Recruitment at OPEC Fund for International Development

The OPEC Fund for International Development is a multilateral development finance institution established in 1976. Our 12 Member Countries are:  Algeria, Ecuador, Gabon, Indonesia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Director, Institutional and Administrative Unit – Legal Services

Location: Austria
Department/Unit: Legal Services Department / Institutional and Administrative Unit
Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract
Job Category: H
Grade: Management
Recruitment Status: International

Job Profile

• The Director, Institutional and Administrative Unit provides advice and assistance to the General Counsel on institutional and administrative matters and ensures legal service delivery to several departments, all in accordance with the institutional strategy, in order to support the execution of  the OPEC Fund’s mandate and achievement of its targets and objectives.
• The incumbent also advises on host country matters, human resources, and procurement matters, and is responsible for coordinating the legal services provided to Finance, including on all treasury and capital market activities of the OPEC Fund.

Duties and Responsibilities
Policy development and implementation:

• Provides input to or leads the development or review of institutional and/or departmental strategy and objectives.
• Leads the legal team responsible for Institutional, Administrative and Capital Market activities in implementing its annual work program and ensuring the achievement of its mid- to long-term goals, strategic targets and annual objectives.

Legal services:

• Coordinates the provision of legal services to Finance, including: (a) negotiating all legal agreements relating to the rating process, the OPEC Fund borrowing program in the international capital market, and the listing of securities on approved stock exchanges; (b) drafting and negotiating documents relating to the investment of the liquidity portfolio in the capital or money markets; (c) replenishment of OPEC Fund resources; and (d) tax exemptions.
• Coordinates the negotiation of the terms and conditions of institutional procurement contracts covering buildings, goods and services, IT hardware and software, as well as other capital investment activities. Also advises on compliance with procurement policy and other rules and regulations

Legal advice:

• Provides legal advisory support on all human resource matters, including on recruitment, administration of compensation and benefits, HR Policies Framework and HR Rules & Procedures, the Staff Code of Conduct, and handling of employee disputes.
• Provides advice on matters relating to the Headquarters Agreement between the OPEC Fund and the Republic of Austria, particularly in respect of the privileges, immunities and exemptions extended therein to the OPEC Fund and its employees.
• Drafts/responds to Note Verbales and requests from the Host Country in connection with the Headquarters Agreement and directly liaises with the authorities of the latter on behalf of the OPEC Fund.
• Assists the General Counsel in advising on constitutional and corporate legal issues arising from the interpretation and application of the Agreement Establishing the OPEC Fund, by-laws and financial regulations, and drafting legal documents relating to membership of the OPEC Fund, membership contributions to the resources of the OPEC Fund, and the creation of special funds.
• Identifies issues of legal importance related to the international status of OPEC Fund, conducts/supervises research and analysis on such legal issues and brings them to the attention of the General Counsel for consideration, with recommendations and an agreed action plan.

Leadership and direction:

• Leads, mentors and assesses the team, providing goals and expectations, feedback and technical guidance to optimize their performance and enhance service delivery quality.
• Contributes to the development and maintenance of the knowledge assets of Legal Services as well as capacity building and knowledge sharing within the department and organization
• Supports the General Counsel in management of the strategic objectives of  Legal Services.

Stakeholder management and engagement:

• Represents the OPEC Fund in any legal or dispute resolution proceedings assigned by the General Counsel and liaises with external counsel as required.
• Works with external stakeholders (authorized officials of partner countries/institutions, law firms, the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, representatives of other VBIOs and other counterparties) and internal stakeholders (e.g. all OPEC Fund departments/units on the subject of legal services and advice on an ongoing basis).
• Carrying out other tasks assigned by the General Counsel that are related to the job function.

Qualifications and Experience

• Master’s Degree in Law and Admission to the Bar or equivalent.
• A minimum of 15 years relevant professional experience, of which 5 years should have been at an international development finance institution/ international law firm.
• A minimum of 5 years  relevant proffessional experience at a senior level.
• Fluent in English.

Competencies:

• Leadership & People Management – The ability to guide and empower team members effectively; cultivate a positive work climate; delegate tasks skilfully and nurture team members’ growth.
• Results Orientation – The ability to set ambitious targets for self and the team; drive progress toward objectives; initiate actions to achieve desired outcome,
• Creativity, Initiative & Innovation –  The ability to nurture novel concepts and inventive approaches; take calculated risks to foster innovation; identify chances for process enhancements and expansion.
• Trustworthiness, Ethics & Governance –  The ability to act with integrity and transparency; safeguard confidentiality; demonstrate ethical decision-making and interactions; to adhere to organizational regulations and ethical benchmarks, foster a culture of compliance and strong governance; ensure team members understand and adhere to protocols.
• Business Alignment-  The ability to align team objectives and undertakings with broader organizational aims; make decisions contributing to the organization’s strategic direction.
• Sense of Responsibility-  The ability to demonstrate ownership and accountability in tasks and outcomes; uphold reliability and commitment to fulfilling responsibilities, guiding the team member’s sense of responsibility  and fostering a culture of dependability.
• Problem Solving Ability –  The ability to identify issues adeptly, delve into root causes, and devise pragmatic solutions; demonstrate ingenuity and resourcefulness in overcoming challenges, guiding the team’s approach to complex problem-solving.

