Senior Economic Affairs Officer, P-5

Senior Economic Affairs Officer, P-5

UNCTAD – United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

Geneva, Switzerland

Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the Division on International Trade and Commodities, within the Competition and Consumer Policies Branch at the United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The Senior Economics Affairs Officer will report to the Head of the Competition and Consumer Policies Branch.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Senior Economic Affairs Officer will be responsible for the following duties:

Economic or sectoral analysis:

• Leads or participates in the formulation, organization and management of mandated programmes of economic analysis and the formulation of possible economic strategies, policies and actions for adoption by the international community;
• Leads or participates in the identification of new or emerging development issues of potential concern to the international community, particularly those of a regional or global nature, and designs and develops programmes to address them;
• Commissions economic studies and analyses that cannot be undertaken internally;
• Finalizes reports on development for issuance by the United Nations;
• Prepares speeches for senior staff and makes presentations on economic issues for specialist or non-specialist audiences.

Intergovernmental support:

• Provides direct substantive support on development issues to intergovernmental bodies (such as the Intergovernmental Group of Experts meetings on Competition and Consumer Protection of UNCTAD, the Trade and Development Board, the United Nations Conference to Review the Set of Multilaterally Agreed Equitable Principles and Rules for the Control of Restrictive Business Practices) by offering strategic advice, giving technical guidance and assisting in developing a consensus;
• Manages the work unit’s contribution to the preparation and management of meetings of intergovernmental bodies;
• Represents the organizational unit at international, regional and national meetings on development issues.

Technical cooperation:

• Develops and maintains relations with senior officials of member governments and ensures a response to requests for advice and/or assistance on economic issues and policies;
• Assists the head of the Branch in fundraising and donor relations management and on technical assistance programmes and projects;
• Organizes and coordinates cooperation among Member States on economic programmes or issues. • Leads or participates in technical cooperation missions.

Programme support:

• Contributes to the formulation of the medium-term plan, the programme of work and the budget of the Branch and the Division and participate in the formulation of the organization’s overall programme of work and other similar endeavours;
• Attends to various administrative matters concerning the larger organizational unit (Division), including the recruitment of staff for the Branch;
• Performs other related duties as required.

Competencies

• Professionalism: Knowledge of the substantive field of work in general and of specific areas being supervised as regards competition and consumer policies at national, regional and international levels. Ability to produce reports and papers on technical issues relating to competition law and policy and consumer protection policies, and to review and edit the work of others, including consultants’ work. Ability to supervise and implement capacity building programmes on competition and consumer policies. Ability to apply UN rules, regulations, policies and guidelines in work situations. 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. 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;
• 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 & 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;
• Building Trust: Provides an environment in which others can talk and act without fear of repercussion; manages in a deliberate and predictable way; operates with transparency; has no hidden agenda; places confidence in colleagues, staff members and clients; gives proper credit to others; follows through on agreed upon actions; treats sensitive or confidential information appropriately;
• 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.

Education

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in economics or related area 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 ten years of progressively responsible experience in economic research and analysis, and policy formulation in development programmes is required;
• Experience in research and analysis and formulating policies related to competition and consumer protection policies is desirable;
• A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible international experience in designing and leading technical and capacity building assistance in the fields of competition or consumer policies is desirable.

Languages

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English is required (both oral and written) and knowledge of French is desirable. Knowledge of another UN official language is also desirable.

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