Economic Affairs Officer

Contract

This is a P-4 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 7 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 125,630 USD and 161,973 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 Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA unescwa.org) forms part of the United Nations Secretariat and, like the other regional commissions, operates under the supervision of the United Nations Economic and Social Council. ESCWA comprises 20 Arab countries in Western Asia and North Africa. ESCWA provides a framework for the formulation and harmonization of sectoral policies for member countries, a platform for congress and coordination, a home for expertise and knowledge, and an information observatory. ESCWA activities are coordinated with the divisions and main offices of the Headquarters of the United Nations, specialized agencies, and international and regional organizations, including the League of Arab States and its subsidiary bodies, and the Gulf Cooperation Council.

This position is in Cluster 6: 'Governance and conflict prevention' of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA - unescwa.org). Cluster 6 acts as a pioneer and multi- stakeholder regional platform for deliberation, consensus-building, peer learning and policy solutions to ensure participation and partnerships for governance and institution building, and to enhance the capacity of member States in conflict or post-conflict settings on conflict prevention for more just, equitable and inclusive societies in the Arab region.

The Economic Affairs Officer reports to the Cluster Lead.

Responsibilities The Economic Affairs Officer will be responsible for the following duties:

• Prepares in-depth qualitative and quantitative analyses of diverse aspects of the development challenges faced by developing countries and economies in transition.
• Formulates sound policy proposals.
• Recommends project activities.
• Develops well-designed programmes of analysis of economic, governance and development issues.

Economic or sector analysis - Monitors economic developments in the area of Political Economy, conflict and governance trends and identifies recurrent and emerging issues of concern to the United Nations. - Designs and conducts studies of selected issues in economic development, risk assessment and governance and drafts resulting reports. - Interprets and applies results of analytical/econometric modelling to analysis of economic and governance prospects and policies. - Develops draft actionable policy recommendations pertaining to conflict and development. - Formulates proposals for conflict and development and governance strategies, policies and measures for presentation to intergovernmental bodies and others. - Develops and formulates projects to generate extra-budgetary resources. - Attends international, regional, and national meetings to present findings of ESCWA research on governance issues and hold discussions with representatives of other institutions. - Organizes expert group meetings, seminars, etc. on conflict, governance and development issues. - Prepares speeches, brief notes and other substantive inputs for presentations by senior staff.

Intergovernmental support - Provides substantive support on economic issues to intergovernmental bodies (such as the General Assembly, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the Economic and Social Council, the Trade and Development Board, the regional commissions and the subsidiary bodies of each). - Represents organizational unit at international, regional and national meetings.

Technical cooperation - Designs and monitors technical cooperation projects in the area of conflict and development and governance. - Undertakes missions to member states, either alone or as a participant in a diverse team, as part of the Organization's technical cooperation activities. - Prepares global, regional, national or sector analyses that provide a basis for advising national governments on conflict and economic development issues. - Conducts training seminars and workshops for government officials and others. - Formulates technical modalities for the evaluation of individual technical cooperation projects.

General - Supports junior staff, reviewing their work and providing feedback. - Participates in intra- and inter-Departmental undertakings of broader concern to represent the views or interests of the organizational unit. - Performs other related duties as required, including a variety of administrative tasks necessary for the final delivery of the work unit's service. - Undertakes on-the-job and other training activities, both internally and externally.

Competencies - Professionalism: Ability to apply governance and economic theories and concepts in different sectors of economic and sustainable development and to current issues on governance and development. Ability to conduct independent research including quantitative analysis on economic, conflict and governance topics, determine suitability, validity and accuracy of data provided by different sources. Ability to identify, analyze and develop sources for data collection. 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. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.

• 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.

• Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others' ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.

  Education Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in economics, political economy, public administration or related field is required.

A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in economic, conflict and governance research and analysis, policy formulation, application of economic principles in development programmes or related area is required.

Experience in utilizing advanced quantitative tools, including modelling, to analyze and predict trends and impact analysis is required.

Experience analyzing statistical data, advanced knowledge of state-of-the-art statistical methodologies, knowledge of econometrics is required.

Experience with econometric/statistical packages including R, SAS, E-Views, Stata, matlab, or other statistical software is desirable.

Experience in designing and conducting policy-oriented studies in the subject area of governance and sustainable development is desirable.

Languages English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. In addition, Arabic is a working language at ESCWA. For this position, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of Arabic is desirable.

Note: "Fluency" equals a rating of 'fluent' in all four areas (speak, read, write, and understand) and "Knowledge of" equals a rating of 'confident' in two of the four areas.

Assessment Evaluation of qualified candidates may include assessment(s) which may be followed by a competency-based interview.

Special Notice - This position is temporarily available until 18 July 2023. Extension of the appointment is subject to availability of funds, extension of the mandate, continued need for services, and satisfactory performance.

• A current staff member who holds a fixed-term, permanent or continuing appointment may apply for temporary positions no more than one level above his or her current grade.

• If the selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the selection will be administered as a temporary assignment.

• While this temporary assignment may provide the successful applicant with an opportunity to gain new work experience, the selection for this position is for a limited period and has no bearing on the future incumbency of the post. An external candidate selected for this position is bound by the prevailing condition of the staff selection system under ST/AI/2010/3, as amended, and ST/AI/2010/4/Rev.1. A staff member holding a temporary appointment who is recruited in the Professional and above categories on a temporary appointment, and placed on a position authorized for one year or longer may not apply for or be reappointed to his/her current position within six months of the end of his/her current service.

• Staff members of the United Nations common system organizations who will reach the mandatory age of separation or retirement within the duration of the current temporary need period are not eligible to apply. Submitting an application or selection for the current temporary job opening does not delay or increase the mandatory age of separation.

• Retirees above the mandatory age of separation who wish to be considered for the current temporary job opening must indicate the reason for their last separation as "retirement." Such retirees shall not be employed by the Organization, unless (a) the operational requirements of the Organization cannot be met by staff members who are qualified and available to perform the required functions; and (b) the proposed employment would not adversely affect the career development or redeployment opportunities of other staff members and represents both a cost-effective and operationally sound solution to meet the needs of the service.

• Upon separation from service, including, but not limited to, expiration or termination of, or resignation from, a fixed-term, continuing or permanent appointment, a former staff member will be ineligible for re-employment on the basis of a temporary appointment for a period of 31 days following the separation. In the case of separation from service on retirement, a former staff member will be ineligible for re-employment for a period of three months following the separation. This equally applies, mutatis mutandis, with respect to a former or current staff member who has held or holds an appointment in another entity applying the United Nations Staff Regulations and Rules and who applies for a temporary position with the Secretariat.

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

• 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.

  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.