Role purpose

The Caribbean Development Bank is looking for a highly qualified and motivated professional to lead the Caribbean Development Bank's (CDB) interventions in Haiti, and manage the operations of the Haiti Office.

The Department

The Projects Department provides technical and programmatic direction to project management in Borrowing Member Countries (BMCs). It oversees the identification, appraisal, and supervision of all capital and TA projects and sector loans in the Bank's portfolio. In addition, the Department is responsible for monitoring and reporting on the status of the Bank's loan portfolio; for the preparation of sector analyses and policy papers, as well as delivery of capacity development training in Borrowing Member Countries (BMCs) in the areas of project development, project management and macroeconomic management; and for provision of assistance to micro- and small-scale enterprises.

The Haiti Office

The Haiti Country Office (HCO) was established to deepen CDB's efforts to contribute to meaningfully transform and sustain the Haitian economy, and also to seek to assist with Haiti's further integration into the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). With the field presence, aid is better adapted to the local situation and its effectiveness improved. Local representation provides an improved opportunity of identifying and designing projects, building/strengthening of partnerships, and giving legitimacy to policy dialogue activities. HCO has enabled improved design/implementation of projects and the development of closer contacts with the Government of Haiti (GOH), donors and other in-country stakeholders.

The Role

The Country Representative, Haiti (CRH), reporting to the Director, Projects, acts as CDB's official representative in Haiti and provides the primary operational interface between CDB and Haiti on the ground, to maximize the efficiency, effectiveness, and impact of CDB's operations in Haiti. The CR advises and guides the design and execution of programs focusing on poverty reduction, natural disaster recovery and the strengthening of public institutions. Given the current challenges faced by Haiti, the CRH plays a vital role within the international community highlighting the needs of Haiti and marshalling support and resources.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

• Championing the vision, mission and strategy of the Office and ensuring achievement of its objectives.
• Identifying business development and client engagement opportunities and leading program planning and execution of the strategy for Haiti.
• Building the Bank's reputation and visibility of its mission and collaborative relationships across the domestic and international communities to promote program coordination and delivery.
• Establishing, monitoring and reporting on strategic initiatives, in alignment with the Bank's results framework, to appropriately capture the impact and efficiency of country programming.
• Remaining vigilant regarding national and regional issues that may impact the country's program and partners.
• Leading a team including the setting of objectives, managing performance, and supporting professional development.

Qualifications and Experience

The successful candidate must have:

• An advanced degree in any of the social science disciplines, natural sciences, engineering, business or other relevant disciplines.
• Senior-level experience in national, regional or international organisations.
• Experience in managing country programs focusing on poverty reduction, development aid, and related initiatives.
• A proven track record of project cycle management and of facilitating timely delivery of lending and technical assistance operations or equivalent activities in a development finance institution.
• Knowledge of the socio-economic challenges faced in Haiti.

Competencies

Function Specific Competencies

The CRH should be able to:

• Engage effectively to develop and deepen partnerships with external stakeholders, including government officials, multilateral, and bilateral donors, media and other stakeholders.
• Manage budgets and administrative systems for operating an office.
• Lead and substantially contribute to activities for advocacy, dissemination and knowledge building around the work of the Bank and its operations in Haiti.
• Communicate effectively in French and English.
• Understand and respond to the challenges of working in a fragile state.

Behavioural Competencies

The CRH should demonstrate a strong proficiency in the following organisational core competencies:

• Acting as a Champion for Change – The ability to identify problems and opportunities for change, implement solutions where appropriate; maintain effectiveness when experiencing major changes in work tasks or the work environment; and support people in their efforts to try new things.
• Acting Decisively – Moves quickly to make decisions and commits to a clear course of action; comfortable making decisions based on partial information; willing to take risks to maintain momentum; shows a strong bias toward action.
• Championing Customer Needs – Calls attention to issues that impact customer satisfaction; views situations from customers' perspective; encourages people to think about customers when making decisions and develops and sustains productive customer relationships.
• Developing Talent – Invests time and resources into building the capabilities of team members; helps people define career goals and establish development plans to achieve them; gives people constructive, developmental feedback and advice.
• Driving for Results – Bottom-line oriented and pushes self and others to achieve results. Keeps current on project status; makes sure people are aware of project status and what they need to do to keep things moving; redirects project resources and activities to overcome setbacks; elevates project concerns to senior levels of leadership when appropriate.
• Managing Performance – Clearly defines and communicates roles and responsibilities; holds people accountable for accomplishing objectives; recognises and rewards people who achieve results and deliver on performance expectations; provides effective feedback on performance.
• Managing Risk – Effectively balances risks and opportunities; thinks through potentially positive and negative outcomes; looks for ways to mitigate risks.
• Setting a Strategic Vision – Identifies and articulates the strategic goals and direction of the company, Division, or group; establishes connections between short-term goals and long-term objectives and directions. Communicates the vision throughout the organisation in the form of distinctive strategies, objectives and action plans that maximise competitive advantage. Inspires and motivates entire Division(s) or department(s) to adopt the vision.

Terms of Appointment

This role is a full-time position with the successful candidate being contracted on a two-year basis in the first instance, with the possibility of renewal. The salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience. A pension plan, life and medical insurances are included in the benefits package.

Role Location

The new hire will initially be based in Barbados and will eventually relocate to Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, please ensure you complete the Application Form provided below by 03 January 2025  (23:59 hrs, GMT -4). It is essential that you submit your CV in English, specifically in Microsoft Word format (.doc/.docx).

Applications in other languages or formats will not be considered.

Rest assured, all information will be handled with the utmost confidentiality.

SRI Executive is exclusively retained by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) to undertake this assignment.