United Nation Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)

Position: Chief of Staff

Job Time: Full-Time

Job Type: Contract

Place of Work: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Posted date: 52 minutes ago

Application Deadline: Sep, 5/2021 (13 days left)

Org. Setting and Reporting

ECA’s mission is to deliver ideas and actions for an empowered and transformed Africa; informed by the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063.

The mission will be guided by ECA’s five new strategic directions, which are: advancing ECA’s position as a premier knowledge institution that builds on its unique; position and privilege to bring global solutions to the continent’s problems and take the local solution to the continent; developing macroeconomic and structural policy options to accelerate economic diversification and job creation; designing and implementing innovative financing models for infrastructure, and for human, physical and social assets for a transforming Africa; contributing solutions to regional and transboundary challenges, with a focus on peace security and social inclusion as an important development nexus; advocating Africa’s position at the global level and developing regional responses as a contribution to global governance issues.

This position is located in the Office of the Executive Secretary (OES) at the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). The incumbent works under the direct supervision of the Executive Secretary and in close collaboration with the Deputy Executive Secretaries for Program and Program Support.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Chief of Staff will be responsible for the following duties:

• Lead and provide thought leadership on issues of socioeconomic and development policy analysis including fiscal and monetary policy analysis, debt issues, and financial risk management.
• Provides substantive technical advice to the Executive Secretary on issues relating to/impacting the work of the ECA. Read and provide comments on substantive work from divisions on behalf of the Executive Secretary and assist the Executive Secretary to carry out key leadership functions in policy development, strategy, priority, and goal setting.
• At the request of the Executive Secretary, may serve as spokesperson for the Commission and advocate for ECA’s position on policy and development issues.
• Ensures that the outputs produced by areas of responsibility maintain high-quality standards; that reports are clear, objective, and based on comprehensive data. Ensures that all outputs produced by the Sections under his/her supervision meet required standards before completion to ensure they comply with the relevant mandates.
• Oversee the substantive and organizational arrangements for the effective functioning of the Executive Committee and Senior Leadership Team and ensure liaison between these bodies and other supporting management committees. Serve as Cabinet Office liaison to ECA substantive and administrative divisions, advising the Executive Secretary and key officials on policies, programs, and administration, to support the Commission’s mandate.
• Preside over internal committees and working groups.
• Manage calendar and timing of ECA events in close coordination with Divisions, UN bodies, and other local and international organizations.
• Coordinate all requests for member states and review, collect, coordinate, monitor, and evaluate requests from member states and advise the Executive Secretary as appropriate.
• Direct and manage the Office of the Executive Secretary. Organize all invitations and responses to meetings, special events of the Commission and serve as secretary at meetings as requested by the Executive Secretary.
• Responsible for contacts at the highest level on behalf of the Executive Secretary for Heads of State, Government, Ministers, and Ambassadors. This includes responsibility for politically sensitive follow-up actions. Liaise with all relevant divisions, member states, the host government, UN organizations, embassies, and other entities to ensure appropriate protocol arrangements for ECA events.
• Advise on the nature and level of ECA representation for official visits to member states and organize visits of senior officials from outside organizations to ECA.
• Serve as a main focal point and supervise the management of the Commission’s relations with member states, host country, Commission policy organs, African Union (AU), and the African Development Bank (AfDB).
• Assist with the coordination and implementation of ongoing UN and ECA reforms.
• Act as the focal point of the Commission and maintain liaison at the executive level with the Executive Office of the Secretary-General and United Nations Headquarters departments in general, as well as the Regional Commissions, Headquarters of UN Specialized Agencies, Funds, and Programs, and other multilateral organizations and institutions.
• Oversee the programmatic and administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the Office of the Executive Secretary, including preparation of budgets, reporting on budget and program performance, evaluation of staff performance (EPAs), interviews of candidates for job openings, evaluation of candidates and preparation of inputs for results-based budgeting.
• Recruits staff, taking due account of geographical balance.
• Fosters teamwork and communication among staff in their areas of responsibility and across organizational boundaries.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Competencies

Professionalism: Demonstrated ability to provide intellectual leadership in a broad range of development issues in Africa, including on key development commitments and initiatives. Proven ability to manage a diverse spectrum of individuals and opinions, to identify core issues, and to present them in a clear manner to top management. Ability to produce reports and papers on technical issues and to review and edit the work of others. Ability to apply UN rules, regulations, policies, and guidelines in work situations. Shows pride in work and 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.

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.

Accountability:: Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honors commitments. Delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within the prescribed time, cost, and quality standards. Operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules. Supports subordinates, provides oversight, and takes responsibility for delegated assignments. Takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable.

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. 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.

Judgment/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 the positive and negative impacts of decisions before making them. Takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and 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 or Doctorate, or equivalent) in Business, Public Administration, Finance, Accounting, Law, Management, Economics, Political or Social sciences, or related area is required.
• A first-level degree (Bachelor’s degree or equivalent) in the specified fields of studies with two additional years of relevant work experience may be accepted instead of the advanced university degree.
• A Ph.D. in economics or social sciences is an advantage.

Work Experience

• A minimum of fifteen years of progressively responsible experience in human resources management, administration, logistics, financial management, budget, or related field is required.
• Experience in socioeconomic and development policy analysis, including at the international level is desirable.
• Experience in high-level dialogue on policy development with senior government representatives, heads of bilateral or multilateral institutions is desirable.
• Demonstrable diverse regional experience is desirable.
• Experience in streamlining and reorganizing organizational processes is desirable.
• Experience with development issues in Africa is desirable.
• Experience in organizing all invitations and responses to meetings, special events, and serving as the secretary at meetings is desirable.

Languages

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English or French is required. Knowledge of the other is desirable. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is an advantage.

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include assessment exercises which may be followed by a competency-based interview.

Special Notice

• Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff is expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers following established rules and procedures.
• The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance and geographical diversity in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.
• Staff members appointed to the current position are required to submit a financial disclosure statement upon assignment or appointment and annually thereafter.
• At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of the 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 based on 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.
• For this position, applicants from the following Member States, which are unrepresented or underrepresented in the UN Secretariat as of 30 April 2021, are strongly encouraged to apply: Afghanistan, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahrain, Belize, Brunei Darussalam, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, China, Comoros, Cuba, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Djibouti, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Japan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Monaco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Norway, Oman, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, Suriname, Timor-Leste, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Vanuatu, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

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 offense 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 offenses 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 following 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.

How to Apply

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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 the “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 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 about 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.