Senior Manager: ECA Development & Partnerships

About Afreximbank African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is a Pan-African multilateral financial institution mandated to finance and promote intra-and extra-African trade.

For 30 years, the Bank has been deploying innovative structures to deliver financing solutions that support the transformation of the structure of Africa’s trade, accelerating industrialization and intra-regional trade, thereby boosting economic expansion in Africa.

A stalwart supporter of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), Afreximbank has launched a Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) that was adopted by the African Union (AU) as the payment and settlement platform to underpin the implementation of the AfCFTA. Working with the AfCFTA Secretariat and the AU, the Bank is setting up a US$10 billion Adjustment Fund to support countries to effectively participate in the AfCFTA.

At the end of December 2023, Afreximbank’s total assets and guarantees stood at over US$37.3 billion, and its shareholder funds amounted to US$6.1 billion. The Bank disbursed more than US$104 billion between 2016 and 2023.

Afreximbank has investment grade ratings assigned by GCR (international scale) (A), Moody’s (Baa1), Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR) (A-) and Fitch (BBB). Afreximbank has evolved into a group entity comprising the Bank, its impact fund subsidiary called the Fund for Export Development Africa (FEDA), and its insurance management subsidiary, AfrexInsure, (together, “the Group”).

The Bank is headquartered in Cairo, Egypt.

Key Responsibilities:

The Senior Manager: ECA Development & Partnerships (COEXPRO) will be responsible for driving the Bank’s Exim-plus including effective execution of the Bank’s Country Export Programme (COEXPRO) and other ECA Development and Partnership objectives. Sourcing of asset targeted funding from ECAs and other specialised finance institutions, developing, structuring and executing transactions under the COEXPRO and ECA Loan Facilitation Program (ELFP) are key components of this role. The position holder will be part of the Guarantee and Specialised Finance function, whose main objectives include:

• Driving the Bank’s overall Exim-plus agenda including driving the COEXPRO and other ECA Development and Partnership objectives of the Bank.
• Managing the Afreximbank Guarantee Programme (AFGAP) under which the Bank deploys its risk bearing instruments to promote trade and trade-related investments in Africa and by African entities in line with the Bank’s Exim-plus objectives.
• Fostering partnership with ECAs, DFIs, Multilaterals, insurance entities, guarantee, banks, and other specialised finance institutions to advance realization of the Bank’s objectives.
• Using the Bank’s ELFP and other instruments to leverage resources (local and international), to create capacity to support growing demand for trade finance in Africa.
• Structuring bankable transactions using the Bank’s ELFP to support overall achievement of the Bank’s strategic goals.
• Working closely with key internal parties to ensure seamless and successful implementation and operation of the Bank’s leasing platform and other specialised finance.
• Acting as Specialised Finance Champion by growing the Bank’s specialised finance and guarantee portfolio including identifying and vetting prospective clients in partnership with relevant internal deals team.
• Managing the relationship between the Bank, ECAs, DFIs and relevant industry associations including thought leadership organisations in line with the Bank’s Exim-plus objectives.
• Providing supportive advisory role to African economies as regards setting up national Exim Banks and ECAs including (i) feasibility studies, (ii)strategy & business plan (iii) systems development and installation, among others.
• Marketing of the Bank’s specialised finance products including ELFP by actively working with relevant internal and external partners to market the products.
• Leading strategic initiatives relating to Eximplus objectives of the Bank.

The duties and responsibilities of the Senior Manager: ECA Development & Partnerships(COEXPO) include:

• ECA Advisory Services: Work closely with national authorities to support establishment of national ECAs to enhance their export credit capabilities. The ECA advisory services cover all areas of operational development of export credit institution such as set- up processes including feasibility study, strategy development, organizational capacity matters, policy and procedures, systems and structures, products and services, among others.
• Funds Mobilisation: Mobilisation of asset targeted funds from ECAs, multilaterals and other specialised finance entities through the preparation of applications for funding, negotiation of terms sheets and other mandate documents as well as coordinating and participating in Lender due diligence processes.
• Deal Origination and Structuring:
• Work closely with client relationship team to secure deals from existing and potential clients using menu of specialised finance products of the Bank
• Identify, negotiate, secure and execute transaction mandates including COEXPRO, guarantees, trade and project related ECA backed and other transactions using specialised finance products and other related arrangements.
• Work closely with client relationship team to develop credible pipeline of COEXPRO and ELFP transactions.
• Co-ordinate borrower due diligence, deal structuring and pricing negotiations.
• Build and or evaluate financial models, specifically project cash flow models, relating to guarantees and other specialised finance transactions.
• Drive the Bank’s insurance project under the managing general agency structure.
• Marketing:

• Champion the Bank’s COEXPRO by working closely with client relationship team, National Authorities responsible for trade and investment, Central Banks, policy think tanks, ECAs, National export councils, among others.

