African Development Bank (AfDB) is recruiting a Principal Operations Officer (SEFA), PERN3 to support the management and implementation of renewable energy investment and technical assistance programmes under the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA).
The role will be based in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, or Nairobi, Kenya, and focuses on portfolio management, reporting, programme oversight, and operational leadership within the Bank’s renewable energy fund division.
Location: Abidjan or Nairobi
Position Grade: PL4
Position Number: 50086490
Posting Date: February 10, 2026
Application Deadline: March 2, 2026
About the Employer
The position is advertised by AfDB on behalf of the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA), a multi-donor special fund supporting renewable energy, green mini-grids, green baseload, and energy efficiency initiatives across Africa.
SEFA plays a key role in delivering Mission 300, a flagship energy access initiative co-developed with the World Bank, aimed at connecting 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030.
The Role
The Principal Operations Officer will:
- Lead SEFA’s Operations Team
- Supervise portfolio monitoring and reporting
- Oversee procurement, financial management, and compliance
- Manage programme design and implementation alignment
- Strengthen monitoring & evaluation (M&E) frameworks
- Develop IT-based portfolio management and analytics systems
- Coordinate donor reporting and stakeholder communication
- Lead preparation of annual and quarterly reports
- Develop Annual Work Plans and Budgets (AWPB)
- Oversee SEFA’s web presence and communications materials
The officer will report to the PERN.3 Division Manager (Head of SEFA).
Department Context
The position sits within the Renewable Energy Funds Division (PERN.3), under AfDB’s Vice Presidency for Power, Energy, Climate & Green Growth.
The division focuses on:
- Renewable energy fund investments
- Blended finance structuring
- Green mini-grids and clean cooking initiatives
- Equity and debt investments in energy access
Required Qualifications
Applicants must have:
- Master’s degree in Economics, Finance, Energy, or related field
- Minimum six (6) years of experience in project portfolio management
- Experience managing complex portfolios (grants, equity, debt)
- Exposure to development finance institutions (preferred)
- Experience working with African institutions/projects
- Strong reporting, monitoring & evaluation skills
- Leadership and team supervision experience
- Fluency in English or French (with working knowledge of the other)
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office
- Knowledge of SAP and portfolio management tools (advantage)
- Familiarity with AI-based systems (added advantage)
Key Competencies
- Strong stakeholder management skills
- Independent and proactive work style
- Team leadership and coordination ability
- Gender and diversity competence
- High-level reporting and analytical capability
Important Notes
- Only nationals of AfDB member countries may apply
- Dual nationality is not accepted
- SEFA employment does not guarantee future AfDB staff appointment
- AfDB does not charge fees at any stage of recruitment