Programme Technical Officer, Skills

Introduction

TRIANGLE Partnerships for Fair and Effective Labour Migration in ASEAN (TRIANGLE Partnerships) is a five-year (2026-2030) regional labour migration programme funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). It aims to ensure that ASEAN migrant workers’ access to skills development and protection is strengthened, and the effectiveness of regular labour pathways is enhanced, increasing the development impact of labour migration. The programme has a regional scope with a focus on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Country level programming will be pursued in eight countries including Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand and Timor Leste.

Within the policy and procedural requirements established by the ILO and the TRIANGLE Partnerships programme, the Technical Officer will be responsible for providing direct technical support to the above programme and contribute to the expected outcomes. The incumbent will assist in promoting ILO policies in the programme-related technical areas and other components of the ILO Decent Work Agenda.

The programme supports programming across five technical areas including skills development, certification and recognition. The work under this component aims to strengthen migrant workers’ access to skills training, certification, recognition of prior learning, and skills mobility pathways, while supporting ASEAN Member States to integrate skills into labour migration governance and labour market systems, enabling safer mobility and better access to skilled, decent work across ASEAN.

Specifically, the Technical Officer will be providing day-to-day technical support to the skills development, certification and recognition component of the TRIANGLE Partnerships programme in all targeted countries, as well as more general country backstopping of a few selected programme countries. The incumbent will also undertake other activities as assigned by the programme Chief Technical Advisor (CTA). The detailed responsibilities are outlined below.

Reporting lines

The Technical Officer will work under the overall administrative supervision of the Deputy Regional Director and the immediate technical and administrative supervision of the TRIANGLE Partnerships’ CTA.

The Technical Officer will receive technical guidance from the Senior Regional Labour Migration Specialist in DWT-Bangkok and the International Labour Migration Branch (MIGRANT) in ILO Headquarters and the Skills and Employability Specialists in DWT-Bangkok. The incumbent will also work closely with other relevant Technical Specialists in DWT-Bangkok, RO-Bangkok and the HQ.

The Technical Officer will provide support to all skills related work of national officers and administrative and other support staff as concerns the specific duties of the incumbent; and will coordinate work of international or local consultants hired during the course of the programme.

Main duties and responsibilities

Under the technical and managerial oversight of the CTA of TRIANGLE Partnerships, the technical officer will undertake the following duties and responsibilities:

1. Assist the Programme CTA in the implementation of the project by providing technical inputs, planning, monitoring and evaluation of project activities, including, in particular, these related to skills. Ensure conformity with ILO policies and project strategies, ILO programming guidelines and country/action programs, and Office procedures and practices.

1. Provide technical advice and support to project staff and national partners in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the project activities, including, in particular, these related to skills, in coordination with the ILO Field Offices and HQ.

1. Provide specific technical support and backstopping with a view to ensure effective implementation of the TRIANGLE Partnerships national work plans of the specific countries that the incumbent will backstop, together with the National Programme Coordinators of these countries.

1. Coordinate closely with ILO specialists and staff, and external stakeholders as appropriate, to obtain technical inputs to programme activities and to share programme approaches, results and lessons learned.

1. Conduct research and integrate technical inputs for regional and country analyses, reports and publications related to the project and prepare discussion notes.

1. Develop training materials and conduct seminars and workshops.

1. Under the guidance of the responsible supervisor, maintain close liaison with governments, workers' and employers' organizations, and UN/non-governmental organizations, to discuss matters and follow up on a broad range of country programmes and projects. Maintain working contacts and collaboration with multi-lateral and bilateral donor agencies and draft proposals for funding.

1. Co-ordinate, promote linkages and share best practices and lessons learnt with other relevant ILO projects/programs, ILO units and external stakeholders.

1. Promote ILO policies regarding the project/programme, other fundamental rights at work and the relevant International Labour Standards through coordination with a range of relevant national policies and the strategies of various projects, including those being undertaken by other agencies or in complementary fields of activity. Promote the inclusion of gender equality and non-discrimination in all aspects of the project.

1. Undertake missions in relation to project implementation.
2. Carry out other duties for satisfactory progress and delivery of TRIANGLE Partnerships in discussion with line management.

Qualifications requirements

Education

• Advanced university degree (Master‘s or equivalent) in economics, management, social science or law.
• 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 required experience stated below, will be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Experience

• At least five years of professional experience, including at least two years of field experience.
• Candidates with experience from skills development, certification, and recognition and familiarity with human rights frameworks and international labour standards pertaining to labour migration will be prioritised. Knowledge in the field of labour migration, private sector engagement, and climate change would be an advantage.
• Familiarity with ILO policies and procedures including experience working with officials ILO constituents and NGOs and promote gender equality and disability equity within such interventions would be an advantage.

Languages

• Excellent knowledge of English.

Competencies

• Capacity to provide first-line technical advice in the area of labour migration.
• Ability to provide technical advice and to guide and coordinate the work of external collaborators, general service staff and young professionals in the area of specialization.
• Ability to conceptualise and design research techniques and analyse complex cross-national practices and data sets covering a wide range of issues in the specialized technical field.
• Ability to formulate new concepts and methodologies.
• Ability to draft reports and prepare guidelines relating to programme development and implementation.
• Ability to provide technical support to senior specialists, carrying out research, project formulation and implementation.
• Ability to participate effectively in technical missions and to provide technical inputs for the ILO Decent Work Agenda.
• Excellent analytical skills and knowledge of analytical tools and qualitative and quantitative techniques.
• Good computer skills.
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment and gender-sensitive behaviour and attitudes are also required