Employment Specialist - ILO - Bangkok,Thailand

Human Resources Development Department International Labour Office
Vacancy No: RAPS/2/2012/AS/02 Title: Employment Specialist Grade: P.4 Contract type: Fixed-Term Appointment	Date: 18 September 2012 Application Deadline: 18 October 2012 (28 day(s) until closing deadline) Currently accepting applications   Organization unit:   DWT-BANGKOK Duty Station:  Bangkok, Thailand
The following are eligible to apply: - ILO Internal candidates in accordance with paragraphs 15 and 16 of Annex I of the Staff Regulations. - External candidates. Technical cooperation staff with more than five years of continuous service are encouraged to apply and will be given special consideration at the screening and evaluation stage. Within the context of the ILO's efforts to promote staff mobility, applicants should expect to take up different assignments (field and Headquarters) during their career. The desirable length of the assignment in this specific position is three to five years, following which period the incumbent should be willing to move to another assignment and/or duty station. The ILO values diversity among its staff and aims at achieving gender parity. We welcome applications from qualified women and men, including those with disabilities. Applications from qualified candidates 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 is in Appendix I. Conditions of employment are described in Appendix II.
INTRODUCTION The position is located in the ILO Decent Work Technical Support Team for East and South East Asia and the Pacific (DWT-Bangkok). DWT-Bangkok. DWTs provide high-quality, timely, and integrated technical support to the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific and to Country Offices in the design and implementation of Decent Work Country Programmes (DWCPs) as well as regional and sub-regional initiatives in response to their requests within the framework of outcome-based workplans and other relevant collaborative frameworks. This support includes technical and policy advice, information and analyses. The specialist will be responsible for providing technical advisory services and backstopping support on wide range of issues related to employment. The position reports to the Director of DWT-Bangkok and receives technical guidance and advice from the Employment Policy Department (EMP/CEPOL) in Geneva.
Description of Duties Specific duties 1. Support country offices in developing the employment component of DWCPs and identifying ILO priorities and activities for support to the constituents at the country and sub-regional levels in the area of employment; 2. Collaborate with the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific in providing employment related inputs to regional reports, analysis, statistical profiles, and in the development and implementation of regional programmes; 3. Carry out technical advisory missions in countries in the sub-region to implement the employment component(s) of DWCPs in collaboration with other technical specialists; 4. Carry out technical advisory missions in countries in the sub-region and participate in multidisciplinary strategy activities to support the delivery of the Decent Work Agenda; 5. Provide advice to a variety of national stakeholders (Ministry of Labour, employers' and workers' organizations, but also sectoral and macro-economic institutions, parliamentary committees, etc.) in formulating, implementing and reviewing employment and labour market policies. Support the development of information systems and promote the centrality of productive employment in overall economic and social development plans; 6. Design, provide technical backstopping, codify knowledge and lessons learned as well as monitor technical cooperation projects - including joint programmes with other UN agencies and development partners - for strengthening national capacity in the area of employment and labour market policies and programmes; 7. Develop and maintain partnerships and linkages with relevant research and academic institutions in the sub-region, think tanks, and other relevant organizations, to facilitate knowledge exchange, joint work, programme development, build bridges between scholars and policy-makers, and maintain a roster of sub-regional and national experts; 8. Contribute to a variety of knowledge management initiatives to be implemented at regional and sub-regional level as articulated in the ILO Knowledge Strategy; 9. Promote and support the implementation at national level of key ILO tools, including ILO Convention No. 122, the ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization, and relevant toolkits on employment and Decent Work. These specific duties are aligned with the relevant ILO generic job description, which includes the following generic duties: 1. Design and promote a wide range of special subject-matter-related programmes, This involves: re-analysis of complex or conflicting data, statistics and information or policy guidelines, in a manner requiring the advanced application of principles of a recognised technical specialisation. 2. Develop and review an institutional framework, in which social partners can best improve, implement and evaluate efficient and equitable ILO action programmes. 3. Provide policy advice to ILO's constituents on institutional strengthening, the application of ILO standards and the promotion of technical cooperation activities. 4. Formulate and submit project proposals to be submitted for funding by the relevant Country Offices. 5. Evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the project activities. 6. Undertake technical advisory missions independently or in collaboration with other Technical Specialists. 7. Conduct seminars, workshops, technical meetings and training courses. 8. Prepare draft recommendations and guidelines for discussion and adoption as ILO Recommendations or Conventions on related technical fields. 9. Write manuals and/or training guides on related topics. 10. Disseminate information on programmes through publications and advocacy materials press releases, as well as ensuring contributions at international, regional and national fora and advocacy campaigns. 11. Monitor and coordinate research carried out by junior technical officers, service providers and external collaborators. 12. Provide technical inputs to office documents (sectoral meetings, technical committees, regional meetings and conference reports). 13. Participate in tripartite reviews on technical cooperation activities and international meetings and conferences.
Required Qualifications
Education Advanced university degree in labour economics or similar academic field with demonstrated expertise on employment issues.
Experience Eight years' of experience at the national level or five years at the international level in economic and social policy development. Relevant work experience in the Asia-pacific region would be an advantage.
Languages Excellent command of English. Proficiency in a second working language of the ILO or a language of the sub-region would be an advantage.
Competencies In addition to the ILO core competencies, this position requires: Technical competencies The ability to: synthesize research and reach empirically based conclusions on related subjects; provide seasoned advice on best practices, to address broader issues outside the field of specialization; formulate new concepts and methodologies; develop training materials, alternative courses of action, project proposals, policy, procedural matters and present them at high-level meetings; design and synthesize strategies for programme development in member States; produce reports (e.g. reports for regional conferences and the Organization's policy-making organs, technical publications, training manuals and draft resolutions) and evaluate and monitor technical cooperation activities and projects. Proven communication and drafting skills, both written and verbal. Behavioural competencies Ability to work productively and cooperatively in a multi-cultural team environment. Gender-sensitive behaviour and attitudes. Ability to conduct discussions and negotiate with governments, employers' and workers' organisations, non-governmental organizations, development banks and with other agencies as well as top-level professionals in related fields.
Additional Information: Evaluation (which may include one or several written tests) and interviews for this post will take place in principle between the last week of October and mid - December 2012. Candidates are requested to ensure their availability should they be short listed for further consideration. Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application form. To apply, please visit ILO's e-Recruitment website at: erecruit.ilo.org. The system provides instructions for online application procedures.