Associate Project Officer

Join Our Mission to Foster Prosperity in Asia Are you ready to make a lasting impact on the future of Asia and be a catalyst for positive change? We are thrilled to offer a unique opportunity to become an important part of the prestigious Asian Development Bank (ADB). At ADB, our mission is simple yet powerful: to alleviate poverty and promote sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region. Organizational Setting and Reporting Relationship The position of Associate Project Officer is assigned to the Human and Social Development Sector Office (SD3-HSD) within the Sectors Department 3 (SD3). SD3 aims to deliver impactful sector strategy, initiatives, and integrated solutions that advance ADB's strategic agenda in finance, human and social development, and public sector management and governance sectors the region and with ADB's clients. SD3, which is comprised of three sector offices, delivers or supports sovereign, nonsovereign, and advisory operations; delivers knowledge services; supports regional departments (RDs) and resident missions (RMs) in engaging with developing member countries (DMCs); and ensures ADB's technical leadership externally and internally. SD3-HSD leads policy dialogue, initiatives, and solutions in the human and social development sectors (education, health, social protection, and in broader social development initiatives). SD3-HSD is responsible for (i) conceptualizing, processing, and administering lending, grant, and technical assistance (TA) operations; (ii) developing and delivering knowledge services and products to DMCs; and (iii) leading technical work on sector diagnostics and road maps and contributing to business development efforts. You will be based at our India Resident Mission (INRM) in New Delhi. You will have a primary reporting line to the designated Technical International staff or Director, SD3-HSD on operational and policy-related matters and have a matrix reporting line to the Country Director, INRM on day-to-day administrative matters. You will oversee junior team members. Your Role As an Associate Project Officer, you will provide technical and operational support and inputs in general administration, portfolio management, project administration, and project processing activities related to loans, grants, and technical assistance (TA) for the human and social development sector. This includes engaging sector dialogue with the government, development partners, and civil society. You will: Co-lead, and/or support the processing, implementation, and administration of investment projects, TA projects, and assist in portfolio management and sector work and activities, focusing on the human and social development sector. Support portfolio management and project administration with tasks including, but not limited to: (i) monitoring the progress of assigned projects and preparing project performance reports; (ii) preparing annual forecasts of contract awards and disbursement, identifying factors responsible for shortfalls, and expediting achievements of target levels; (iii) identifying issues related to project implementation and taking action in close coordination with executing agencies (EAs), implementing agencies (IAs), contractors, consultants, and project beneficiaries; (iv) preparing measures and implementing them to address the issues; (v) preparing internal procurement papers, reviewing procurement documents including draft technical designs and cost estimates, and papers for extension of loan closing dates; and (vi) reallocating loan proceeds, changes in scope and implementation arrangements, and other project administration tasks, and (viii) conducting review missions with the government counterpart. Analyze the team's human and social development sector portfolio performance, project administration workload, and provide guidance to other members of the team. Closely coordinate with the project administration teams across the sector office. Contribute to the analysis and review of mission reports and aide memoires, progress reports, and other available project performance indexes on a regular basis and ensure quality through conducting special loan or TA review missions and prepare country portfolio review missions and tripartite portfolio review meetings. Contribute to addressing project administration red flags for timely corrective actions. Monitor annual forecasts of contract awards and disbursement, identify factors responsible for shortfalls, and analyze issues related to project implementation through interaction with EAs, contractors, consultants, and project beneficiaries, and prepare measures to address the project administration issues Review loan/grant/TA processing and administration documents to be endorsed and approval by the designated Technical International staff and Director, SD3-HSD, following established quality assurance guidelines and relevant policies. Engage in sector dialogue with government officials and key stakeholders on human and social development, such as the issues of social security, social protection, aged people, and skills development, including the private sector and civil society. Maintain effective liaison and working relationship with SD3-HSD, government agencies, development partners, and other stakeholders to facilitate formulation, processing, administration and monitoring of ADB-financed human and social development loans and TA projects. Organize, contribute, support, and participate in meetings, conferences, seminars, and workshops, related to the human and social development sector. Maintain and update knowledge base of future government investment plans and approval processes, organizational structure, and policies relevant to the sector. Participate in and contribute to project inception, review, mid-term review, special loan administration missions, and project completion review missions, as required. Contribute to sector assessments and provide appropriate advice on project procurement and sector policies and institutional reforms. Provide guidance and support in project processing missions in designing project implementation arrangements, including procurement/disbursement procedures and project management set up, and review of financing plans. Contribute to sector work in the field by assisting in conducting research, updating information on the human and social development sector, analyzing financial, institutional, or economic uses, and preparing reports on the subjects. Participate in and contribute to country programming and review missions to monitor performance of human and social development sector projects, including preparation of the related pre- and post-mission documentation. Facilitate timely processing and approval of assistance pipeline (loans, grants and technical assistance). Liaise with national and local governments and ADB Headquarters to facilitate invitation and participation of government officials to ADB training and conferences in India and abroad. Mentor and support to junior team members. Perform other duties as assigned and reflected in your workplan.

Asian Development Bank (ADB) is an international development finance institution headquartered in Manila, Philippines and is composed of 69 members, 50 of which are from the Asia and Pacific region. ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. ADB combines finance, knowledge, and partnerships to fulfill its expanded vision under its Strategy 2030.