Purpose of Job

Directs and manages the daily operations of the Tourism Division in order to achieve the strategic objectives of the directorate and the AU’s overall goals.

Main Functions

• Designs and implements policies, programs and projects to achieve the directorate’s strategic objectives.
• Manages and supervises employees within the division, ensures the timely delivery of the directorate’s goals and effective staff performance evaluation;
• Designs policies, strategies and programs to contribute to the effective implementation of relevant AU Policy Organs Decisions;
• Ensures the delivery of the division’s annual targets in line with the directorate’s overall goals and ensures robust and timely monitoring and reporting;
• Provides technical leadership and ensures efficient functioning of all Units within the Division
• Manages the work of the Division and supervises direct reports to ensure their effective performance in line with the organization’s performance management policy and system;
• Engages stakeholders within Members States and Regional Economic Communities (RECs)/Regional Mechanisms(RMs) and relevant international organisations in designing and implementing strategies.
• Maintains thematic partnerships in support of the mandate of the Division;
• Maintains regular working relations with senior stakeholders in Member States and partner institutions in the execution of the Division’s mandate.
• Represents the organisation and communicates its position at conferences.
• Contributes to the preparation of periodic financial and budget execution reports and monitor budget execution at division level.
• Ensures the effective management of funds contributed to the organization;
• Manages risk within the division and recommends mitigation strategies
• Contributes to the development of the departmental business continuity plan and ensures implementation at division level
• Maintains a positive work environment that facilitates collaboration and information sharing and is conducive to attracting, retaining, and motivating diverse talent.

Specific Responsibilities

• Develops and implements an action plan on accelerating tourism development across Africa aligned to the Tourism Master Plans of Member States and Regional Economic Communities with special focus on:
• facilitating community benefits from tourism receipts;
• visa facilitation;
• infrastructure development;
• air connectivity;
• integrated tourism promotion and marketing;
• training, research and development; (g)harmonization of policies and legislation;
• mobilization of cooperation from all industry players;
• harnessing and embracing information and communication technologies;
• (j) environmental sustainability of tourism development; and,
• (k) safety and security.
• Collaborates with the Pan African Institute for Statistics on the development of Pan-African tourism statistics;
• Positions the African tourism sector as a contributor of economic diversification on the continent and leveraging it to drive socio-economic progress, including generation of decent employment opportunities;
• Progressively raises the share of tourism in Intra-African trade in line with it being one of the priority sectors of trade in services in the African Continental Free Trade Area;
• Collaborates with Member States and Regional Economic Communities in marketing Africa as a tourist destination of choice focused on increasing the volumes of tourist arrivals and revenues;
• Promotes strategic collaboration on tourism development and marketing with the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), UNWTO Commission for Africa, African

regional tourism organizations as well as national tourism development and marketing agencies.

Academic Requirements And Relevant Experience

• A Master’s Degree in Tourism Development, Economics, Business Administration or related fields, with Twelve (12) years of relevant progressive work experience of which seven (7) years must have been at the managerial level and five (5) years at supervisory level.
• Experience in policy formulation will be an advantage.

Required Skills

• Leadership and management skills
• Communication, report writing and presentation skills
• Research and analytical skills
• Interpersonal and negotiation skills
• Ability to work in teams and in a multi-cultural environment
• Knowledge in international policies and strategies
• Knowledge and working understanding of AU policies, systems and standards
• Planning and Organization skills.
• Proficiency in one of the AU official working languages ; fluency in another AU language(s) is an added advantage.