• Champion the establishment of the Africa ECA alliance.

• Work closely with client relationship team, TFIs, ECAs, DFIs, Multilaterals commercial banks, manufacturers of capital goods, leasing entities and Africa focused deal originating entities to identify transactions to be supported using the Bank’s ECA Loan facilitation instruments.

• Actively market the Bank’s COEXPRO and other specialised finance products to African governments, corporates, non-African corporates, commercial banks (African and non-African), multilaterals, DFIs, ECAs and other specialised financial institutions including insurance and global guarantee institutions.

• Coordinate and/or participate in roadshows and co-financing partner calling programmes to support expansion of the Bank’s ELFP and other specialised finance activities.

• Provide feedback and lead to other origination team on potential opportunity that you might come across relating to projects, export development, capital market and trade transactions to help the Bank in the realisation of its strategic objective

• Relationship Management:
• Establish and maintain strong relationship with African ECA/DFIs
• Lead the formation of the Africa Exim Alliance/Forum.
• Act as the focal point for the Bank’s
• Establish, manage and maintain other diversified network of global ECAs, multilaterals, DFIs, commercial banks (local and international) involved in ECA related activities, industry associations including G-NEXID, Berne Union, among others.
• Work closely with Client Relationship team to develop and maintain strong network of senior level African financial institutions, corporates, sovereign and sub-sovereign, African exporter, importer and project sponsors to facilitate securing of specialised finance mandates.
• Manage the Bank’s relationships with wide network of professional advisors, consultants and deal originators to facilitate deal due diligence.
• Manage the Bank’s relationships with wide network of professional associations including industry thought leaders, academia, and other relevant bodies to help advance the Bank’s Exim-plus objectives.
• Devise and implement enhanced cooperation in projects, capital market offering, capital goods and services import and export finance, trade finance transactions within and across Africa and between Africa and the rest of the world.
• Work closely with internal parties including relevant committees to ensure effective deployment and utilisation of the ECA/DFI Lines.

Minimum Qualifications:

Master’s degree in Finance, Banking, Economics, Management or a related field from a good university. A professional qualification in Finance, Banking, Risk Management, Insurance, Accounting or International Trade Finance or related disciplines may be accepted in lieu of the Master’s degree. Knowledge of, and experience in officially supported credit, credit and political risk insurance market and DFI operations is an added advantage.

Years and Nature of Experience:

• Familiarity with functions and operating modalities of Export Credit Agencies, political and credit risk insurance and development finance institutions.
• Sound experience of at least 10 years with a leading organisation and working knowledge in Export Finance, asset-based financing and guarantees involving trade and project finance products.
• At least 10 years of experience in dealing with export credit agencies, credit insurance products, and good understanding of the medium to long-term officially supported credit industry, with proven background in risk management, financial modelling, credit analysis, loan documentation and corporate finance.
• Good knowledge of the OECD and other international rules governing officially supported export credit.
• Good knowledge of African economies and financial markets.
• Ability to communicate and function in a culturally diverse and change oriented setting including knowledge of the workings of the main segments of the African project and export finance markets including risk mitigation markets.
• Constructive deal team leadership and strong teamwork approach.
• Ability to engage senior officials of banks, corporates and governments to leverage the Bank’s specialised finance products including guarantees and ELFP.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English. Knowledge of the Bank's other working languages (French, Arabic and Portuguese) is an added advantage
• Willingness to travel extensively and to work long hours where required in order to achieve set objectives.
• Proven experience in fund raising, credit analysis and business development activities.
• Demonstrated leadership capabilities, including ability to build and nurture relationships with internal and external counterparties to attain goals.
• Sales, marketing and negotiation skills.
• Knowledge and understanding of the financing programmes offered by specialised finance institutions, export credit agencies, insurance institutions, development agencies offering guarantees and other specialised products especially those with focus on Africa project, export and buyer credit financing arrangements.
• Proven ability to win mandates with minimal supervision and proven ability to execute and close strategic transactions.

Behavioural Competencies:

Afreximbank’s Core Values:

• Commitment to Africa and supporting the emancipation and empowerment of Africans
• Uncompromising integrity
• Passion for Learning and Drive
• Teamwork
• Trust and Respect for the Individual
• Innovation, Excellence and Flexibility
• Professionalism and Responsiveness

Key Interactions:

Internal

• All Origination Teams of the Bank including CLRE.
• Various areas of expertise from the Bank may be enlisted to support specific aspects of a COEXPRO assignment, including LEGA, RICO, CRAS, PIMO, among others.

External:

• National Authorities responsible for trade and investment, Central Banks, policy think-tanks, ECAs, National export councils.
• External consultants / technical partners, will be engaged, as required and in accordance with the specific assignment.