Senior Program 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 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.

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING APPLICATION DEADLINE: please note that the deadline for applications is indicated in local time as per the time zone of the applicant’s location.

This post is a limited-term fixed-term post.

1. Organizational Context

a. Organizational Setting

The post is located in the Department for Trademarks, Industrial Designs and Geographical Indications. The Department is responsible for the formulation of policies and the provision of strategic direction to preserve and strengthen the role of WIPO as the principal international forum for trademarks, industrial designs and geographical indications, as well as for supporting Member States in the implementation and use of these IP categories in accordance with their socio-economic objectives. The Department is also responsible for the administration of the Lisbon Registry for Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications.

b. Purpose Statement

The incumbent contributes to the work of the Department in supporting Member States in the implementation of projects for the use of trademarks, industrial designs and geographical indications in accordance with their socio-economic objectives, and the development of balanced legislative, regulatory and policy frameworks at Member State level. Moreover, the incumbent assumes responsibility for outreach and communication activities of the Department.

c. Reporting Lines

The incumbent works under the supervision of the Senior Counsellor of the Department for Trademarks, Industrial Designs and Geographical Indications.

2. Duties and Responsibilities

The incumbent will perform the following principal duties:

a. Develop, implement and evaluate projects for the use of trademarks, industrial designs and geographical indications in cooperation with national and regional authorities of WIPO Member States.

b. Assist the Secretariat to the WIPO Standing Committee on the Law of Trademarks, Industrial Designs and Geographical Indications and to other bodies for which the Department assumes responsibility in the preparation and conduct of working sessions.

c. Plan, organize and participate in seminars, workshops and training courses, including the preparation of technical documents and the delivery of lectures; liaise with other work units in the Organization to determine needs and priorities for the planning and implementation of capacity building activities.

d. Draft and revise external and internal outreach publications (including web- based publications) for the Department.

e. Represent the Organization at meetings convened by Member States and other stakeholders.

f. Perform other related duties as required.

3. Requirements

Education (Essential)

Advanced university degree in law, economics, international relations or related field with a specialization in intellectual property. A first-level university degree in a relevant discipline plus two years of relevant experience in addition to the minimum years of experience required below may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Experience (Essential)

At least seven years of professional experience in the field of international relations. Experience in the management of cooperation projects, including projects in the field of intellectual property.

Language (Essential)

Excellent written and spoken knowledge of English and good knowledge of French or Spanish.

Job Related Competencies (Essential)

Good knowledge of legal and policy issues relating to intellectual property law. Knowledge of project methodologies. Proven ability in project design, management and evaluation. Management skills and experience. Ability to communicate intellectual property subject-matter to a diverse audience. Excellent organizational skills. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and ability to maintain effective partnerships and working relations in a multi-cultural environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity. Competent user of Microsoft Office applications including Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint, and the ability to adapt quickly to new software.

4. Organizational Competencies

1. Communicating effectively.

2. Showing team spirit.

3. Demonstrating integrity.

4. Valuing diversity.

5. Producing results.

6. Showing service orientation.

7. Seeing the big picture.

8. Seeking change and innovation.

9. Developing yourself and others.

5. Information

Mobility: WIPO staff members are international civil servants subject to the authority of the Director General and may be assigned to any activities, office or duty station of the Organization. Accordingly, the selected candidate may be required to move from time to time to new functions and/or to another duty station.

Annual salary****:

Total annual salary consists of a net annual salary (net of taxes and before medical insurance and pension fund deductions) in US dollars and a post adjustment. Please note that this estimate is for information only. The post adjustment multiplier (cost of living allowance) is variable and subject to change (increase or decrease) without notice. The figures quoted below are based on the April 2024 rate of 84.8%

P4

Annual salary

$75,602

Post adjustment

$64,110

Total Salary

$139,712

Currency USD

Salaries and allowances are paid in Swiss francs at the official rate of exchange of the United Nations.

Please refer to WIPO’s Staff Regulation and Rules for detailed information concerning salaries, benefits and allowances.

Additional Information

* Initial fixed-term appointment of two years, renewable subject to satisfactory performance and other applicable conditions. The selected candidate’s appointment will be subject to an overall term of five years in this position, with no possibility of renewal beyond that term. S/he may, however, apply and be considered for other positions at WIPO.

This is not applicable to WIPO staff members on fixed-term, continuing or permanent appointments, who were recruited following a competition under Staff Regulation 4.10 (“Appointment Boards”).

This vacancy announcement may be used to fill other posts at the same grade with similar functions in accordance with Staff Rule 4.9.5.

Applications from qualified women as well as from qualified nationals of unrepresented Member States of WIPO and underrepresented geographical regions are encouraged. Please click on the following links for the list of unrepresented Member States and the list of underrepresented regions and the WIPO Member States in these regions.

The Organization reserves the right to make an appointment at a grade lower than that advertised.

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By completing an application, candidates understand that any willful misrepresentation made on this web site, or on any other documents submitted to WIPO during the application, may result in disqualification from the recruitment process, or termination of employment with WIPO at a later date, if that employment resulted from such willful misrepresentations.

In the event that your candidature is shortlisted, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of an identification and of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WIPO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and these will be reviewed individually.

Additional testing/interviewing may be used as a form of screening. Initial appointment is subject to satisfactory professional references.

Additional background checks may be required.