Chief Technical Advisor (CTA) - P5

The position is located in the Development and Investment Branch (DEVINVEST) within the Employment Policy Department (EMPLOYMENT). EMPLOYMENT is responsible for promoting full and productive employment by developing integrated employment, development and skills policies that maximize the employment impact of economic growth, investment and development, and which are inclusive, gender sensitive, productive and sustainable.

The economic trajectory of African countries can be described as following a jobless growth pattern. Many African countries have displayed high growth performances over the past decade. However, economic growth did not necessarily materialize into more and better jobs for the population. For that reason, job creation is an integral part of African Union’s Agenda 2063.

Employment creation is also at the centre of the European Union Africa Strategy launched in March 2020. The Africa Strategy builds on the Africa-EU Alliance on Investment and Jobs launched in 2018. The Africa-EU Alliance seeks to leverage private investment in Africa, in partnership with International Financial Institutions (IFI), with a focus on decent job creation.

Realizing that employment outcomes differ between investment opportunities and local characteristics, the objective of this project is to assist the European Commission and partner countries  in assessing the employment effects of supported investment and flagship development programmes  in Africa. The parallel objective is to understand the impact of these investments by category of projects and financing instruments. Another objective is to improve the ability to take into account the employment dimension at different stages of the life cycle of the project.

The project will provide a technical assistance in relation with employment impact assessment to the External Investment Plan and its stakeholders (including IFIs), EU Delegations and National stakeholders in the Sub-Saharan Africa. The project will recruit a chief technical advisor to administer the project.

Reporting lines
The Chief Technical Advisor (CTA) will report to the Sr. Coordinator Structural Transformation in the Development and Investment (DEVINVEST) Branch, Employment Policy Department under the overall supervision of the Chief of DEVINVEST.

• Responsible for effective management, coordination, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of all project activities in conformity with ILO policies and project strategies, and in accordance with ILO programming guidelines and country/action programs, and administrative and financial procedures, in consultation with the responsible Field Office, if applicable.
• Manage efficiently the human resources of the project / program including recruitment and performance management Plan, organize, supervise and monitor the work of the project team that is providing technical cooperation to the EU/DEVCO’s services including the EIP, EU Delegations and the partner countries.
• Identify the knowledge, research and tools that need to be developed to respond to the needs of the stakeholders of the projects. In particular, Mobilize and further develop the tools available within DEVINVEST in relation with employment impact assessments:

o Input-output analysis and SAM analysis
o Local labour markets analysis in sub-Saharan African countries
o Nightlight satellite data
o Access to credit and credit rationing in low income countries
o Market access and infrastructure construction
o Trade and agriculture value chains
o Environmental and Social Safeguard assessments

• Promote the employment impact assessment tools developed by the DEVINVEST Branch, ensure the publication of working paper, the validation by the academic communities and the implementation of such methods by development partners.
• Develop a work programme in relation with the employment dimension of existing information system within EU/DEVCO’s institutions.
• Set up a strategy and a work programme to reach the main objectives, outcomes and outputs of the projects. Develop and manage the project component’s work plan and related budget lines of the joint project budget.
• Supervise the implementation of the logframe and manage the project’s budget. Negotiate the work plan with the donor and ensure the timely implementation of the activities.
• Liaise with the units financing the project and the recipients of the programme activities including the different units of DEVCO that are taken part with the external investment plan.
• Liaise with the EU Delegations in Sub-Saharan African countries and with the relevant domestic institutions (Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Planning, Ministry of Labour and social partners).
• Liaise with IFIs that are collaborating with the External Investment Plan to organize the activities related to the harmonization of employment indicators and to the harmonization of the methodologies  of employment impact assessment.
• Coordinate the work between the staff located in Geneva and the staff located in the Abidjan office and will liaise with the Regional Office for Africa.
• Ensure the efficient evaluation of the program activities.
• Maintain close relations with donor agencies and other international agencies and provide advice on policies and procedures.
• Plan, organize and undertake technical missions to project countries;
• Prepare terms of reference as necessary for external collaborators as well as for national counterparts, if necessary;
• Provide supervision and guidance to international and national technical experts as well as national counterparts;
• In consultation with PROCUREMENT, prepare tender documents and evaluate tenders if necessary
• Build linkages with other programmes such as the DG/NEAR Mainstreaming Employment into Trade and Investment in the Southern Neighbourhood and the EUTF technical assistance.
   

Advanced University Degree in economics.  PhD in economics and specialization in macroeconomics is an advantage

• At least 10 years of professional experience in the field of macroeconomics, of which at least five years at the international level
• Significant project management experience and experience in all aspects of the project cycle (design, implementation, monitoring, evaluation).
• Proven experience in partnership building and networking and in effective fundraising, resource mobilization and donor relations.

Excellent command of English and French

• Good ability to mobilize macroeconomic tools to perform employment impact assessments of public investment, private investment and international cooperation projects.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct research in the fields of macroeconomics.
• Excellent analytical and communication skills
• Good ability to identify the needs of stakeholders and good ability to design and implement solutions.
• Good understanding of EU/DEVCO activities and programs in sub-Saharan Africa.
• Good understanding of evaluation practices by IFIs.
• Good understanding of the work of EU Delegation in relation with trade and agriculture value chains.
• Proven ability to take ownership of all responsibilities, to act with integrity and transparency by maintaining social, ethical and organisational norms, and to meet all commitments within the prescribed time, cost and quality standards.
• Ability to develop clear strategic goals consistent with the project/program’s objectives, and to design and synthesise strategies for program development.
• Ability to advocate and provide policy advice.
• Excellent leadership skills, ability to work effectively in a team and excellent interpersonal skills.
• Ability to formulate new concepts and methodologies and to synthesise research and reach empirically based conclusions on related subjects by understanding both the qualitative and quantitative approaches in social science research.
• Ability to develop training strategies and design training materials.
• Ability to formulate project proposals, policy documents and procedural matters.
• Ability to promote a knowledge sharing and learning culture in the office, and to focus and guide others to meet objectives at individual and group level.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to write accurate reports and to build networks to obtain cooperation with partners.
• Proven capacity to initiate and implement development cooperation project/program activities with partners.
• Excellent negotiation skills and ability to provide high quality services.
• Ability to plan and support the development of individual’s skills and abilities for a more effective fulfilment of job/role responsibilities;
• Ability to maintain effectiveness when experiencing major changes in work tasks or environment, and to adjust effectively to new work structures, processes, requirements or cultures.
• Drive to seek or encourage others to seek opportunities for different and innovative approaches to organisation challenges and opportunities for improvement.
• The ability to work in a multicultural environment and to demonstrate gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory behaviour and attitudes