Finance and Economic Development Specialist

Introduction

The position is located in the UN, International Financial Institutions, Economic Organizations and Civil Society Branch (UNIFICS) of the Multilateral Partnerships and Development Cooperation Department (PARTNERSHIPS). PARTNERSHIPS is responsible for establishing, developing, and maintaining strategic partnerships to contribute to Social Justice in close interaction with other portfolios at ILO headquarters and with the Regions. The Department is responsible for developing the ILO’s strategy for development cooperation and contributes to consultations and negotiations with development partners and groupings for the promotion of greater policy coherence around social justice and decent work. PARTNERSHIPS leads consultations and negotiations with development cooperation partners and is responsible for mobilizing voluntary contributions for the ILO’s programme, as well as coordinating technical and financial reporting to partners. PARTNERSHIPS facilitates streamlining of work processes and procedures and provide assistance to enhance service delivery in the regions. 

The UNIFICS Branch is responsible for leading, coordinating and promoting ILO’s active involvement in the UN System, with Civil Society as well as the cooperation with International Financial Institutions (IFIs) and other financial and economic institutions, within the remit of ILO’s mandate towards decent work and social justice. This involves building partnerships for both policy coherence and mobilizing funding for development cooperation.
The main role of the position is to support ILO's engagement with international financial and other economic institutions. This includes designing instruments, providing technical products and advisory services to support the implementation, monitoring and promotion of multilateral cooperation strategies, approaches, policies that contribute to the ILO’s policy coherence and aligned with ILO core values, such as Social Justice, and the Decent Work Agenda.
The incumbent works under direct supervision of the Senior Economist and under the overall supervision of the Chief of the UNIFICS Branch.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

1.    As primary specialist in the area(s) of engagement with international financial and other economic institutions, is responsible for substantial segments of the work programme. Identify priorities for ILO’s engagement with international financial and economic institutions on the basis of an analysis of their frameworks, operations and practices, develop strategies, as well as deliver and coordinate high-quality technical support at global/regional/subregional/national levels to advance the Decent Work Agenda and social justice, taking into account the integration of cross-cutting policy drivers, including international labour standards, social dialogue, gender equality and non-discrimination, and a just transition towards environmentally sustainable economies and societies. Lead work streams/teams involved in this work and ensure the effective management of staff and consultants in accordance with ILO standards, the results-based management framework and through timely and effective use of the Performance Management Framework (PMF) and other feedback mechanisms, as applicable.
2.    Review and facilitate the strengthening and effective implementation of inclusive institutional, legal and policy frameworks. Provide expert policy and technical advice in the area of  safeguards and sustainability policies to international financial institutions and multilateral development banks to prevent or mitigate adverse impacts of projects, programmes and policies of these institutions.
3.    Support ILO constituents in identifying their needs and provide adequate technical support, including through comparative policy analyses. Facilitate the effective participation and advocacy role of employers’ and workers’ organizations in policy design, implementation and evaluation of decent work programmes and projects. 
4.    Provide technical inputs to the design and implementation of Decent Work Country Programmes (DWCPs) as well as UN and other development cooperation frameworks. Participate in multidisciplinary initiatives / efforts / developments / plans / reviews / activities with a view to ensuring an integrated approach for the delivery of the Decent Work Agenda.
5.    Initiate, design, conduct/commission and/or coordinate innovative and gender-mainstreamed research and analysis that meets the evolving needs of constituents and other key stakeholders in the world of work and leads to the formulation of policy advice / recommendations / policy and technical guidelines / and the development of new and enhancement of existing methodologies and concepts related to the world of work. 
6.    Develop and lead/coordinate the development of components of policy assessment tools and a range of original and evidence-based technical and policy knowledge products and tools that support internal and external policy coherence, engagement with the international financial and other economic institutions and respond to constituents’ needs and priorities and advance the Decent Work Agenda. Promote and facilitate their dissemination at the global / regional / and country levels and provide advice and technical support to constituents and other stakeholders on effectively using such tools. Contribute to Office-wide efforts to analyse, document and disseminate lessons learned and information on innovative practices.
7.    Provide technical inputs to, oversee the drafting of/draft, peer review and edit reports, publications and other office documents, including for the Governing Body, International Labour Conference and regional, sectoral and expert meetings.

