Programme Officer - SAAVI, DMD/RSE

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 168,113 USD and 216,746 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 International Trade Centre (ITC) is the joint agency of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United Nations (UN). It is the only multilateral agency fully dedicated to supporting the internationalization of small and medium-sized enterprise (SMEs). ITC's mission is to foster inclusive and sustainable growth and development through trade and international business development. ITC Headquarters is located in Geneva, Switzerland. ITC projects and programmes contribute to the global efforts to achieve UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development and the Aid for Trade agenda.

The Division of Market Development (DMD) provides thought leadership on MSME competitiveness, delivers competitive intelligence services, and supports governments in the design and implementation of trade development strategies. DMD provides supports to enterprises and business associations to provide a business perspective in the formulation of trade strategies and reform of policies and regulations at national and regional levels. The division promotes an inclusive public-private dialogue to address obstacles to international trade and investment and to provide customised solutions to remove them.

The Research and Strategies for Exports (DMD/RSE) section has three main functions:

Conduct corporate research, in particular the SME Competitiveness Outlook, ITC’s annual flagship publication, and other bespoke reports based on firm-level competitiveness data; 2. Manage the implementation of ITCs Trade Development Strategies Programme, including the facilitation of national , sectoral and functional strategies. 3. Implement strategic projects with solid research for needs assessment and development of strategies to guide implementation.

Under strategic projects, RSE currently implements the project “Strengthening the agriculture and agri-food value chain and improving trade policy in Iraq” (SAAVI). This project, funded by the European Union, aims to contribute to inclusive growth and job creation in Iraq, enhance the trade competitiveness of Iraq’s agribusiness value chain, while improving the country’s trade policy framework. The goal of this function is to provide senior technical advice on project implementation, monitoring and evaluation and other similar projects.

Responsibilities Under the direct supervision of Senior Programme Officer responsible for strategic projects and general guidance of Chief, Research and Strategies for Exports (RSE), Division of Market Development (DMD), the incumbent will be responsible for the following duties:

• Develops, implements and evaluates assigned programmes/projects, etc.; monitors and analyzes programme/project development and implementation; reviews relevant documents and reports; identifies problems and issues to be addressed and initiates corrective actions; liaises with relevant parties; ensures follow-up actions.
• Performs consulting assignments, in collaboration with the client, by planning facilitating workshops, through other interactive sessions and assisting in developing the action plan the client will use to manage the change.
• Researches, analyzes and presents information gathered from diverse sources.
• Coordinates policy development, including the review and analysis of issues and trends, preparation of evaluations or other research activities and studies,
• Generates survey initiatives; designs data collection tools; reviews, analyzes and interprets responses, identify problems/issues and prepares conclusions.
• Organizes and prepares written outputs, e.g. draft background papers, analysis, sections of reports and studies, inputs to publications, etc.
• Provides substantive backstopping to consultative and other meetings, conferences, etc., to include proposing agenda topics, identifying participants, preparation of documents and presentations, etc.
• Initiates and coordinates outreach activities; conducts training workshops, seminars, etc.; makes presentations on assigned topics/activities.
• Leads and/or participates in large, complex field missions, including provision of guidance to external consultants, government officials and other parties and drafting mission summaries, etc.
• Coordinates activities related to budget funding (programme/project preparation and submissions, progress reports, financial statements, etc.) and prepares related documents/reports (pledging, work programme, programme budget, etc.).
• Mobilize and leverage partnership with funding to ensure the financial sustainability of strategic projects; pursues funding leads and develops new business for the section.
• Performs other duties as required.

Please note: This position requires extensive travel to remote areas.

Competencies Professionalism: Knowledge on issues regarding international trade, market access and competitiveness, MSMEs in developing countries and fragile and conflict-affected areas in particular. Technical knowledge of value chain diagnosis and strategy design. Knowledge of Market Systems Development (MSD) as an approach to economic development that aims to address market failures and strengthen market systems. Understanding of international trade, market access, and competitiveness issues, particularly as they relate to MSMEs in fragile settings. Strong technical background in value chain diagnosis and strategy design, as well as knowledge of tools for the application of conflict sensitivity, including the Do No Harm and conflict sensitivity approach. Knowledge of the field of the Humanitarian-Development-Peace nexus such as ‘disaster risk reduction’ (DRR); ‘linking relief rehabilitation and development’ (LRRD); the ‘resilience agenda’; and the embedding of conflict sensitivity across responses. Ability to identify issues, analyze and participate in the resolution of issues/problems. Ability to conduct data collection using various methods. Conceptual analytical and evaluative skills to conduct independent research and analysis, including familiarity with and experience in the use of various research sources, including electronic sources on the internet, intranet and other databases. Ability to apply judgment in the context of assignments given, plan own work and manage conflicting priorities. 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.

Client orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view. Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect. Identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions. Monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems. Keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects. Meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.

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

Judgement/decision making: Identifies the key issues in a complex situation, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly. Gathers relevant information before making a decision. Considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them. Takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization. Proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information. Checks assumptions against facts. Determines that the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision. Makes tough decisions when necessary.

Education Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in business administration, management, economics or a related field. A first-level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience A minimum of seven years of experience in project or programme management, administration or related area is required.

Experience in managing and delivering large trade related technical assistance (TRTA) projects in challenging security environments, including fragile and conflict affected settings is desirable.

Experience in sectors critical to economic recovery and reconstruction efforts (e.g. agriculture and construction, housing) is desirable.

Experience in the UN common system working on projects specific to fragile and post-conflict settings is desirable.

Languages English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position(s) advertised, fluency in English is required; and knowledge of Arabic is an advantage.

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

Special Notice The conditions of service are governed by the United Nations Staff Rules and Regulations. This is a fixed term appointment for an initial period of one (1) year. ITC champions workforce diversity, inclusion, gender equality and gender parity and considers all qualified persons - of all genders - equally, including those with disabilities, without discrimination or prejudice of any kind. ITC also offers attractive flexible work arrangements to help promote a healthy work/life balance and to allow all staff members to express and develop their talents fully. Applications from women and nationalities from developing and least developing countries are particularly encouraged to apply. Applicants will be contacted only if they are under serious consideration. For information on salary and entitlements, please consult the International Civil Service Commission website: http://icsc.un.org

United Nations Considerations In accordance with the United Nations Staff Regulations and Rules, 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 ITC 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.

Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment.

Applicants are urged to carefully follow 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 based on the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable 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 in Inspira will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee ITC does NOT charge any fees or request money from candidates at any stage of the recruitment process, nor does it concern itself with bank account details of applicants. Requests of this nature allegedly made on behalf of ITC are fraudulent and should be disregarded.