for the strategic use of IT and impacts Business solution Division (BSD) whose activities support the accomplishment of the objectives.

The Position

• The main objectives of the Principal Business Solution Development Officer is to understand Business functionalities/ requirements needed by the Bank’ staff and to provide an innovative, accurate, effective and performance technical solution that permit the Bank Staff to meet the Bank tactical and strategic objectives.
• The activities of the job are to use managerial and technical expertise and to manage the identification, evaluation, development, testing and transfer to production of a solution or a data-processing problem that fully meet Business requirements, cost, quality and strategic target.
• Besides, the incumbent ensure that all organization’s systems, capabilities, expertise and opportunities are well combined to support the adequate solution.

Duties and Responsibilities
Under the supervision of the Chief Business Solution Development and /or the Division Manager of CHIS.1, the Principal Solution Development Officer will undertake the following key functions:

• Work closely with the Project Management Office and CHIS Management by providing information for business cases, programs and project programming, in line with the Bank’s strategy and IT strategy.
• Effectively supervise software development team to implement and maintain business solution and systems.
• Analyze, prioritize, develop, test, deploy, maintain and document effective Business Solutions that are fit for purpose.
• Effectively apply IT security rules in his/her day to day activities, while ensuring compliance to these policies.
• Provide deep technical expertise and lead software development, implementation or configuration with internal developers, consultants or external firms/providers.
• Ensure the source code and other standard configurations are properly archived in the Bank’s source code management systems.
• Prepare test plans and follows up on testing activities, including coordination of technical tests and user acceptance tests.
• Ensure all information are provided for deploying software/ systems into production; this include all information necessary for approval by the Change Advisory Board, all technical configuration required for system engineers and Database Administrators (DBAs), documents for user support specialists and user signoff.
• Participate in system enhancement, upgrade and/or new functionality assessments. Keep abreast of new technologies, software releases, enhancements/new functionality and perform application lifecycle management to existing applications.
• Prepare or coordinates documentation writing, including user documentation and technical documentation. Ensures the documentation is properly shared and archived.
• Guide and give advice to junior IT staff and makes recommendation for management in technical expertise area.
• Manage communication on new governance, standards, methodologies and tools to adequate public and train them for the use of applicable components to ensure these are adhered to.

Selection Criteria

• Have at least a Master’s degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science or closely equivalent degree in a related field of study, a methodological or technical Certification is desirable;
• Have a minimum of six (6) years of experience in IT solution delivery and experience as a System Analyst or Solution Architect or Solution Developer;
• Candidates with technical Certification will have an added advantage.
• Having private sector experience will be an added advantage.
• Good proficiency in Web Development, Quantitative Analysis, Project Planning, Project Delivery, Project Evaluation and impact assessment.
• Must be aware of Business Solution Architecture and Business Capability Modeling.
• Ability to communicate effectively (written and oral) in English or French, preferably with a working knowledge of the other.
• Competence in the use of standard Microsoft Office Suite applications; knowledge of SAP is an added advantage.

Technical Competencies:

• Relevant experience on supporting and maintaining in house and off the shell financial systems, such as, Swift, GT Match and Reuters or similar systems are preferred.
• Experience with industry-standard Systems Analysis tools and methodologies; i.e. Agile-scrum, Use cases, Activity Diagrams, wireframes, etc.
• Proven experience in Business Process Re-engineering and modelling is expected.
• Understanding of relational databases, data storage, and SQL concepts.
• Ability to suggest better alternatives and flows to given requirements based on experience.
• Ability to use appropriate data structures and algorithms and come up with generic/object-oriented code that encapsulate aspects of the problem that are subject to change
• Expertise in one of these Programming Languages such as Java, PhP, Python, Dot.Net-MVC (C#) are a plus
• Very good knowledge of ERP software, preferably experience of SAP modules, such as, Project System, FICO, BW, Loan Accounting and SRM
• Familiarity with database software such as Oracle, SQL, MySQL is a plus.

Behavioral Competencies:

• Innovation and creativity: The commitment to search for and produce innovative and creative approaches to activities in order to enhance performance and create added benefits to the Bank and its clients.
• Communication: Provides clear and concise oral and written communication; presents oral information with clarity and appropriate style and adapts language and style to suit the requirements of a particular audience.
• Problem Solving: Applies business knowledge to the resolution of problems and identifies solutions to the benefit of the client (internal and external) and the organization.
• Client Orientation: Ensures that the client is considered to be of primary importance in all transactions and interactions. Strives to understand, and when appropriate, anticipate client needs, and ensures that the client receives the best possible service from the Bank.
• Team working and relations: Works with others to maximize the effectiveness of the team as a whole, sharing the knowledge and workload. Develops strong working relationships with colleagues and contributes to creation of a positive team environment
• Operational effectiveness: The Commitment to ensure that full use is made of the systems, procedures and culture within the organization in order to deliver the required results.

Application Closing Date
12th November, 2020.