Grade: P5
Vacancy no.: RAPS/6/2023/AF/01
Publication date: 24th November 2023
Application deadline (midnight Geneva time): 4th January 2024
Job ID: 11438
Department: RO-Africa
Organization Unit: RO-Africa
Location: Abidjan
Contract type: Fixed Term
The following are eligible to apply:
- ILO Internal candidates in accordance with paragraphs 31 and 32 of Annex I of the ILO Staff Regulations.
- External candidates.
Staff members with at least five years of continuous service with the Office are encouraged to apply.
Applications from candidates who have already separated from ILO service upon retirement or early retirement, will not be considered.
The ILO values diversity among its staff and welcomes applications from qualified female candidates. We also encourage applicants with disabilities. If you are unable to complete our online application form due to a disability, please send an email to ilojobs@ilo.org.
The ILO welcomes applicants with experience in working within ILO constituents (governments, employersโ and business membership organizations, and workersโ organizations).
Applicants from non- or under-represented member States, or from those member States which staffing forecasts indicate will become non- or under-represented in the near future would be particularly welcome. A list of these countries can be found here: ILO Jobs: Non- and under-represented Member States
In addition to the interviews and tests that any candidate may be required to take, successful completion of the ILO Assessment Centre is required for all external candidates and any internal candidate applying to a higher category.
Notwithstanding the general considerations set out in the ILO Staff Regulations, this vacancy announcement is the only authoritative document pertaining to the qualifications required for this position. The minimum required qualifications were determined in view of the specific duties and responsibilities of this position.
The specific language requirements for this position are detailed hereunder. However, candidates applying for the professional category vacancies who have not already successfully completed their probationary period within the ILO and whose mother tongue is not one of the working languages of the Office (English, French and Spanish), shall be required to possess a fully satisfactory working knowledge of at least one of the ILO working languages. If appointed they may be required to acquire a knowledge of a second working language of the Office during their initial years of service.
Introduction
The position is located in the [ILOโs Regional Office for Africa (RO-Africa) which is located in Abidjan, Cรดte dโIvoire. RO-Africa has overall political and management responsibility for the operations of the ILO's network of country offices and Decent Work Technical Support Teams (DWTs) in the African Region, providing strategic guidance and support to the promotion of ILO's principles and policies. The ILO is implementing a large number of interventions on skills development in the Africa region in support of the implementation of the ILO Abidjan Declaration and ILO strategy on skills and lifelong learning 2030. There are increasing demands to expand ILO operations on skills development.
The main role of the position is to coordinate skills development initiatives at regional level and related interventions in Africa, with a particular focus on promoting strategic partnerships and developing tools to scale up ILO services. The position also acts as a programme manager for the Global Programme on Skills and Lifelong Learning (GPSL3) and is responsible for promoting inter-regional collaboration through the GPSL3 and managing field interventions which are mainly located in Africa.
The incumbent works under the direct supervision of the Regional Director for Africa and receives technical guidance and advice from the Chief of the Skills and Employability Branch (SKILLS) at ILO headquarters. The SKILLS Branch will continue to handle and share the work of providing technical advice, guidance and support to the GPSL3 and DWT specialists including in fostering global level partnerships.
The incumbent works in collaboration with the technical specialists in all of the DWTs in the region and with the Skills specialists in all ILO regions and at headquarters. The incumbent will also work with ILO constituents, UN agencies, multilateral development banks, bilateral technical agencies, academic institutions, private sector companies, consultants and experts, training providers and NGOโs.
Key Duties and Responsibilities
1.Plan, manage and coordinate regional initiatives on skills development and all related interventions in the African region. Manage the GPSL3, ensuring effective coordination with implementation teams and skills specialists, and promote inter-regional collaboration for timely and efficient delivery of project interventions. Provide leadership and vision to generate additional resources and partnerships and to promote an integrated programmatic approach in designing and implementing projects under the overall umbrella of the GPSL3 in all regions. Lead work streams/teams involved in this work and manage staff and consultants as applicable.