Application Closing Date
6th January, 2025.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Job Title: Country Manager – Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC)

Location: Austria
Department/Unit: Public Sector / Latin America and the Caribbean
Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract
Job Category: Professional
Grade: F
Recruitment Status: International

Job Profile

• In co-operation with the Director, the Country Manager leads and oversees the identification, development, appraisal, approval and implementation of Public Sector projects.
• The position contributes to the development of policies and strategies in the portfolio-countries and supports the achievements of the regional and departmental objectives and targets.
• The Country Manager is responsible for identifying and recommending options and solutions for the optimum deployment of financing resources in the portfolio-countries, including the development, implementation and monitoring of country operational strategies and business plans.
• Working together with the Director, the Country Manager also leads and oversees relations with the portfolio countries and other relevant partners.

Duties and Responsibilities:
Policy development and implementation:

• Conducts regular assessments for assigned portfolio countries, to support the development of short-medium term strategies (3 year objectives) in coordination with the Director, partners and other donorstnership strategies and country business plans, to support the achievement of the regional business plan.
• Leads and coordinates the preparation of country partnership strategies and country business plans, to support the achievement of the regional business plan.
• Coordinates the implementation of the annual work plan for the assigned portfolio, in co-operation with the Director, ensuring alignment with the regional and departmental objectives, targets and KPIs.
• Coordinates work with the Director, as well as other departments on project, strategy and policy related matters.

Project cycle (Project development and processing):
In tandem with the Director, the Country Manager:

• Contributes to the identification of a pipeline of projects and identifies opportunities through partner outreach and project screening.
• Supports the sourcing of new projects and co-financing opportunities, by leveraging professional networks and relationships.
• Evaluates financing opportunities and provides support on the initial risk and financial assessments of the projects.
• Participates in project appraisals, including technical, economic, and ESG analysis, as well as project administration design.
• Coordinates and supports the full project life cycle including project identification, preparation, concept and terms clearance, due diligence and appraisal, interface with technical and loan committee as well as with management and the Governing Board.
• Ensures that legal documentation is successfully concluded (loan signed and declared effective) in a timely manner through negotiations with Government and partners with the support of the legal counsel.
• Supports project implementation, ensuring compliance with covenants, achievement of contract awards, and planned disbursements in order to achieve the envisaged project outcomes.
• Contributes to the implementation of projects, in coordination with project management teams and executing agencies, developing practical and innovative solutions to facilitate implementation, resolve implementation problems, as well as incorporates lessons learnt into the project implementation framework.
• Facilitates the procurement and disbursement processes for the project, insuring achievement of contract award, as well as successful disbursement.
• Manages day-to-day project administration, providing support to the team responsible for disbursements and loan servicing (repayments) and coordinating with Loan Management and Risk Management.

Capacity Building, Knowledge Sharing and Supervision:

• Recommends and supports the implementation of individual annual work program and budget for the assigned countries, including proposed missions and trainings.
• Contributes to institution building, and builds and shares knowledge through participation in task force groups and other meetings.
• Participates and contributes to relevant learning activities for advocacy, and knowledge building.
• Enters, updates and validates data/ information related to the assigned countries into the Management Information System (MIS/ SAP/ EDMS).
• Coaches and supervises newly appointed analysts and interns.

Partners and Relationships Management:

• In cooperation with the Director, maintains active relationships and creates new partnerships with governments, executing agencies, partner institutions with the aim of expanding strategic partnerships in the portfolio countries.
• Maintains and fosters relationships with governments’ authorities, and DFIs to maximize potential for co-financing and catalyzing resources from partners.
• Perform other duties as required by the Director relevant to the area of responsibilities.

Qualifications and Experience

• Master’s Degree or equivalent in Economics, Finance, Engineering or another relevant field
• A minimum of five (5) years relevant professional experience.
• Preferably at least two (2) years’ relevant work experience in an international development institution.
• Fluent in English and Spanish. Good working knowledge of Arabic or French is an added advantage.

Competencies:

• Collaboration and Teamwork – The ability to effectively work with colleagues, stakeholders and partners to achieve shared goals.
• Customer Centricity  – The ability to focus on comprehending and addressing customer needs; consistently deliver exceptional service and foster strong, lasting customer relationships.
• Decision making – The ability to analyze information comprehensively to make well-informed decisions; assess both immediate and long-term ramifications.
• Effective Planning and Follow Up – The ability to set clear goals and priorities; skillfully organize tasks for efficiency; consistently follow through on commitments and plans.
• Sense of Responsibility – The ability to demonstrate ownership and accountability in tasks and outcomes; uphold reliability and commitment to fulfilling responsibilities.

Application Closing Date
10th January, 2025.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online