Trade Intelligence and Negotiation Adviser (TINA)

Job Posting Organization:
The job posting organization is the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), which was established in 194

• ESCAP's mission is to promote inclusive and sustainable economic and social development in the Asia-Pacific region. The organization operates in multiple countries across Asia and the Pacific, with a focus on enhancing regional cooperation and integration. ESCAP employs a diverse workforce of over 300 staff members and collaborates with various stakeholders, including governments, civil society, and the private sector, to address pressing regional challenges.

Job Overview:
The Trade Intelligence and Negotiation Adviser (TINA) position is designed to enhance the capacity of policymakers, government agencies, and policy analysts in developing Asia-Pacific and African economies. The role focuses on understanding, negotiating, and implementing trade policy and facilitation measures based on research evidence. TINA is an online tool developed by ESCAP to assist trade policymakers and researchers in conducting analytical tasks related to trade agreement negotiations. The tool automates many time-consuming tasks, enabling countries with limited resources to prepare effectively for negotiations. The contractor will contribute to enhancing the trade discrepancy component in TINA, creating policy-focused advocacy material, and improving functionalities by incorporating alternative trade and tariff data sources. The position also supports the implementation of the RPTC project aimed at promoting trade, investment, enterprise development, and innovation for sustainable development. Given TINA's expanding regional coverage, the contractor will ensure that stakeholders in Africa can utilize the platform effectively, particularly in the context of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Duties and Responsibilities:
The contractor will be responsible for several key deliverables, including:

• Developing a prototype of a price filter method in the trade data discrepancies component, which will sum up discrepancies based on HS digits and country totals, incorporating tax revenue implications.
• Publishing input Q in the live environment and creating advocacy material that provides dynamic estimates of trade-based illicit financial flows.
• Creating a dedicated page on TINA for running tariff simulation scenarios and enhancing tariff simulation features to include predefined exclusion lists.
• Updating tariff data and ensuring that the source of each tariff is clearly indicated with direct links.
• Integrating alternative sources for trade and tariff data for analysis and creating infrastructure for uploading other sources.
• Adding functionalities to allow users to select HS versions for data display and analysis.
• Creating an interface for users to specify complex simulation scenarios in the tariff simulator.
• Ensuring that all outputs are published in the live environment following testing and feedback.

Required Qualifications:
The position requires a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related fields. Candidates must have at least five years of relevant work experience. Proficiency in SQL, NodeJS, JQuery, JavaScript, and PHP is essential. Candidates are encouraged to provide portfolios for consideration to demonstrate their skills and experience.

Educational Background:
A Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related field is mandatory for this position. This educational background ensures that the candidate possesses the necessary technical knowledge and skills to perform the required tasks effectively.

Experience:
Candidates must have a minimum of five years of relevant work experience in fields related to trade policy, data analysis, or software development. This level of experience is crucial for understanding the complexities of trade negotiations and the technical requirements of enhancing the TINA platform.

Languages:
An excellent command of written and spoken English is required for this position. Proficiency in additional languages may be beneficial but is not mandatory.

Additional Notes:
The expected duration of the contract is five months, with the possibility of an extension for an additional four months. The position is full-time and involves working in Bangkok, Thailand. The United Nations does not charge any fees at any stage of the recruitment process, ensuring a fair and transparent hiring process.