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Please note that this recruitment is subject to final confirmation of the project.

Introduction

About Better Work

We mobilize global brands, governments, factory owners and workers to improve working conditions, drive competitiveness and create a more equitable, more prosperous world.

The Power of Convening

As a partnership between the UN’s International Labour Organization and the World Bank Group’s International Finance Corporation, we know how to bring diverse groups together to create positive action that improves working conditions while stimulating productivity and competitiveness.

A Proven Approach

We create lasting, measurable change by empowering factories to improve the working conditions in their facilities. Our assessments are the global gold standard for rigour and integrity. Our training programs and advisory services cha

National Action/ Global Influence

Through our comprehensive, university-led research, and by sharing best practices from our on-the-ground experience, we are able to shape the agenda well beyond the countries in which we work, influencing governments, brands and policy makers to make improving working conditions a top priority .

Purpose & Background

Purpose

Our work and our research have demonstrated – to employers, unions, global brands and governments – that improving working conditions and defending the rights of workers benefits all of us. We have improved the lives of more than 3 million workers, and millions more family members, while enhancing the profitability of their employers. There is no trade-off between better work and better business.

Background

Better Work Pakistan (BWP) will be launched as a 3-year pilot country programme based on an in-depth preparatory phase and engagement with the tripartite constituents in Pakistan. The programme will open its office in Karachi with selected staff based in Islamabad, but will cater to factories across the country. The vast majority of garment factories are located in Sindh and Punjab provinces. The planned pilot programme is anticipating to work with approximately 120 factories in this first phase. In parallel, BWP will work on an already agreed upon Action Plan with the government, employers and workers to create a more enabling environment for a successful BW programme. This Plan includes work on legal frameworks, the application of national legislation and ILO Conventions and standards (ILS), capacity building of constituents etc.

Partners

BWP will support ILO constituents’ efforts in realising the priorities outlined in the DWCP, and subsequently the UNSDCF, all while collaborating with ILO Pakistan’s other projects intervening in the said sector. 

 The impetus to address challenges in ILS compliance in the country’s textile and apparel sector is prompted by Pakistan’s GSP+ status in confronting decent work deficits related to freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining, the elimination of forced or compulsory labour, the abolition of child labour and the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation. Broader aspects of the DW agenda will also be confronted such as wages, OSH, skills, labour administration, enterprise development, social dialogue, gender and possibly social security aspects.

For more information about Better Work and ILO in Pakistan, please see www.betterwork.org and http://www.ilo.org/islamabad

Please note that Karachi is a non-family duty station

Functions & Supervision

Assist the Better Work Pakistan (BWP) Programme Manager in the set up and implementation of the BWP Programme, based on the existing Better Work model with a focus on the development and delivery of factory services including the provision of in-factory assessments, advisory services, training and capacity building in parallel to the work with the tripartite constituents.

Under the overall guidance and supervision of the Director, ILO Country Office for Pakistan, the Programme and Operations Officer will work under the direct supervision of the Better Work Pakistan Country Programme Manager. The Director of ILO Country Office for Pakistan is the responsible chief and the Higher Level Chief.

Description of Duties

• Assist the Better Work Pakistan (BWP) Programme Manager in the set up and implementation of the BWP Programme, based on the existing Better Work model with a focus on the development and delivery of factory services including the provision of in-factory assessments, advisory services, training and capacity building in parallel to the work with the tripartite constituents
• Act as part of BWP management team, with a primary operational focus but also assisting in making strategic decisions regarding programme direction. This will include decisions regarding HR i.e. hiring of the new team, budget, service development and expansion, programmatic targets, M&E and the sustainability strategy.
• Provide direct supervision to the team delivering factory services, at least in the early years of the Programme, ensuring high levels of performance in meeting set targets, overseeing colleagues’ ongoing professional development, and enabling the ongoing professional growth of the BWP national team.
• Provide assistance to the BWP Programme Manager in ensuring a high level of attention to best practices in recruitment, Human Resource management and administration and build a culture of open feedback, coaching, creative problem solving and risk taking, which will increase the sense of accountability and ownership for BWP staff.  Oversee induction process for new BWP Enterprise Advisors and other team members, in coordination with the Better Work Global program and other Better Work Country Programmes.  Coach national staff to develop the skills to increasingly take the primary factory services oversight role and/or to move into Team Leader roles in the future. Lead by example the growth of a positive working culture that promotes excellence and accountability for results as well as a respectful and supportive workplace environment that encourages teamwork and personal growth.

