Economic Policy Advisor

GIZ- Internal/External Vacancy Announcement ‘#098/2023’

GIZ-AU Office_Support to the AfCFTA

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is a global service provider in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development dedicated to shaping a future worth living around the world. As a public-benefit federal enterprise, GIZ supports the German Government – in particular the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) – and many public and private sector clients in achieving their objectives in international cooperation in around 120 countries.

Since 2004, GIZ has been a reliable and trusted partner of the African Union (AU) to enhance inclusive growth and sustainable development on the African continent in line with the AU’s Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want. With more than 200 staff, GIZ African Union cooperates with the AU Commission, as well as the AU’s specialised institutions and agencies, such as the Development Agency AUDA-NEPAD, at continental, regional and national level in more than 35 member states. Key areas of engagement include Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention, Governance and Migration, Sustainable Economic Growth and Employment, as well as Health and Social Development.

The African Union (AU), established as a unique pan-African continental body, has been given the responsibility, among others, to coordinate and provide overall guidance for economic policy-making and negotiations of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). GIZ's project “Support to the AfCFTA” works closely with the African Union's Department of Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals (ETTIM) in Ethiopia, the AfCFTA Secretariat in Ghana, member states and a wide range of African stakeholders to support economic policy in general and the content of the free trade negotiations in particular. On the trade side, the project covers trade in goods and services, trade facilitation, customs cooperation, investment and digital trade. In addition, the project is working on industrialisation, value chains, special economic zones and other economic policy issues needed to embed the AfCFTA and support economic transformation.

The economic policy advisor will be in charge for providing economic advisory services at the continental level as well as for the setup and development of the technical advisory component of the project towards Ethiopia as an African Union (AU) Member State.

Responsibilities and Duties

• Support bilateral partners in Ethiopia, e.g. Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration, Ethiopian Customs Commission or Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations, in fostering their role in implementing the AfCFTA through technical advisory services

• Support AUC ETTIM as continental partner in the development and implementation of economic transformation policies, as a framework to anchor the continental free trade efforts.

• Manage short-term experts to undertake subject-specific research into economic transformation and trade areas of concern to institutions´ representatives, this includes industrialisation, trade in goods and trade in services as well as investment, competition, IPR and digital trade.

• Technical advice and project coordination on various aspects of industrial policy, trade integration, trade facilitation, stakeholder involvement and possibly also value chain development and other emerging economic topics.

• Financial management (incl. costing) of technical assistance services, taking into account price attractiveness. Regular monitoring of the financial viability of envisaged activities. Monitoring of contracts with external service providers and approval of invoices.

• Close collaboration with AUC ETTIM, national partners and the GIZ AfCFTA Support Programme team (which the advisor is part of), including liaison officers in RECs and focus countries.

• Participate in the AfCFTA team meetings and bilateral exchanges with AfCFTA advisors throughout the various project components and locations.

• Work with other GIZ projects and be familiar with GIZ internal procurement processes.

Job Requirements

Required qualifications, competences, and experience 

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Economics, Law, or equivalent

• Fluent in written and spoken English and Amharic. Fluency in French or another official AU language is an asset.

Professional experience

• Demonstrated experience of at least 8 years in economic policy

• Demonstrated experience of at least 5 years in trade and/ or investment policy

• At least 2 years of project management experience

• Sound knowledge of the Ethiopian trade landscape and Ethiopian economics

• Solid understanding of regional and continental economic integration issues in Africa

• Experience in development cooperation is an asset

• Experience in working with national institutions or AU and other regional organisations is an asset

Other knowledge, additional competencies

• Advanced skills in MS office products and online communication

• Great organizational skills

• Excellent communication, presentation and facilitation skills in an intercultural environment

• Problem solving orientation

• Teamwork and cooperation skills, stress resistance and ambiguity tolerance; perseverance and assertiveness.

• Flexibility to travel within the region

How to Apply

Interested and qualified candidates shall submit their motivation letter along with their recent CV via Email: hreth@giz.de. 

Please make sure you mention the vacancy number and position title ‘Economic Policy Advisor #098/2023’ in the subject line of your email application. 

Applications without vacancy numbers in subject lines might be disqualified. 

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

We encourage persons with disabilities to apply for the position. In case of equal qualification, persons with disabilities will be given preference.

Applications from qualified women are encouraged.

“Please refer to our brochure to learn more about GIZ’s attractive benefit package.”