Job Opportunity at ESCAP

About ESCAP

The mandate of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is to promote sustainable and inclusive development and regional connectivity in the Asian and Pacific region. ESCAP’s role as a regional development arm of the United Nations Secretariat is to support its membership with policy-oriented research and analysis, normative support and technical assistance and capacity building, to respond to the development priorities and changing needs of the Asian and Pacific region.

Position Available

Head, Subregional Office for the Pacific based in Fiji

This position is located in the Subregional Office for the Pacific in Suva, which covers Australia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Nauru, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu, as well as the American Samoa, the Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Guam, New Caledonia, Niue and the Northern Mariana Islands. The incumbent of this post will report to the Executive Secretary of ESCAP or her/his designate.

Job description

Under the direct supervision of the Executive Secretary or their designate, the incumbent is required to perform the following functions:

· Represents ESCAP in the Pacific subregion, including promoting the active participation of member governments and partners in the work of ESCAP.

· Assists and advises the Executive Secretary on emerging issues and concerns in the subregion, including those gathered from consultations/discussions with government officials and representatives of other key intergovernmental organizations, institutions and stakeholders, and provides advice toward developing ESCAP policies, programmes and courses of action, taking into consideration the socio-economic and political context of the subregion.

· Formulates the programme of work of the Subregional Office in line with subregional priorities and ensures its implementation in collaboration with ESCAP divisions, so that programmed activities are carried out in a timely fashion and coordinated, both within the secretariat as well as with other organizations of the United Nations System. Ensures that all subregional activities are in line with the Commission’s overall strategy in the subregion and reinforces its core mandate.

· Leads, supervises and carries out the programme of work of Office; provides inputs on countries of the subregion to substantive divisions through coordination with concerned government officials, United Nations entities, country teams, subregional organizations and other stakeholders.

· Leads and supervises or supports for missions, intergovernmental meetings, seminars, workshops, publications, training, and other activities held in the subregion, including acting as advocate for ESCAP matters and activities. Manages the substantive preparation and organization of meetings or
seminars, etc.

· Provides inputs to reports for presentation to intergovernmental bodies, including the Special Body on Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Pacific Island Developing States of the Commission, Economic and Social Council, General Assembly and other policy-making organs, as appropriate.

· Participates in international, regional or national meetings and provides policy advice and technical assistance on economic and social development policies and programmes to governments in coordination with other entities in the subregion; promotes partnership and knowledge sharing among member countries, private sector, civil society and other relevant development partners to address key subregional priorities.

· Ensures that the outputs produced by the Office maintain high-quality standards, that reports are clear, objective and based on comprehensive data. Ensures that all outputs produced by the Office under his/her supervision meet required standards to ensure they comply with relevant mandates.

· Undertakes and oversees programmatic, administrative, and managerial tasks necessary for the smooth functioning of the subregional office, including preparation of programme and budget plan and reporting, particularly those presented in annual or biannual reports; effective use of resources for the timely delivery of mandated outputs; recruitment of candidates, taking into account gender and geographical balance; guidance and development of staff under supervision; and evaluation of staff performance .

· Performs other related duties as necessary.

Competencies

Professionalism: Knowledge of the substantive field of work in general and of specific areas being supervised. Ability to produce reports and papers on technical issues and to review and edit the work of others. Ability to apply UN rules, regulations, policies and guidelines in work situations. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations.

Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

Planning & Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.

Leadership: Serves as a role model that other people want to follow: empowers others to translate vision into results; is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives; establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support; anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions; drives for change and improvements; does not accept the status quo; shows the courage to take unpopular stands. Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work; demonstrates knowledge of strategies and commitment to the goal of gender balance in staffing.

Managing Performance: Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority; makes sure that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member; accurately judges the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a task and matches task to skills; monitors progress against milestones and deadlines; regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff; encourages risk-taking and supports creativity and initiative; actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff; appraises performance fairly.

Requirement

Education:

Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in economics, social sciences or related field is required. A doctorate degree is an advantage. A relevant first-level university degree in the above fields in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience:

A minimum of fifteen years of progressively responsible experience in economic and social analysis, policy formulation and implementation and/or programme management is required.

A minimum of five-year’s work experience outside of the home country in Asia and the Pacific and preferably in the subregion, is desirable.

Demonstrated experience in establishing and maintaining professional networks is desirable.

Experience with the United Nations System and of the United Nations programmes, policies, rules and regulations is desirable.

Experience in advocacy and establishing partnerships with key stakeholders, including civil society and the private sector, is desirable.

Languages:

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage.

Special Notice

For this position, applicants from the following Member States, which are unrepresented or underrepresented in the UN Secretariat as of 30 April 2021, are strongly encouraged to apply: Afghanistan, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahrain, Belize, Brunei Darussalam, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, China, Comoros, Cuba, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Djibouti, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Japan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Monaco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Norway, Oman, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, Suriname, Timor-Leste, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Vanuatu, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.