2.Lead the design, development, implementation, monitoring and promotion of related programmes, strategies, approaches and policies with a view to enhancing and positioning the Organizationโs technical leadership in these areas. Lead, manage and coordinate high-level advocacy and technical and policy advisory services at the global and regional level to advance the Decent Work Agenda and social justice, fostering 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.
3.Provide thought leadership in areas of importance to ILO constituents and other concerned stakeholders, including through the continuous strategic positioning of the Organization and its mandate within the United Nations system. Act as a catalyst in formulating policies on critical issues related to the promotion of decent work across ILOโs strategic objectives and build bridges and synergies between strategic policy areas. Coordinate cross-organizational teams/initiatives to ensure integration and policy coherence to advance broad programme development.
4.Review and facilitate the strengthening and effective implementation of inclusive institutional, legal and policy frameworks. Provide authoritative policy and technical advice on contemporary topics of skills development to ILO constituents and other concerned stakeholders with a view to promoting the formulation of inclusive and gender-responsive policies and programmes, and their impactful implementation and monitoring to ensure equitable outcomes. Promote relevant international labour standards.
5.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 employersโ and workersโ organizations in policy design, implementation and evaluation of decent work programmes and projects.
6. Provide technical inputs to the design and implementation of Decent Work Country Programmes (DWCPs) as well as UN and other development cooperation frameworks. Build and stimulate multidisciplinary initiatives/ efforts / developments / plans / reviews / activities with a view to ensuring an integrated approach for the delivery of the Decent Work Agenda.
7.Lead innovative gender-mainstreamed global, regional and country specific research projects on decent work issues, in particular on skills development, that provide clear and operational policy recommendations, including at sectoral level and ensure an integrated approach/perspective, with a view to influencing policy agendas of countries and recommendations of other international agencies and multilateral organizations.optional section (only if needed)
8.Develop and lead/coordinate the development of skills development and lifelong learning policies, initiatives, strategies and a range of original and evidence-based technical and policy knowledge products and tools responding to constituentsโ needs and priorities and advancing the Decent Work Agenda. Promote and facilitate their dissemination at the global / regional / and country levels. 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.
9.Lead the development, review and quality control of major reports, publications, documents and other office documents, including for the Governing Body, International Labour Conference and regional, sectoral and expert meetings.
10.Support the strengthening of ILO constituents' capacity to design and implement policies and measures, monitor their impact, refine and improve policies and measures as required in coordination with DWT skills specialists in Africa in the area of skills development and lifelong learning, taking into account the need for policy coherence and an integrated approach to decent work. Oversee the design of tools and learning materials, pilot new guidelines, lead/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 in Turin (ITC-ILO) and/or with other relevant partners as applicable.
11.Identify opportunities for technical and strategic partnerships and broker collaborative relationships to benefit the broad areas of the Decent Work Agenda with regional institutions and agencies such as African Union Commission, RECs, AUDA NEPAD, African Development Bank, UNESCO, UNICEF, UNIDO, the World Bank and other bilateral and multi-lateral development partners, Centres of Excellence on skills development including ITC Turin, ILO CINTERFOR, UNESCO, UNEVOC, CEDEFOP, ETF and other relevant stakeholders with a view to developing and strengthening networks of skills development institutions and promoting ILOโs skills work development, advancing ILOโs strategic objectives and ensuring policy coherence / joint programme design and implementation / promoting awareness of ILOโs values and strategic objectives / resource mobilization / influencing policy and financing decisions in support of decent work objectives.
12.Convene and represent the ILO at major international/regional meetings and events, including with strategic players, national and international development partners, international financial institutions and multilateral and regional institutions of the UN system and other key stakeholders/organizations. As the ILOโs technical representative, play a key role in promoting and advocating the Decent Work Agenda.
