Regional Specialist on Labour Migration and Mobility

The ILO’s Labour Migration programme provides governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations with technical and policy advice on international labour migration and on promoting decent work for migrant workers, those forcibly displaced and refugees, and promotes national and multilateral fair migration schemes, with special attention to the high presence of migrant workers in the informal economy, migrants in an irregular situation, and those in vulnerable situations. ILO advisory services and capacity building promote decent work for migrant workers, including in areas of working conditions and wages, equality of treatment, gender equality and non-discrimination, labour market institutions, health and safety at work, the recognition of professional skills and certification, the access and portability of social security benefits and recruitment in countries serviced by the ILO.

This position is located in the Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean based in Lima, Peru. The Regional Office has overall political and management responsibilities for the promotion of ILO principles, policies and decent work priorities in the region and provides strategic guidance and support to all country offices and Decent Work Technical Support Teams (DWTs) in the region.

The Regional Labour Migration and Mobility Specialist will be responsible for coordinating and providing technical advisory services in the field of labour migration and mobility in the region, including promoting and supporting relevant development cooperation projects. He/she will collaborate with other specialists in achieving the planned ILO priorities for the region and serve as the regional focal point for a coordinated network of labour migration and mobility in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The position will report to the Regional Director through the Deputy Regional Director and will receive technical guidance from the Labour Migration Branch (MIGRANT) within the Conditions of Work and Equality Department (WORKQUALITY) at headquarters. The Specialist will coordinate work with other specialists in the Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, and will work closely with the Labour Migration Specialist  in the ILO DWT and Country Office for Central America based in San Jose, Costa Rica.

1. Provide technical guidance and policy advice to ILO constituents and other national and regional institutions dealing with migration, refugees and crisis related mobility issues and drive the implementation of ILO’s labour migration and refugee intervention strategy in the region, in line with the strategic orientations of the biennial Programme and Budget, international labour standards and the ILO’s Fair Migration Agenda and Multilateral Framework on Labour Migration. Ensure coordination of labour migration specialists, development cooperation projects and Chief Technical Advisers and foster collaboration with MIGRANT and other units to achieve goals.
2. Ensure coherence between the design and implementation of labour migration policies and of employment policies, respectively, in close collaboration with Employment Specialists in the region.
3. Develop strategies for implementation of the ILO’s Guiding Principles on labour market access of refugees and other forcibly displaced persons to the labour market, including where appropriate in cooperation with ILO’s Employment Policy department, on the  Employment and Decent Work for Peace and Resilience Recommendation, 2017 (No. 205).
4. Develop and coordinate the design and implementation of national and regional strategies and policies on labour migration, in close consultation with ILO constituents and MIGRANT, and in line with the labour migration and mobility commitments in the Panama Declaration for the ILO Centenary on the Future of Work in the Americas. This includes  the development  of partnerships with other international agencies, particularly under the Regional Inter-Agency Coordination Platform for Refugees and Migrants established by the UN Secretary-General, and with development partners and international NGOs.
5. Collaborate with other specialists of the DWT on the integration of labour migration priorities into their respective work programmes and on responding to the needs of the constituents, as expressed in the Decent Work Country Programmes.

6. Design, supervise and conduct relevant analytical and policy oriented research to support the ILO’s knowledge base on labour migration, including data on labour migration trends, flows, regimes, contributions of migrant workers to development, and barriers to achieving decent work at national and regional levels, as a basis for the formulation of relevant labour migration policy strategies, initiatives for projects and work programmes.

7. Develop and maintain good relationships with governments, workers' and employers' organizations, UN organizations, research institutions and non-governmental organizations.

8. Design development cooperation projects and liaise with donors and potential partners with a view to mobilizing development cooperation resources and expanding the Office's capacity to undertake various activities in the region related to labour migration, including crisis migration. Provide guidance as appropriate to the design of donor-funded projects development cooperation work.

1. Lead, organize, plan, supervise and control the work of a technical unit (including managerial functions).
2. Design and promote a wide range of special subject-matter-related programmes, This involves analysis of complex or conflicting data, statistics, information or policy guidelines in a manner requiring the advanced application of principles of a recognized technical specialization. 
3. Develop and review an institutional framework, in which social partners can best improve, implement and evaluate efficient and equitable ILO action programmes.
4. Assume full responsibility for policy formulation and providing policy advice to ILO’s constituents on institutional strengthening, the application of ILO standards and the promotion of development cooperation activities.
5. Develop project design, review proposals, formulate, revise and submit project proposals and negotiate funding.
6. Evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the project activities.
7. Lead technical advisory missions.
8. Conduct seminars, workshops and technical meetings.
9. Prepare recommendations and guidelines for discussion and adoption as ILO recommendations on related technical fields.
10. Write manuals and training guides on related topics.
11. Disseminate information on action programmes through publications and press releases as well as ensuring representation at donors’ meetings, international, regional and national fora and advocacy campaigns.
12. Monitor and coordinate research carried out by junior technical officers and external collaborators.
13. Provide technical inputs to office documents (sectoral meetings, technical committees, conference reports, Director General’s report to ILC).

Advanced university degree in, law, economics or social science field with proven expertise in development, demographics or other relevant technical field.

At least ten years’ experience related to international labour migration of which at least seven years at the international level.

Excellent command of Spanish and working knowledge of English. Knowledge of French and/or Portuguese would be an advantage.

In addition to the ILO core competencies, this position requires:
Technical

Demonstrated and recognized technical and /or managerial leadership in carrying out the objectives and policies of the related work unit; demonstrated technical expertise in labour migration and/or crisis and refugee movements; experience to devise new methods, concepts, approaches and techniques, leading to development of ILO standards and technical guidelines and ability to prepare ILO strategy reports in the related field for programme development, the ability to represent the Office in high-level government dialogue and to provide policy advice; and the ability to manage large projects and to guide and coordinate activities among projects. Demonstrated ability to implement, manage and coordinate development cooperation projects of international organizations, including negotiations with governments, social partners and mobilizing the support of international donor agencies.  Excellent oral and written communication, presentation and negotiation skills. An awareness of the tripartite structure of the ILO and its procedures, including ability to foster regular communication among colleagues, including particularly between HQ and the region. Diplomatic skills.

Behavioural
Ability to work in a multicultural environment and to demonstrate gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory behaviour and attitudes.