Principal II Gender and Economic Inclusion

Purpose of Job 

The Principal II is a senior member of the GEI team, which is responsible for handling all aspects of promoting gender equality, economic opportunities and human capital in all the Bank’s investments in the EBRD COOs including the provision of transaction support, engagement in policy dialogue, and capacity building.  Under the overall guidance of the Director, Gender and Economic Inclusion, and working in close cooperation with G&EI colleagues across all three pillars as well as other departments under the VP3 (i.e. Climate Strategy and Delivery (CSD), Policy Strategy and Delivery (PSD), Impact & Partnerships (IP)), Regional Offices the Banking department and other Bank groups (Credit, Environmental and Social Teams,, Legal, Communications etc)  and other Policy teams and external engagement with a wide range of clients, partners, including in other IFIs, Government Agencies, regulators, and supervisors, institutional investors and other market participants. The role is responsible for the delivery of policy dialogue activities, ensuring coordination with banking OLs in the origination and structuring of SIG projects with policy components, leveraging transactions to develop and support capacity to implement relevant sectoral frameworks.  The role entails collaboration with economists in the Impact / Partnership pillar to raise the TI ambition of projects as needed.  The role reports to the Associate Director, Head of Access to Services, Gender SMART at GEI

Background 

Policy, Strategy and Delivery (PSD) Department is established within the Vice Presidency for Policy Partnerships and responsible for delivering the strategy, policy and operational support functions across all of the bank’s transition qualities (except green / climate). PSD does this by enhancing the quality, delivery and impact of the Bank’s interventions through leading and supporting policy engagements in the countries of operation – including policy advisory, reform advocacy and capacity building, by providing political and political economy analysis in support of operations and high-level dialogue with the leadership of COOs, and supports the origination and structuring of transactions with policy/sectoral reform linkages and components.

The GEI department falls under the Vice Presidency for Policy and Partnerships (VP3) which has an ambitious vision for the Bank’s policy, partnerships and impact agenda. The VP3 aims to: (i) streamline the Bank’s policy agenda by centralising the policy coordination and delivery functions; (ii) improve the Bank’s results, knowledge and learning architecture and (iii) enhance the objectivity, rigor, credibility and accountability of the Bank’s Impact function. The vision for this change is to have a more strategic, coherent, focused and better aligned policy, impact and partnerships functions fit for purpose to deliver on the ever more complex challenges faced by our COOs. 

Under the VP3, the GEI Department leads the design and implementation of the EBRD’s Strategy for the Promotion of Gender Equality (SPGE 2021-2025) and the Equality of Opportunity Strategy (EOS 2021-2025). The Department also leads on the operationalisation of the engagement areas of the 2 strategies at project/ policy levels, regular internal/external updates. The Department also leads project, policy and TC design and delivery of products/solutions for access to entrepreneurship and finance, skills and jobs, and services, and inclusive elements of digital and green project/policy engagement across regions/sectors, in partnership with banking. Manage the design and implementation of the gender SMART tagging process across all sectors, provide advice to banking on optimising gender impact, and track progress. Create gender/inclusive know ledge products; lead international/MDB engagement in these areas.

Internally, the Principal  II collaborates with Banking overall with a focus on SIG, CSD, Impact, Donor Partnerships, and ROs (among others) on project generation and design and funding opportunities with gender equality and human capital market development relevance; provides expert contribution to Bank’s relevant decision bodies; interfaces with other units in VP Policy and Partnerships on embedding gender and economic inclusion in the Bank’s strategic and transition impact assessment tools; collaborates with various support units to ensure that new products can be efficiently booked and monitored.  Externally, the Principal II collaborates with representatives of other international financial institutions on coordination of policy and technical assistance; manages consultants on technical cooperation projects; coordinates with donor organisations on technical assistance activities; and develop and effectively manage relationships with external counterparts to range from technical staff to senior dignitaries in ministries.

