Senior Technical Specialist in Social - ILO - Beijing, China

Human Resources Development Department International Labour Office
Vacancy No: RAPS/2/2012/AS/03 Title: Senior Technical Specialist in Social Dialogue and Industrial Relations Grade: P.5 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:   CO - BEIJING Duty Station:  Beijing, China
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 Country Office for China and Mongolia (CO-Beijing). CO-Beijing has frontline responsibility to support constituents in these countries in developing and implementing activities in the context of the Decent Work Agenda. This is mainly in the form of Decent Work Country Programmes and is closely coordinated, where applicable, with UN Development Assistance Frameworks. CO-Beijing also has primary responsibility for the delivery of technical cooperation, including extra-budgetary technical cooperation. The position is involved mainly in the development of sound industrial relations systems in the countries covered by CO-Beijing. The position will provide technical services to help promote efficient, equitable, representative and democratic employment and industrial relations and effective social dialogue mechanisms in both of these countries. The position will report to the Director of CO-Beijing and receive technical guidance from the Industrial and Employment Relations Department (DIALOGUE) in ILO headquarters.
Description of Duties Specific duties 1. Formulate strategic work plans in the areas of industrial relations and social dialogue, taking into consideration the needs and priorities of the tripartite constituents while promoting the relevant ILO standards. 2. Provide technical advice at highest policy-making levels on matters pertaining to industrial relations, to promote systems of collective bargaining, labour dispute settlement and tripartite social dialogue which help to reconcile the requirements of economic efficiency and social justice in conformity with the relevant ILO standards. 3. Provide policy advice to labour administrations in each country with a view to strengthening and improving their organizational capacity to design, develop and implement comprehensive industrial relations policies including collective bargaining, wage policies, dispute prevention and settlement strategies. 4. Initiate, design, supervise, conduct and publish policy-oriented analytical research work on a wide range of industrial relations policy questions, inter alia, regulations on employment relations, labour market flexibility, collective bargaining, public sector industrial relations, labour dispute settlement machineries and tripartite social dialogue with a particular attention to the inter-relations between legal regulation, industrial relations practices and labour market developments. 5. Initiate, design and conduct high-level seminars, workshops and round-table discussions on topical issues on industrial relations with tripartite constituents and if necessary other stakeholders in the member States. 6. Contribute to the formulation, design and implementation of labour market adjustment and reform policies including good governance, privatization, enterprise restructuring, labour regulation on individual and collective labour relations, and gender issues, primarily through developing, leading or participating in programmes to improve tripartite social dialogue machineries and process, and to facilitate national tripartite social dialogue on social and economic policies. 7. Develop, negotiate, design, implement and supervise technical cooperation projects designed to promote sound industrial relations and tripartite social dialogue in conformity with the relevant ILO standards. 8. Provide technical advice in the field of labour/industrial relations in the East Asia Sub-region or in partnership with regional bodies, such as ASEA.N, upon agreement with the Beijing Office Director and the Subregional Office Director. 9. Undertake such other tasks and responsibilities as may be assigned by the Beijing Office Director. These specific duties are aligned with the relevant ILO generic job description, which includes the following generic duties: 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 technical 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).
Required Qualifications
Education Advanced university degree preferably in Industrial Relations, Law or Social Sciences with specialization in social dialogue, labour law, labour relations and/or labour administration.
Experience Ten to fifteen years' experience, of which at least seven years at the international level in industrial relations and labour administration. Proven experience in research work, policy analysis and training in the field of industrial relations and labour administration.
Languages Excellent command of English is required. Knowledge of another working language of the ILO (French and Spanish) would be an advantage. Knowledge of Chinese would be also an advantage
Competencies Demonstrated and recognized technical and /or managerial leadership in carrying out the objectives and policies of the related work unit, demonstrated technical expertise 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 provide policy advice and the ability to manage large projects to coordinate activities among projects.
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.