INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) is a regional grouping of 21 African States which have agreed to promote regional integration through trade development and trade facilitation. More information can be obtained from the COMESA website www.comesa.int. Applications are invited from suitably qualified and experienced professionals from COMESA Member States for the following position:

JOB PURPOSE

To lead the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) service delivery at COMESA Secretariat/Institutions and Member States to support the implementation of COMESA Medium Term Strategy and ICT policy.

To provide ICT strategic direction to COMESA Secretariat, institutions and its Member States to use ICT as a tool to achieve the current and future COMESA business needs.

MAIN DUTIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

Under the direct supervision of the Assistant Secretary General (Administration and Finance) and the overall supervision of the Secretary General, the incumbent of the post will perform the following duties:

• Develop and coordinate strategy and policy formulation processes within the Secretariat and COMESA Institutions in consultation with Member States;
• Provides input into long-range ICT strategic and policy priorities/ issues relating to COMESA's role in supporting development in Member States in order to realize the regional integration agenda;
• Consolidates annual ICT work plans and budget inputs in order to gain Management's approval and funding of work plans required to execute the Division's mandate;
• Directs the implementation of ICT work programs and budgets to ensure that the Division's mandate is executed in line with COMESA strategy and within approved budget limits;
• Leads the consultation of senior-level stakeholders across the entire organization to identify new technological needs and ensure that these needs are addressed through adequate services;
• Leads the procurement of shared ICT resources and services, establishing commercial partnerships and external services where they can add value, resilience and agility to services;
• Leads the design and implementation of major systems and ICT infrastructure for secretariat, institutions and Member States;
• Directs the management of multiple, concurrent and often disparate tasks for projects that often involve innovative applications, dissimilar systems as well as data bases and highly complex system integration and linkages;
• Provides technical ICT advisory support to Secretariat, Institutions and Member States;
• Collaborates with the Human Resource and Administration Division in the recruitment, training and development of Division staff to ensure staff disposition is aligned to achieving key mandates;
• Manage the performance management process in the Division to ensure the achievement of Division objectives that support COMESA strategy and ensure team and individual performance through technical monitoring, setting performance targets and standards, and supervision;
• Motivate, engage and build staff into a high performing team through coaching, effective communication and providing frequent feedback on work and promotes adherence to administrative procedures, processes and standards, and cultivates a culture of forward thinking, consultation, teamwork among staff; and
• Perform any other duties as assigned by Executive Management from time to time.

MINIMUM ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS

• Master's Degree in Computer Science, Information Systems Management or other related fields; and
• A Ph.D. in any of the above fields would be an added advantage.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Minimum of fifteen (15) years' experience in Information and Communication Technology with at least five (5) years in a senior management role in an international, public, intergovernmental or regional institution.

PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS/QUALIFICATIONS:

The following Professional certification/qualifications are desirable:

• Business Process Reengineering (BPR);
• E- government training;
• Systems and ICT Infrastructure.

SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

Specialized knowledge in any of the following areas:

• IT Systems and infrastructure knowledge;
• Information Technology service desk management;
• ICT policy and strategy preparation skills;
• System design and analysis; and
• Business Process Reengineering.

WORKING LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT FOR ALL THE POSITIONS

Applicants must be fluent in English and/or French and/or Arabic (speaking and writing). A combination of any two (2) or all these languages will be an added advantage.

ELIGIBILITY FOR APPLICATION

Applicants must be citizens of a COMESA Member country and aged below fifty- five (55) years at the time of submitting the application.

• Develop and coordinate strategy and policy formulation processes within the Secretariat and COMESA Institutions in consultation with Member States;
• Provides input into long-range ICT strategic and policy priorities/ issues relating to COMESA's role in supporting development in Member States in order to realize the regional integration agenda;
• Consolidates annual ICT work plans and budget inputs in order to gain Management's approval and funding of work plans required to execute the Division's mandate;
• Directs the implementation of ICT work programs and budgets to ensure that the Division's mandate is executed in line with COMESA strategy and within approved budget limits;
• Leads the consultation of senior-level stakeholders across the entire organization to identify new technological needs and ensure that these needs are addressed through adequate services;
• Leads the procurement of shared ICT resources and services, establishing commercial partnerships and external services where they can add value, resilience and agility to services;
• Leads the design and implementation of major systems and ICT infrastructure for secretariat, institutions and Member States;
• Directs the management of multiple, concurrent and often disparate tasks for projects that often involve innovative applications, dissimilar systems as well as data bases and highly complex system integration and linkages;
• Provides technical ICT advisory support to Secretariat, Institutions and Member States;
• Collaborates with the Human Resource and Administration Division in the recruitment, training and development of Division staff to ensure staff disposition is aligned to achieving key mandates;
• Manage the performance management process in the Division to ensure the achievement of Division objectives that support COMESA strategy and ensure team and individual performance through technical monitoring, setting performance targets and standards, and supervision;
• Motivate, engage and build staff into a high performing team through coaching, effective communication and providing frequent feedback on work and promotes adherence to administrative procedures, processes and standards, and cultivates a culture of forward thinking, consultation, teamwork among staff; and
• Perform any other duties as assigned by Executive Management from time to time.

• IT Systems and infrastructure knowledge;
• Information Technology service desk management;
• ICT policy and strategy preparation skills;
• System design and analysis; and
• Business Process Reengineering.

• Master's Degree in Computer Science, Information Systems Management or other related fields;
• A Ph.D. in any of the above fields would be an added advantage.
• Business Process Reengineering (BPR);
• E- government training;
• Systems and ICT Infrastructure.