Accountabilities and Responsibilities 

• Design, manage and lead policy dialogue with relevant stakeholders to promote gender equality and human capital development with a view to developing long-term relationships and becoming a trusted adviser – these could include policy dialogue to ensure that EBRD inclusion support unlocks new opportunities for private sector; fostering scaling-up of human capital and gender equality interventions in the banking sector, improving the policy implementation capacity of national and municipal institutions in promoting gender equality and human capital for private sector; as well as advancing and deepening a wide range of GEI relevant policy reforms;
• Build consensus within the Bank on the recommendations arising from the country needs assessments and, in cooperation with team members responsible for country coverage and other key bank stakeholders, establish appropriate next steps for EBRD’s contribution to advancing human capital and gender equality priorities in specific countries;
• Establish buy-in from key external stakeholders (e.g. government authorities, partners, MDBs, and other market participants) on the importance of developing more efficient and sustainable human capital and gender equality transformation.

Transaction design and support:

• Proactively guide the EBRD Banking and other relevant departments towards development opportunities, based on agreed country-level market development priorities including to ensure that transactions are aligned with relevant policy recommendations;
• Support systems innovation, new or update existing approaches, by assisting the EBRD’s Banking colleagues in designing specific transactions with human capital and gender equality relevance which can have potential for systemic behaviour change (for example frameworks) to maximise the impact of EBRD investments;
• Lead in providing input into the design and appraisal of relevant SIG projects with policy components, working with the Impact pillar to enhance the TI ambition as appropriate;
• Liaise with other EBRD Departments (CSD, ESD, CSEU, Impact) to strengthen synergies;
• Design, manage and coordinate TC projects with internal and external counterparts to support reforms or specific transactions in the gender and human capital.
• Monitor the performance of TC projects and work with the Impact pillar to ensure adequate ambition.

Research and analytical work:

Prepare, review and oversee the production of high quality analytical reports and policy notes that adequately analyse/reflect gender and human capital development issues with particular emphasis on the areas of their team’s expertise.

Knowledge and Experience 

• Postgraduate degree in economics, business administration, gender studies, finance, or other relevant disciplines.
• Hands-on experience working with a wide range of human capital and gender equality approaches/ priority areas, including in designing related policy reforms; 
• Experience in working on gender equality and economic inclusion in other MDBs or IFIs will be an advantage;
• Proven project management experience. Relevance to promoting gender equality and human capital development in transition economies is an advantage;
• Proven ability to work across organisational boundaries and operate effectively in a multi-cultural work environment;
• Experience with managing diverse teams and driving engagement.
• Strong communication skills, both oral and in writing in English and must be able to explain complex technical issues effectively; previous experience producing policy documents, assessment reports and thematic reports in other MDBs/ IFIs, think tanks, consultancy firms or other organisations having a development mandate is an advantage;
• Ability to establish relationships with and tactfully influence high-level internal and external stakeholders;

What is it like to work at the EBRD?

Our agile and innovative approach is what makes life at the EBRD a unique experience! You will be part of a pioneering and diverse international organisation, and use your talents to make a real difference to people's lives and help shape the future of the regions we invest in. 

The EBRD environment provides you with:

• Varied, stimulating and engaging work that gives you an opportunity to interact with a wide range of experts in the financial, political, public and private sectors across the regions we invest in;
• A working culture that embraces inclusion and celebrates diversity;
• An environment that places sustainability, equality and digital  transformation at the heart of what we do.

Diversity is one of the Bank’s core values which are at the heart of everything it does.  A diverse workforce with the right knowledge and skills enables connection with our clients, brings pioneering ideas, energy and innovation. The EBRD staff is characterised by its rich diversity of nationalities, cultures and opinions and we aim to sustain and build on this strength. As such, the EBRD seeks to ensure that everyone is treated with respect and given equal opportunities and works in an inclusive environment. The EBRD encourages all qualified candidates who are nationals of the EBRD member countries to apply regardless of their racial, ethnic, religious and cultural background, gender, sexual orientation or disabilities.  As an inclusive employer, we promote flexible working and expecting our employee to attend the office 50% of their working time.