Technical Officer

Job Advertisement

Position Title: Technical Officer
Location: Geneva
Country: Switzerland
Deadline Date: 6 January 2025

Job Details

Job Posting Organization:
The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that aims to promote social justice and fair labor practices. Established in 1919, the ILO has a mission to promote rights at work, encourage decent employment opportunities, enhance social protection, and strengthen dialogue on work-related issues. The organization operates in over 180 countries and has a diverse workforce committed to improving labor standards globally. The ILO emphasizes diversity and inclusion within its workforce and actively encourages applications from qualified women and persons with disabilities.

Job Overview:
The position is within the Programming, Partnerships, and External Program Support Section of the Normative Policy Unit in the International Labour Standards Department. This department serves as the secretariat for ILO bodies responsible for monitoring the effective application of international labor standards and defining policies for the adoption, promotion, and review of these standards. The role of the Technical Officer is to provide technical and strategic support in the areas of social justice and international labor standards. This includes conducting analyses to identify priorities and innovative practices, contributing to strategy formulation, providing technical support to constituents, and participating in capacity-building initiatives. The officer will also be responsible for reporting, drafting briefs, and supporting development cooperation projects while collaborating with partners to promote labor rights and decent work.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide technical and strategic support to the Programming, Partnerships, and External Program Support Section in normative action for social justice, in line with the biennial program and budget.
• Conduct global, regional, national, sectoral, and thematic analyses to identify priorities and needs of constituents regarding decent work. Review previous impact analyses to identify innovative practices and propose adaptations to address identified issues.
• Contribute to the formulation of programming strategies and policies, promoting the integration of labor rights as human rights within the UN development system. This includes providing technical contributions to the program and budget preparation and reporting on program execution.
• Provide technical support to ILO constituents and stakeholders on labor rights as human rights to promote the Decent Work Agenda and ILO's normative work.
• Conduct research and current policy analyses that incorporate gender and diversity considerations in normative policy areas, including the evolving needs of the labor market.
• Identify and maintain knowledge of emerging trends and policy developments in international labor standards to share knowledge within the ILO's global technical support team and the UN Secretary-General's Call to Action network.
• Draft and contribute to the development, peer review, and editing of guidance notes, working papers, reports, publications, and other knowledge products, ensuring their dissemination.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a higher university degree (master's or equivalent) in law, social sciences, international development studies, or a related field. A first-level university degree (bachelor's or equivalent) in one of the aforementioned fields, combined with two additional years of professional experience, may be accepted in lieu of a higher degree. Candidates should have at least five years of experience in decent work programming and/or development cooperation project management. Experience with ILO supervisory bodies and applied research for policy development is an advantage.

Educational Background:
A higher university degree (master's or equivalent) in law, social sciences, international development studies, or a related field is required. Alternatively, a first-level university degree (bachelor's or equivalent) in one of these fields, along with two additional years of relevant professional experience, may be accepted.

Experience:
At least five years of experience in decent work programming and/or managing development cooperation projects is required. Experience with ILO supervisory bodies and applied research for policy development is considered an asset.

Languages:
Excellent command of English is mandatory; practical knowledge of French or Spanish is an advantage. Candidates whose native language is not one of the ILO's working languages (English, French, Spanish) must have a satisfactory working knowledge of at least one of these languages and will be required to acquire knowledge of a second working language within their first years of service.

Additional Notes:
The initial contract will be issued for a period of twenty-four months, with the external candidate undergoing a probationary period for the first two years of their assignment. Any extension beyond the probationary period is subject to satisfactory conduct and performance. The ILO applies a zero-tolerance policy towards exploitation and sexual abuse and may conduct background checks on candidates under consideration. All candidates must complete an online application form via the ILO Jobs e-Recruitment system. The evaluation process may include written tests and interviews, which will take place within 3 to 4 months following the application deadline.