Délégation de l'Economie Allemande en Côte d'Ivoire

recrute

SECTOR EXPERT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL, WATER AND WASTEWATER TECHNOLOGIES

Description du poste

The Delegation of the German Industry and Commerce in Côte d'Ivoire (AHK Côte d'Ivoire), located in Abidjan, is part of the worldwide network of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce present in 93 countries. It is dedicated to promoting and increasing economic exchanges and bilateral investments between Côte d'Ivoire and Germany. With the support of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs (BMWK), the AHK Côte d'Ivoire opened its doors in Abidjan in June 2023 and covers the countries of French-speaking West Africa (Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinée, Mali, Senegal, and Togo) as well as Cameroon.


The Delegation is looking for a Sector Expert for Environmental, Water and Wastewater Technologies. Depending on the candidate’s background and contacts, certain tasks can be extended to the sectors of waste, circular economy and clean/green energy.
The candidate should have an entrepreneurial personality, excellent sector connexions in the region covered by AHK Côte d’Ivoire and a good understanding of the needs of German companies prospecting the markets of the region covered by AHK Côte d’Ivoire. We offer a challenging, varied position with plenty of room for manoeuvre in a young, dynamic team.

Description of the position :
Under the direct supervision of the Delegate, your tasks comprise but are not restricted to :

• Proactive identification and communication of business opportunities in the environmental, water and wastewater management markets in d’Ivoire (based on demand in the German economy).
• Forwarding Expressions of Interest (EOI) to local companies / prospective partners and providing relevant support to German companies that have submitted EOIs.
• Providing information on market development in the environmental, water and wastewater sector in the region covered by AHK Côte d’Ivoire.
• Support the AHK Côte d’Ivoire in market analysis, market research as well as identifying relevant business partners and contacts in the relevant sector.
• Continuous exchange with key actors in Germany: including the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), the Coordination Office for the Africa Business Network WNA), relevant trade and industry associations (GWP, RETech, BGR, VDMA) other relevant government-funded programs and projects.
• Mapping key players in the sector within the target region and networking with relevant local associations and companies, but also with public authorities (agencies, municipalities), embassy, GIZ and international donors active in water and waste water management in the region covered by AHK Côte d’Ivoire.
• Initial market and competition assessment: Identification of promising sub-sectors and interesting market segments with a focus on competitive technologies; comparison of the market opportunities with the existing offer in Germany.
• Identify planned business projects of local companies and public institutions, scout about for early project information and determine the interests / needs of international organizations and donors active in the sector.
• Actively informing companies and public institutions as well as associations from the region covered by AHK Côte d’Ivoire about German technologies, products and services, promoting the economic / ecological advantages of using German technologies.
• Organise and implement information events (online and in presence) for stakeholders from Germany and the region covered by AHK Côte d’Ivoire.
• Preparation of an annual work plan
• Responsible for the accurate and timely implementation of all projects.
• Support of business transactions between local and German companies
• Involvement in monitoring to review project performance.
• Regular communication with other Sector Experts on best practices (via the Coordination Office for the Africa Business Network).

Contract duration :
Fixed-term contract until 31st of December 2025, renewable under the condition of available funding.

Profil du poste

Required qualification :
• Master’s degree in environmental engineering with focus on water and wastewater management / waste / recycling / civil engineering /energy management, business, economics, or other related fields
• At least three years of professional experience in the sector
• Business management knowledge and experience, including business case calculation for the use of new technologies.
• Comprehensive knowledge of technologies from German suppliers and central actors in the fields of water and wastewater
• Excellent network to industry representatives, trade associations, public institutions, export councils, industrial zones, local communities in the water and wastewater sector in the region covered by AHK Côte d’Ivoire.
• Experience in sales and cooperation with public clients is an advantage.
• Independent working method, self-initiative
• Strong communication skills and confident appearance
• Excellent professional and personal manners
• Self-motivated, highly dedicated, with strong networking skills
• Autonomous, proactive and a team player
• High level of consulting expertise
• Strong cooperation, diplomacy and communication skills towards a culturally and background diverse audiences such as public authorities, associations, institutions, companies, clients or service providers.
• Excellent command of French and English is a must, German is an asset.
• Excellent IT Skills: MS Office, communication tools
• Willing and able to occasionally travel to Germany.
• Must reside in Côte d'Ivoire and have a work permit (for non-nationals)

Dossiers de candidature

Please send your application as a single PDF file, no larger than 2MB, including :
- CV in English or German
- CV in French
- covering letter with salary expectations in English or German
- covering letter with salary expectations in French
- copy(ies) of diploma(s) and letter(s) of recommendation.
Applications must be sent no later than 30.12.2024 by e-mail: recrutement@abidjan.ahk.de  . Applications not complying with the above format will not be considered.
Applications from women are strongly encouraged.