13.Perform other relevant duties as assigned.optional section 2 (only if needed)
Required qualifications
Education
Advanced level university degree (Masterโs or equivalent) in [social sciences, education, economics or other relevant field.
A first-level university degree (Bachelorโs 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.
Experience
At least ten years of experience in skills development, including at the international level.
Languages
Excellent command of English or French and a working knowledge of the other language.
In addition to the ILO core competencies, the following are required:
Knowledge and technical/behavioural competencies
Excellent knowledge and understanding of theories, concepts and approaches in the area(s) of skills development with the ability to lead and oversee their development and implementation suited to evolving needs and priorities. Detailed and comprehensive expertise in own area to serve as the reference expert across the Organization.
Excellent knowledge of the full range of policy areas and advanced understanding of the ILOโs mandate. Ability to maintain a comprehensive wealth of knowledge of related external issues.
Technical leadership skills.
Managerial skills for the effective management of human and financial resources. Ability to provide clear direction and to develop, inspire and encourage high-performing, pioneering and motivated individuals and teams, specialized in the technical area of work.
Excellent research and analytical skills.
Excellent communication skills, negotiation, promotion and advocacy skills.
Excellent drafting skills.
Ability to adapt quickly to new software and systems.
Ability to build and negotiate strategic partnerships and alliances with a wide range of key stakeholders and to create innovative opportunities for promoting synergies and ensure organizational results and success over the immediate, mid-term and long-term horizon.
Ability to represent the Organization with authority and credibility and position it as a leader in skills development. Ability to articulate the Organizationโs mandate/strategic objectives/programmes when formulating and delivering information and presentations and adapt presentation methodology to address the needs of different audiences.
Ability to mobilize resources.
Ability to work effectively in a multicultural environment and to demonstrate and model gender-responsive, non-discriminatory and inclusive behaviour and attitudes.Conditions of employment
- Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to ILO Staff Regulations and other relevant internal rules. Any offer of employment with the ILO is conditional upon certification by the ILO Medical Adviser that the person concerned is medically fit to perform the specific inherent requirements of the position offered. In order to confirm an offer from the ILO the successful candidate will be required to undergo a medical examination.
- The first contract will be issued for a twenty-four month period.
- A successful external candidate will be on probation for the first two years of assignment.
- Any extension of contract beyond the probation period is subject to satisfactory conduct and performance.
For more information on conditions of employment, please visit the ILO Jobs International Recruitment page.
Important Information
Any officials of the General Service category interested in applying to this position are hereby informed that, if selected, they will be offered the salary and allowances applicable to the grade of the position applied for, which may result in substantial changes in their take-home remuneration. In accordance with Article 3.4 of the Staff Regulations, the salary of an official, upon promotion, shall in no case be greater than the maximum salary of the grade to which he or she was promoted. For any questions or clarifications, please contact your HR partner at hrpartner@ilo.org
Recruitment process
Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application form. To apply, please visit the ILO Jobs website. The system provides instructions for online application procedures.
Evaluation (which may include one or several written tests and a pre-interview competency-based assessment centre) and the interviews will tentatively take place during the 3 to 4 months following the application deadline. Candidates are requested to ensure their availability should they be short listed for further consideration.
Depending on the location and availability of candidates, assessors and interview panel members, the ILO may use communication technologies such as Skype, Video or teleconference, e-mail, etc. for the assessment and evaluation of candidates at the different stages of the recruitment process, including assessment centres, technical tests or interviews.
The ILO has zero tolerance for acts of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) and is determined to ensure that all staff members and all beneficiaries of ILO assistance do not suffer, directly or indirectly, from sexual exploitation and abuse.
To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organisation, the ILO may conduct a background verification of candidates under consideration.Fraud warning
The ILO does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process whether at the application, interview, processing or training stage. Messages originating from a non ILO e-mail account - @ilo.org - should be disregarded. In addition, the ILO does not require or need to know any information relating to the bank account details of applicants.