(Senior) Disaster Risk Financing Specialist

Job Vacancy | Thursday, June 6, 2024

Join Our Mission to Foster Prosperity in Asia

Are you ready to make a lasting impact on the future of Asia and be a catalyst for positive change? We are thrilled to offer a unique opportunity to become an important part of the prestigious Asian Development Bank (ADB). At ADB, our mission is simple yet powerful: to alleviate poverty and promote sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region.

The position of (Senior) Disaster Risk Financing Specialist is assigned to the Disaster Risk Management Team in the Climate Change, Resilience and Environment Cluster (CCRE) within the Climate Change and Sustainable Development Department (CCSD). You will be based at our Headquarters in Manila, Philippines.

You will report to Unit Head, Disaster Risk Management and will oversee national and administrative staff.

Your Role

As a (Senior) Disaster Risk Financing Specialist, you will lead and promote the implementation of ADB's policy and action plan pertaining to disaster risk management (DRM) and ensure bank-wide implementation of ADB’s DRM approach. You will provide specific advice, expertise, and technical support to make the economic case for risk-informed investments and the design of better investment planning and financing strategies for disaster risk management. This covers both ADB’s own ex ante and ex post disaster risk financing (DRF) instruments as well as an advisory function towards Developing Member Countries (DMCs) in terms of developing DRF strategies and instruments, justifying risk-informed investments, promoting the enabling environment and improving public financial management in emergencies.

You will:

a. Policies, Strategies, and Instruments

• Lead the analysis of the status and development of fiscal risks from natural hazards including those aggravated by climate change in ADB’s developing member countries (DMCs)
• Monitor the status of government liabilities and the status and development of disaster risk financing strategies and instruments in ADB’s DMCs
• Provide technical inputs to ensure that disaster and climate resilience considerations based on a risk-layered approach towards disaster risk financing are incorporated in ADB’s country partnership strategies.
• Monitor the performance of ADB’s ex-post and ex-ante DRF instruments (e.g., Contingent Disaster Financing and Emergency Assistance Loans) and participate in the development of new or the enhancement of existing DRF instruments
• Develop relationships with technical disaster risk financing teams of key development partners and monitor any policy or practice changes that could impact the effectiveness of ADB’s instruments
• Monitor the status and development of relevant international funding facilities and instruments and build relationships

b. Operational Advice and Support

• Contribute to the strengthening of disaster risk knowledge and the promotion of risk-informed decision-making at national and local levels through ADB projects
• Promote and demonstrate the effectiveness of investments in disaster risk reduction at the level of individual DMCs
• Promote and demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of a risk-layered approach to financial preparedness at the level of individual DMCs
• Identify regulatory, operational, financial, technical and institutional gaps for effective disaster risk financing, investments in disaster risk reduction and associated public financial management capacity in selected DMCs
• Provide technical support to operations departments for developing country and sector disaster risk financing approaches and strategies as relevant
• Provide technical support to operations departments for developing country and sector funding mechanisms for disaster risk reduction
• Advise operational departments on the development of disaster risk financing projects and instruments and manage technical assistance projects as required
• Advise operational departments on the development of technical assistance projects to strengthen public financial management capacity in relation to a) risk reduction and b) post-disaster operations and manage technical assistance projects as required
• Provide technical inputs to operations departments in processing and implementing post disaster emergency assistance and conduct focused reviews of the public financial management of post-disaster assistance as required.
• Provide support to senior management and the Board of Directors on DRM and DRF issues, including preparation of briefing notes and presentation materials, as requested.

c. Mobilizing and Managing DRM finance

• Support operations departments to access internal resources for DRM and DRF.
• Contribute to efforts to mobilize external resources for DRF and to establish and implement trust and special funds.

d. Knowledge Generation and Sharing

• Contribute to the development and promotion of regional and sub-regional tools and best practices on disaster risk financing and guidelines for designing and implementing associated ADB projects.
• Lead the identification of best practices and sharing of knowledge solutions within ADB, with ADB’s developing member countries, and multilateral and bilateral development partners in the field of disaster risk financing.
• Promote regional policy dialogue and knowledge exchange of DRF in Asia with support from the DRF Forum.
• Conduct DRM awareness training and capacity development programs for staff, executing agencies of developing member countries, and other concerned parties.
• Actively participate in external DRM networks and global and regional partnerships and inter-agency relations and contribute to external knowledge sharing and harmonization efforts through conferences, external publications, and other knowledge products.
  

e. Supervising staff

• Provide leadership, supervision, and support to reporting staff.
• Ensure the ongoing learning and development of reporting staff.

f. Others

• Leads, coordinates, supports and/or handles ad hoc assignments as assigned.

Qualifications

You will need:

• Master’s degree, or equivalent in economics or finance. Alternatively, university degree and at least 5 years specialized experience relevant to the position can be considered.
• At least 8 years of professional experience in disaster risk financing/public financial management with a proven track record of working with government (Ministries of Finance and other relevant sectors), including at the international level and with knowledge of the Asia-Pacific region.
• (For internal candidates) Two years of relevant experience outside ADB within the past five years is required. Years as an ADB-engaged consultant or contractor are considered experience outside of ADB.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Familiarity with DRM operations, policies, and procedures of multilateral financial institutions, a strong international DRF network, and experience in processing and implementation of investment projects would be an advantage.
• International experience working in several countries.
• Experience working in a developing country (outside the country of origin) would be an advantage
• Please refer to the link for ADB Competency Framework for IS4 and IS5

Benefits

ADB offers competitive compensation and a comprehensive benefits package. The salary will be based on ADB’s standards and comparator markets, taking into account your qualifications and experience.

· Paid leave (including parental)

· Medical and health benefits

· Life and other insurance plans

· Staff development

· Retirement plan

· Housing and education allowance (if applicable)

· Expatriate benefits (for international staff)

Additional Information

This is a fixed term appointment with option to renew for an initial period of 3 years following Section 3.1 (b) of Administrative Order No. 2.01 (“Recruitment and Appointment’). This appointment is not convertible to a regular appointment. It may be extended on an exceptional basis for a further fixed period at the option of ADB. This appointment is open to internal and external applicants.

This position has been created as part of the Workforce Rebalancing Framework, which is a multiyear initiative (2022-2027) aimed at increasing in-house expertise in key operational areas that was previously sourced from consultants through ADB’s technical assistance. The goal is to strengthen in-house expertise to enhance the quality of ADB’s policy dialogue, operations, and knowledge solutions delivery by collaborating closely with developing member country clients. Expected candidates are seasoned experts in the advertised area(s) with strong field experience who can lead policy dialogue and project work with emphasis on providing knowledge solutions. Staff may undertake short-term assignments in other groups, departments or offices only when the expertise in the advertised area(s) is needed by those groups, departments or offices.

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