Director of the Sub Regional Office

Job Posting Organization:
The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) is an organization established to promote economic and social development in Africa. Its mission is to deliver ideas and actions for an empowered and transformed Africa, guided by the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 206

• ECA operates in multiple countries across the continent, focusing on regional integration, economic diversification, and job creation. The organization aims to provide innovative financing models and solutions to regional challenges, advocating for Africa's position at the global level. The Sub Regional Office for Northern Africa (SRO-NA) is located in Rabat, Morocco, and serves several countries including Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Sudan, and Tunisia. ECA employs a diverse workforce and emphasizes the importance of gender balance and geographical diversity in its staffing.

Job Overview:
The Director of the Sub Regional Office is responsible for formulating and implementing the substantive work programme of the SRO-NA. This role involves overseeing the management of activities, ensuring timely execution of programmed activities, and coordinating work within the SRO and with other UN organizations. The Director provides intellectual, technical, and managerial leadership, serving as the principal adviser to the Executive Secretary on matters related to regional integration and cooperation in Northern Africa. The position requires assessing economic and social development needs, formulating policy options, and collaborating closely with ECA Divisions and other SROs. The Director will lead the work programme, coordinate efforts across different units, and ensure high-quality outputs that meet the required standards. The role also includes knowledge generation, policy advocacy, and administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of SRO-NA.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Director's responsibilities include overseeing the management of SRO-NA activities, providing leadership and vision, serving as a technical adviser, assessing regional development needs, formulating policy options, organizing research, and executing programme initiatives. The Director will coordinate work across different units, prepare reports for intergovernmental bodies, ensure high-quality outputs, lead knowledge generation and dissemination, manage administrative tasks, recruit staff, foster teamwork, organize meetings and seminars, represent the SRO at various meetings, and perform other duties as assigned. The role requires a proactive approach to developing strategies, managing performance, and ensuring accountability within the office.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess expert knowledge of regional integration and socio-economic structural transformation in Africa. They should have proven abilities in producing reports on technical issues, managing teams, and providing expert advice on substantive issues. The role requires a strong understanding of UN rules and regulations, as well as the ability to integrate the work of the SRO into the broader ECA work programme. Candidates should demonstrate professionalism, planning and organizing skills, accountability, leadership, and performance management capabilities.

Educational Background:
An advanced university degree (Master's or Doctorate) in economics, social sciences, development management, or a related area is required. Consideration may be given to degrees in business or public administration, finance, accounting, or law. A first-level university degree combined with two years of qualifying work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree. A PhD in economics is considered an advantage.

Experience:
A minimum of fifteen years of progressively responsible experience in economic research, management, and analysis of socio-economic development issues is required. Candidates should have experience leading a team of specialists in interdisciplinary efforts and management experience in development programmes within an international organization. Experience in facilitating intergovernmental processes and regional integration is desirable, as well as prior work in the UN Common System or similar multilateral institutions. Experience in strategic planning and managing multidisciplinary portfolios in sensitive environments is also beneficial.

Languages:
Fluency in French is required for this position, while knowledge of English is desirable. Knowledge of Arabic is considered an advantage, reflecting the linguistic diversity of the region and the working languages of the United Nations.

Additional Notes:
The position is subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and may require staff to move periodically to different functions in their careers. The United Nations is committed to achieving gender balance and geographical diversity in its staff, encouraging female candidates to apply. The organization provides reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities and does not charge any fees during the recruitment process. Candidates will be evaluated based on their qualifications and adherence to the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.