CHIEF OF SECTION, ECONOMIC AFFAIRS

Contract

This is a P-5 contract. This kind of contract is known as Professional and Director staff. It is normally internationally recruited only. It's a staff contract. It usually requires 10 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 204,886 USD and 256,769 USD.

Please keep in mind that the salary displayed here is an estimation by UN Talent based on the location and the type of contract. It may vary depending on the organization. The recruiter should be able to inform you about the exact salary range. In case the job description contains another salary information, please refer to this one.

Org. Setting and Reporting The position is located in the Market Access Section of the Economic Cooperation and Trade Division (ECTD) of the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE). The incumbent reports directly to the D1, Chief of Service.

Responsibilities The incumbent manages UNECE’s Market Access Section, notably its activities in international policy dialogue, normative and analytical work, and capacity-building and the sharing of best practices and lessons learned in the areas of market access, regulatory and procedural barriers to trade, regulatory cooperation and agricultural quality standards, aimed at harnessing trade for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Within the delegated authority, the incumbent is responsible for the following tasks:

Leads, organizes, and oversees the Section’s normative work on promoting an international policy dialogue and related analytical activities on trade and sustainable development. This includes normative work of the Steering Committee on Trade Capacity and Standards (SCTCS) and its subsidiary bodies (e.g. in the thematic areas of regulatory and procedural barriers to trade; standardization and regulatory harmonization; agricultural quality standards and in the cross-cutting themes of the Commission, such as the circular economy and the sustainable use of natural resources, digital and green transformations, or a resilient, inclusive and sustainable post COVID-recovery).

Leads, organizes and oversees the Section’s work on cooperation, knowledge sharing and exchange of experiences on issues included in the Committee’s Terms of Reference and in related other areas of work of the Division.

Oversees and supports the preparation and delivery of technical cooperation activities, including policy-advisory services and capacity-building workshops, seminars and other activities, organized or co-organized by the Section.

Supports and oversees activities undertaken by the Section, by ensuring their coherence with the Programmes of Work and with relevant decisions by the Commission, and by ensuring that the substantive outputs produced by the Section maintain high-quality standards and are delivered in a timely fashion.

Contributes to the preparation of the draft Programme of Work of the Division, of proposals for the Committee’s Programme of Work, proposals for programme budgets, reports and programme performance inputs for result-based budgeting and performance evaluation.

Fosters teamwork and communication among staff in the Division and across organizational boundaries. Manages, guides, develops, and trains staff under the incumbent’s supervision.

Represents the ECE Secretariat, as may be required, at inter-agency, regional, or national events, conferences and other meetings.

Strengthens results-based management and fosters communication about programme results and impact, with a specific focus on its contribution to the 2030 Agenda.

Engages in outreach and communication about the work carried out by the Section, and its impact.

Builds partnerships and mobilizes extra-budgetary resources to enable and strengthen the work carried out by the Section.

Competencies Professionalism: Ability to apply theories related to international trade and sustainable development, including in the field of standards, regulatory cooperation, and agricultural trade, and with respect to new and emerging cross cutting issues, such as the circular economy, digital and green transformations, post-COVID recovery and others. Ability to conduct forward-looking independent research on economic topics, determine suitability, validity and accuracy of data provided by different sources. Ability to develop economic policies and make recommendations on their implementation. Ability to draft and produce reports and papers on technical issues and to review and edit the work of others. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations.

Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

Planning and organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies. Identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required. Allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work. Foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning. Monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary. Uses time efficiently.

Managing Performance: Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority; makes sure that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member; accurately judges the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a task and matches task to skills; monitors progress against milestones and deadlines; regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff; encourages risk-taking and supports creativity and initiative; actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff; appraises performance fairly.

Leadership: Serves as a role model that other people want to follow. Empowers others to translate vision into results. Is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives. Establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support. Anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions. Drives for change and improvement; does not accept the status quo. Shows the courage to take unpopular stands. Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work; demonstrates knowledge of strategies and commitment to the goal of gender balance in staffing.

Education An advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent degree) in economics, business, public administration, development studies, or a related field is required. A first-level university degree in one of the specified fields of studies in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience A minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience at the national or international level in economic affairs is required.

Out of these, at least five (5) years of experience in international trade, including the relationship between trade and sustainable development, and related regulatory and policy frameworks is required.

Experience in the organization of intergovernmental/normative and expert meetings and in capacity building and technical cooperation activities is required.

Experience with economies in transition (e.g. in Eastern Europe, Western Balkan, Caucasus or Central Asia) is desirable.

Experience in fundraising and building partnerships is desirable.

Languages English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat; and Russian is a working language of ECE. For the position advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of Russian is desirable.

Assessment Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which will be followed by competency-based interview.

Special Notice At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application.

The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance and geographical diversity in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.

For this position, applicants from the following Member States, which are unrepresented or underrepresented in the UN Secretariat as of 31 January 2022, are strongly encouraged to apply: Afghanistan, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahrain, Belize, Brunei Darussalam, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, China, Comoros, Cuba, Cyprus, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Djibouti, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Monaco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Norway, Oman, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Vanuatu, Viet Nam.

Staff members of the United Nations Secretariat must fulfil the lateral move requirements to be eligible to apply for this vacancy. Staff members are requested to indicate all qualifying lateral moves in their Personal History Profile (PHP) and cover letter.

United Nations Considerations According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment.

Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). In this context, all internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary-General.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.

The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.

Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.