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• Guide and support newly recruited Enterprise Advisors and other technical staff in the oversight and implementation of agile and sustainable factory services (assessment, advisory and training services) and quality assurance systems in order to ensure that the programme can best target its services to the needs of factories and international buyers.
• Provide support to the programme on the development of robust internal systems to support quality delivery of services including the collection, management and analysis of data as appropriate in order  to inform monitoring ,   evaluation, quality control and operational efficiency as well as to support the programme’s policy and research portfolio and support buyer relationships. 
• Assist in communications and report writing as needed. This may include liaising with the Better Work Global team on communications and media requests, providing input into the BWP communications strategy, writing donor reports, and assisting the BWP Program Manager in the preparation of drafts of public annual reports.   Improve information sharing between staff for the purposes of knowledge building and programme efficiency.

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• Support the BWP Programme Manager in liaising with national and international project stakeholders and constituents, including factories and buyer representatives. This will include the development and management of relationships with factories and buyers through regular forums, one-on-one meetings, responding to regular meeting requests that come into the BWP office as well as proactively reaching out to project stakeholders to provide   updates and for other information needs. This also includes support to the team on the agreed action plan with the tripartite constituents that will be implemented and regularly monitored over the course of the 3 years pilot programme.
• Under the guidance of the BWP Programme Manager, support the ILO Country Office in Pakistan in meeting expectations of national and global stakeholders within the overall context of improving working conditions and workers’ rights in the garment industry in Pakistan. 

Education

University degree in international studies, social science, law, or other relevant field.

Experience

At least five years of relevant professional experience, including at least three years at the international level, in the areas of social dialogue, capacity building, corporate social responsibility, private sector development, and/or lab standards compliance.  Practical experience conducting enterprise assessments of labour standards compliance and providing advisory and training services to factory workers will be particularly welcome.  Experience in industrial relations and conflict resolution to build social dialogue between management and unions/worker representatives at the workplace level.  A background working specifically with the apparel industry and specific experience of Pakistan is also a plus.

Languages

Excellent command of English. Working knowledge of Urdu and/or a regional language would be an advantage.

Competencies

• Excellent knowledge of labour-related laws and regulations in Pakistan, including a good understanding of common issues of non-compliance in the apparel industry;
• Understanding of enterprise level human resource, production, and quality systems especially as they exist in practice in the apparel sector;
• Strong practical experience with the application of labour standards in the workplace including capacity building of worker and management representatives to (i) improve compliance with labour standards, (ii) build stronger management systems and (iii) strengthen mechanisms for social dialogue.
• Ability to apply a practical and calm approach to the inherent difficulties associated with starting up a new programme, recruiting new staff, opening up a new office etc.
• Ability to contribute to the formulation, administration and evaluation of projects, including the ability to identify and analyse problems with project implementation;
• Good understanding of corporate social responsibility and labour compliance issues in global supply chains in general and, more specifically, in the apparel sector in Pakistan, including practical knowledge of the practices of international brand and manufacturers;

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• Capacity to manage projects and teams, and to build effective teamwork, to achieve agreed outcomes with clear timelines including coordinating the work of others;
• Capacity to liaise and network with a range of stakeholders including staff, donors, buyers, government officials, management, unions and NGOs;
• High level communications skills, both oral and written;
• Excellent analytical skills, and ability to understand global trends and anticipate how these may need to be addressed within the Pakistani context;
• High standards of integrity, professionalism, personal discipline and impartiality;
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment and to demonstrate gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory behaviour and attitudes; knowledge of gender mainstreaming principles and approaches and commitment to gender equality.

How to apply

Applicants can only attach one document to their application. This should include a cover letter, and must also include a 2-page statement addressing their claims against five or six of the above competencies. In doing this, applicants should include a heading and 2-3 paragraphs for each competency, explaining how their skills and experience show that they possess these competencies.

Applicants who do not attach this statement will not be considered for interview.

Better Work, as part of the ILO, values diversity among its staff and welcomes applications from qualified women and men, including those with disabilities.

The closing date for applications is: 13 July 2021

For more information please contact recruitment@betterwork.org and islamabad@ilo.org