Resident Advisor in Monetary and Foreign Exchange Operations, AFRITAC Central (MCMTA)
Provide technical assistance and capacity development for monetary operations
Overview
Provide technical assistance and capacity development for monetary operations
You have:
- At least five-year experience in monetary and foreign exchange operations in a central bank
- Graduate degree in economics, finance, econometric/statistics, or a related area
- Strong oral and written communication skills in English and French
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Good organizational and time management skills
- Willingness to undertake significant travel within the region
- Familiarity with modern computer systems and applications
Work for the IMF. Work for the World.
The Monetary and Capital Markets Department (MCM) of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is seeking an experienced expert to work as Resident Advisor in monetary and foreign exchange operations for Fragile and Conflict-Affected States (FCS) at AFRITAC Centre (AFC). This is a long-term expert (contractual) assignment based in Libreville, Gabon, with a 12-month initial term and a possibility of extension typically up to three years based on performance and funding availability.
The advisor will be part of the AFC team (https://www.afritaccentre.org/) and be backstopped by MCM. AFC is a multi-donor-financed regional capacity development center, covering 9 countries (Burundi, Chad, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Republic of Congo, and São Tomé and Principe). The FCS in AFRITAC are currently Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, and São Tomé and Principe. Three FCS (Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, and São Tomé and Principe) have a national central bank, while the remainder (Chad, Cameroon, Central African Republic, and Republic of Congo) are members of the regional central bank, the Banque des Etats de l’Afrique Centrale (BEAC).
Duties and Responsibilities
The main responsibility of the resident advisor will be to help identify and address the capacity-building and other technical assistance (TA) needs of FCS in AFC in the area of monetary policy implementation, including open market operations, standing facilities, reserve requirements, liquidity forecasting, collateral lists, emergency liquidity assistance, and communication with the market as well as foreign exchange operations, including intervention strategy, instruments, foreign reserve management, development of hedging market, and communication with the market. In addition, the advisor is expected to support the member country monetary policy modernization effort especially regarding the articulation between monetary policy decision and implementation. For the FCS that are members of the regional central bank, these TA activities will be done at the level of the BEAC. Excellent communication and written skills are important to effectively interact with country authorities. Fluency in English and French are essential.
The resident advisor is expected to travel or provide TA remotely as well as to lead/organize selected training for the FCS. By elaborating a well-prioritized medium-term work program, s/he will support the FCS in AFC through:
Provide, manage, and/or coordinate Capacity Development (CD) on monetary policy and foreign exchange market operations to member countries by:
- Participating in missions, either alone or with short-term experts (STX) that are on the MCM’s roster and providing offsite advice;
- Fielding and backstopping STX identified from the MCM roster and hired by CAPTAC-DR;
- Preparing relevant documentation for each mission, consistent with the established MCM TA procedures; this includes preparation of a briefing paper prior to every mission, provision of a draft report at the end of every mission to be left with authorities for comments, finalizing the report following MCM and the African Department (AFR) review, and preparation of a back-to-office report upon returning to AFC;
- Participating in MCM missions and coordinating with MCM on its delivery of CD to the member countries within the context of the CAPTAC-DR’s work plan; and
- Organizing, conducting, and facilitating training courses, workshops and/or seminars on topics within the mandate, for staff members, at both country and regional levels, after consultation with headquarters.
In collaboration with country members, prepare annual assessments of capacity-building needs in FCS in AFC on monetary and foreign exchange operations, taking account of previous TA delivery and developing circumstances. This work will include:
- Establishing and maintaining close relationships with country authorities, notably central banks, to identify TA and training needs and subsequently support their implementation;
- Preparing a 12-month work plan in collaboration with the country authorities and the Center Director, and in coordination with MCM, keeping it updated;
- Observing the policies and procedures of the IMF, applying the results-based management (RBM) strategic framework in guiding the CD activities undertaking (the RBM framework focuses on performance and achievement of results, and is supported by the Fund’s Capacity Development Management and Administration Program (CDMAP));
- Contributing to the CAPTAC-DR annual report on the achievements of the work plan to be presented to its Steering Committee;
- Monitor and assess the implementation of the workplan in line with the RBM framework, and disseminate capacity building achievements, in coordination with the Center Director;
- Keeping the MCM back-stoppers up to date on major developments; and
- Ensuring that any advice provided by the advisor is in line with IMF policies.
Qualifications
The selected individual would preferably have:
- At least five-year experience in monetary and foreign exchange operations in a central bank;
- Additional work experience with the field of monetary policy decision and/or in the market would be a plus;
- A graduate degree in economics, finance, econometric/statistics, or a related area;
- Strong oral and written communication skills in English and French, including presentational skills in support of training-related activities;
- Excellent interpersonal skills, and ability to work as part of a team, including other long-term and short-term experts to maintain effective and cooperative relations with national authorities (including senior government officials) and donors, and to handle sensitive issues with discretion in a multicultural environment;
- Good organizational and time management skills in balancing demands from member countries with duties and responsibilities from MCM and AFC;
- Willingness to undertake significant travel within the region. If needed, for certain high-risk countries, the TA can be delivered outside the high-risk country through out-of-country meetings and training; and
- Familiarity with modern computer systems and applications.
Candidates shortlisted for the position will be asked to undertake a quantitative test and an interview as part of the selection process.
Department:
MCMTA Monetary and Capital Markets Dept. Technical Assistance StrategyHiring For:
A11, A12, A13, A14The IMF is committed to achieving a diverse staff, including age, creed, culture, disability, educational background, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, nationality, race, religion and beliefs, and sexual orientation. We welcome requests for reasonable accommodations for disabilities during the selection process.
Potential interview questions
| Describe a time when you had to communicate complex financial concepts to a non-expert. | This assesses your ability to simplify complex ideas for diverse audiences. | Be clear about the concepts you challenged, the audience's background, and how you ensured understanding. |
| Can you discuss an experience where you identified a significant need for capacity building within an organization? | The interviewer wants to understand your analytical skills and ability to assess needs. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| Provide an instance where you had to work collaboratively with a team to achieve a goal. | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| What strategies would you employ to develop a training program for central bank officials? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| Tell me about a challenging negotiation you experienced and how you handled it. | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |