Economic Affairs Officer

Org. Setting and Reporting

The position is located in the International Tax and Development Cooperation Branch (ITDCB) of the Financing for Sustainable Development Office of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs. The FSDO works to advance policy and action on financing for sustainable development to support Member States and other stakeholders in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development: by providing thought leadership and agenda shaping, promoting multistakeholder dialogue, identifying policy options and best practices, and offering strategic advice and support for capacity development in key areas. The incumbent reports to the Senior Economic Affairs Officer in ITDCB. 

Under the supervision of the Senior Economic Affairs Officer in ITDCB, FSDO, the Economic Affairs Officer will provide support to the branch work programme, with emphasis on issues related to international tax cooperation, domestic resource mobilization and fiscal policies aimed to promote behaviours aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development.

This will include the following duties:

Economic or sector analysis:

• Monitors economic developments in a defined area and identifies recurrent and emerging issues of concern to the United Nations.
• Designs and conducts studies of selected issues in the area of tax and domestic resource mobilization; engages in analysis; and drafts inputs to reports of and to UN bodies.
• Monitors and assesses developments in the tax area and identifies recurrent and emerging issues, including emerging tax issues relevant to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Develops draft policy recommendations pertaining on issues relating to domestic resource mobilization, and international tax policy and administration for sustainable development.
• Formulates proposals for development strategies, policies and measures for presentation to intergovernmental bodies and others.
• Attends international, regional, and national meetings to hold discussions with representatives of other institutions.
• Organizes expert group meetings, seminars, etc. on development issues.
• Prepares speeches and other inputs for presentations by senior staff. Intergovernmental support
• Provides substantive support to intergovernmental bodies (such as the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council, and the expert bodies (e.g., Tax Committee and Subcommittees).
• Represents organizational unit at international, regional and national meetings.

Technical cooperation:

• Designs and monitors technical cooperation projects and capacity building activities.
• 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 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.
• 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.
• Collects and analyzes data to identify trends or patterns and provide insights through graphs, charts, tables and reports using data visualization methods to enable data-driven planning, decision-making, presentation and reporting.
• Initiates and helps coordinate strategic communications, outreach, and resource mobilization activities.

Education

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent degree) in economics or related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with additional two years of qualifying work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience

• A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in economic research and analysis, policy formulation, application of economic principles in development programmes or related area is required. Experience in international taxation is required. Experience in at least one of the following areas: taxation of globalized and digitalized economy; taxation of the extractives industry; tax treaties; or transfer pricing is required. Experience in both tax policy and administration is required. Experience in servicing intergovernmental processes is desirable. Experience with the work of the UN Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters is desirable. Experience in tax issues and broader fiscal policies for sustainable development 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. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is an advantage.

Source: https://careers.un.org/jobSearchDescription/238192?language=en