Economic Affairs Officer, P-4

Position description

Org. Setting and Reporting

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. This position is located in the Financing for Development Section, Macroeconomic Policy and Financing for Development Division. The Economic Affairs Officers will work under the direct supervision of the Chief of Section, and overall supervision of the Director of the Division.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the duties of the Economic Affairs Officers are:

Economic or sector analysis

• Monitors financing for development issues agreed at the third International Conference on Financing for Development in Addis Ababa and suggested at other international forums and multilateral processes led by the United Nations, especially the Paris Agreement and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Forum; as well as their concomitant trends in the Asia-Pacific region;
• Designs and conducts studies on financing for development issues, especially in the area of financing the just energy transition in Asia and the Pacific, including regulatory and policy assistance in the area of financing related to the just energy transition in Asia and the Pacific;
• Drafts reports and inputs for publications, including for the Financing for Development in the Asia and the Pacific series;
• Analyze economic prospects and policies in areas related to financing for development and their implications to the sustainable development agenda, as well as the Paris Agreement;
• Develops draft policy recommendations pertaining to area of work described above, with a special emphasis on least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing States in the Asia-Pacific region;
• Formulates proposals for development strategies, financing policies and reform measures for presentation to intergovernmental bodies and others national, subregional and regional forums;
• Attends international, regional, and national meetings to hold discussions with representatives of other institutions, development partners, business associations, civil society organizations and academia;
• Organizes expert group meetings, seminars, etc. on development issues;
• Prepares speeches and other inputs for presentations by senior staff.

Intergovernmental support

• Provides substantive support on economic issues of financing for development to intergovernmental bodies (such as the General Assembly, the ESCAP Commission and the Committee on Macroeconomic Policy, Poverty Reduction and Financing for Development and expert group meetings on financing for development).
• Represents organizational unit at international, regional and national meetings.

Technical cooperation

• Designs and monitors technical cooperation projects.
• Undertakes missions to member states, either alone or as a participant in a diverse team, as part of the ESCAP’s technical cooperation activities.
• Prepares global, regional, national or sector analyses that provide a basis for advising national governments on economic development issues.
• Conducts training seminars and workshops for government officials and others.
• Formulates technical modalities for the evaluation of individual technical cooperation projects.

General

• Supports junior staff, reviewing their work and providing feedback. 
• Participates in intra- and inter-Departmental undertakings of broader concern to represent the views or interests of MPFD.
• Performs other related duties as required, including a variety of administrative tasks necessary for the final delivery of the Section’s work and service.
• Undertakes on-the-job and other training activities, both internally and externally.

Competencies

• PROFESSIONALISM: Ability to apply economic theories and concepts in different sectors of economic and sustainable development. Ability to conduct independent research on economic topics, determine suitability, validity and accuracy of data provided by different sources. Ability to identify and develop sources for data collection. 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. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work;
• TEAMWORK: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings;
• CLIENT ORIENTATION: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view; establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.

Education

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in finance, economics, public policy, law or related field is required. 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 seven years of progressively responsible experience in economic research and analysis, policy formulation, Application of economic principles in sustainable development programmes or related area is required. Experience in designing and implementing Paris-aligned and SDG-aligned technical assistance or capacity building programmes related to financing for development is required. Experience in delivering substantive and high-quality research in the area of financing for development in the Asia-Pacific region is desirable. Research experience in the area of financing the just energy transition is desirable.

Languages

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

Application instructions

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