African Union (AU)

Position: Director Education, Science, Technology and Innovation

Job Time: Full-Time

Job Type: Contract

Place of Work: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Salary: $78,138.00 per annum

Posted date: 1 day ago

Application Deadline: Dec, 24/2021 (28 days left)

Organization Information

Reports to: Commissioner (ESTI)

Directorate: ESTI

Number of Direct Reports: 7

Number of Indirect Reports: 11

Job Grade: D1

Contract Type: Regular 

Purpose of Job To provide strategic and technical leadership for the Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation Directorate of the AU Commission. 

Main Functions

• Develops and maintains operating rules and procedures.
• Provides technical leadership and ensures efficient functioning of all Divisions.
• Ensures overall management of the Directorate activities.
• Determines and executes the overall strategy of the organization.
• Develops strategy aligned with the overall organizational strategy.
• Designs and develops a business continuity plan to address unforeseen circumstances.
• Develops and oversees policy development guidelines.
• Designs policies consistent with the AU’s goal in order to address the pertinent issues in the relevant area;
• Ensures risk management and mitigation.;
• Establishes and maintains strategic professional working relations with other directorates and top-level stakeholders in partnering agencies and the AU Member States.
• Organizes and coordinates meetings and conferences between the organization and other relevant organizations;
• Responsible for preparing periodic financial and budget statements and other reports;
• Oversees the collection of contributed funds to the organization;
• Initiate and take necessary actions to collect funds of and for the African Union as a whole;
• Recommends training programs related to program design& coordination;
• Promotes awareness and training of best practices in the area of expertise.

Specific Responsibilities

• Advises the Commissioner on policy and strategy matters in Education, Science, Technology, and Space.
• Responsible for the development of strategic plans, policies, and programs in the Education, Science, Technology, and Space sectors.
• Oversees the Human and financial resources of the Divisions including budget preparation and staff appraisals and quality assurance of the works of heads of division and coordinators of specialized institutions including including AOSTI, CIEFFA, IPED, Pan African University, STRC, and the African Space Agency;
• Provide in-house training/induction for new staff, and ensure the production of required documents and reports;
• Prepares and organizes meetings of the Sectoral Technical Committees, and other relevant organizations. 
• Liaises with the AU Member States and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) to monitor and ensure the implementation of continental strategies and information sharing in relevant sector areas.
• Monitors and implements plans of action for different programs, including Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa, continental education strategy for Africa; and any others developed under the guidance of the Commissioner for HRST;
• Ensures recruitment of staff and overall management of the Directorate’s personnel;
• Develops and maintains operating rules and procedures;
• Provides technical leadership and ensures efficient functioning of all Divisions;
• Prepares and oversees integrated programs of overall activities of the department;
• Determines and executes the overall strategy of the organization;
• Builds and maintains professional working relations with other directorates.
• Initiates and takes necessary actions to collect funds of and for the African Union as a whole;
• Propose training programs relating to program designing and coordination;
• Promote awareness and training of best practices in the area of expertise;
• Interacts with Development Partners in a bid to influence the adoption of and alignment of programs to articulated AU Vision and priorities; as well as for resource mobilization and development of collaborative programs;
• Develops and maintains regular working relations with top-level stakeholders in appropriate agencies of the Member States and partners;
• Oversees the harmonization of all sectoral policies on ESTI through international fora.
• Any other responsibilities assigned by HRST Commissioner.

Academic Requirements and Relevant Experience

• A Master’s degree in Education, Science, and technology, or engineering with fifteen (15) years of postgraduate work experience of which a minimum of seven (7) years is expected to be from the managerial level..
• A diploma or certificate in any of the following fields will be an added advantage: strategic planning; results-based management.

Required Skills

• Managerial skills, political tactfulness, and supervisory skills to achieve documented objectives.
• Ability to work effectively with people from various backgrounds and create an environment where diversity is respected
• Proficiency in one of the AU working languages (French, English, Portuguese, Arabic); fluency in another AU language is an added advantage
• Ability to collaborate and communicate effectively with top-level stakeholders
• Ability to identify key strategic opportunities and risks.
• Ability to actively seek, identify and apply appropriate technology to improve program delivery

Leadership Competencies

Strategic Focus

.Developing Organizational Capability

Change Leadership

Strategic Risk Management

Core Competencies

Building Partnerships

Drives Accountability Culture

Learning Orientation

Effective Communication

Functional Competencies

Conceptual Thinking

Knowledge Sharing

Drive for Results

Fosters Innovation

ENURE OF APPOINTMENT:

The appointment will be made on a regular term contract for a period of three (3) years, of which the first twelve months shall be considered as a probationary period. Thereafter, the contract will be for a period of two years renewable, subject to satisfactory performance and deliverables.

GENDER MAINSTREAMING:

The AU Commission is an equal opportunity employer and qualified women are strongly encouraged to apply.

LANGUAGES:

Proficiency in one of the AU working languages (Arabic, English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish) and fluency in another AU language is an added advantage

How to Apply

CLICK HERE

REMUNERATION:

Indicative basic salary of US$ 78,138.00 (D1 Step1) per annum plus other related entitlements e.g. Post adjustment (46% of basic salary), Housing allowance US$ 26,208.00 (per annum), and education allowance (100% of tuition and other education-related expenses for every eligible dependent up to a maximum of US$ 10,000.00 per child per annum), for internationally recruited staff and a maximum of $3,300 per child per annum for locally recruited staff.