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8.    Support the strengthening of ILO constituents' capacity to promote the Decent Work Agenda and Social Justice in the area of policy making and governance frameworks at the global, regional and national levels. Oversee the design of tools and learning materials, pilot new guidelines, lead and/or coordinate workshops, meetings and other events, using innovative methods, digital platforms and communication tools. Develop and run/implement global and/or regional capacity development programmes, knowledge sharing and training events including in collaboration with the International Training Centre of the ILO in Turin (ITC-ILO) and/or with other relevant partners as applicable
9.    Identify opportunities for technical and strategic partnerships and develop new/reinforce existing partnerships and collaborative relationships with multilateral development banks, international financial institutions and public development banks, with a special focus on the World Bank and the International Finance  Corporation, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the World Trade Organization, and intergovernmental groups with a view to advancing ILO’s strategic objectives and ensuring policy coherence / joint programme design and implementation / promoting awareness of ILO’s values and strategic objectives / resource mobilization / influencing policy and financing decisions in support of decent work objectives. 
10.    Organize, facilitate and make technical contributions at seminars, conferences and other events. Represent and engage the ILO as a key player in meetings, conferences and forums at the international / regional / subregional / national / subnational levels concerned with promotion of social justice and decent work in the strategies, policies or programmes of international and regional economic and financial institutions 
11.    Conceptualize, formulate, discuss and submit development cooperation project proposals, taking into account regional / subregional / nationa priorities and the need to position these within relevant cooperation frameworks. Provide technical backstopping for development cooperation projects and promote and facilitate coherence and knowledge sharing among projects. 
12.    Play a key role in resource mobilization efforts to secure funding for new projects and activities. Ensure effective coordination with concerned headquarters departments and field offices.
13.    Perform other relevant duties as assigned.

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Required qualifications

Education

Advanced level university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in international economics, development economics, finance or other relevant field.
A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s or equivalent) in one of the afore-mentioned fields or other relevant field with an additional two years of relevant experience, in addition to the experience stated below, will be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.
PhD in the relevant field would be an advantage.

Experience

At least seven years of experience in international or development economic policy and analysis, including at the international level.
Relevant work experience in or with IFIs, MDBs, PDBs, the OECD or the WTO is an advantage.

Languages

Excellent command of one working language English, French, Spanish) of the Organization. A working knowledge of a second working language. One of these languages must be English.

In addition to the ILO core competencies, the following are required:

Knowledge and technical/behavioural competencies

Excellent knowledge and understanding of theories, trends and approaches in the area(s) of international trade, international finance, macroeconomics and development economics with the ability to plan, coordinate and guide the development and implementation of new concepts policies, techniques and procedures in response to evolving technical needs.
Good knowledge of the substantive nature of Organization’s work programmes and activities and ability to address broader issues outside the field of specialization.  
Ability to lead and manage individual and group assignments and to supervise those undertaking the work.
Ability to share knowledge and provide technical advice and guidance on latest policy developments in the technical area.
Excellent research and analytical skills. 
Excellent drafting skills.
Excellent communication skills, excellent presentation skills, negotiation, promotion and advocacy skills. Ability to adapt communication style to diverse audiences.
Ability to adapt quickly to new software and systems. 
Ability to network and build and maintain effective and collaborative working relationships with key stakeholders and to create and promote synergies across the Organization and with external stakeholders.
Ability to represent the Organization and present/promote the technical area of work and the ILO's position on it to partners with a view to gaining their support to advance the desired course of action. 
Ability to mobilize resources.
Ability to work effectively in a multicultural environment and to demonstrate gender-responsive, non-discriminatory and inclusive behaviour and attitudes.