Special Notice- Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures.
Org. Setting and ReportingThis position is located in the Division of Economic Development, the Economic Affairs Officer reports to the Director of the Division. The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean is one of the five regional commissions of the United Nations. It was founded in 1948 with the purpose of contributing to the region's economic and social development. Its mission includes supporting member countries in the design, monitoring and evaluation of public policies and the provision of advisory services, expertise and training to Governments, as well as support for regional and international cooperation and coordination activities. Please visit our website at www.eclac.org, for further information.
ResponsibilitiesUnder the direct supervision of the Director of the Economic Development Division, the incumbent will be responsible for the following duties:
Economic or sector analysis:
• Monitors economic developments in the global economy and at the regional and national levels
• Designs and conducts studies of selected issues in economic development and draft resulting reports.
• Interprets and applies results of econometric modelling to analysis of economic prospects and economic forecasts.
• Develops draft policy recommendations pertaining to area of work.
• Formulates proposals for development strategies, policies and measures for presentation to intergovernmental bodies and others.
• Attends international, regional, and national meetings to hold discussions with representatives of other institutions.
• 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 to intergovernmental bodies (such as the General Assembly, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the Economic and Social Council, the Trade and Development Board, the regional commissions and the subsidiary bodies of each).
• 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 Organization’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 the organizational unit.
• Performs other related duties as required, including a variety of administrative tasks necessary for the final delivery of the work unit’s 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. Analytical skills in statistics and econometric issues. 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.
• 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.
• 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.
EducationAdvanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in economics or related field. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Work ExperienceA minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in economic research and analysis, policy formulation, application of economic principles in development programmes or related area is required.
LanguagesEnglish and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this position, fluency in English and fluency in Spanish is required. Knowledge of French or Portuguese is desirable.
AssessmentEvaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.
United Nations ConsiderationsAccording to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity, including but not limited to, respect for international human rights and humanitarian law. Candidates may be subject to screening against these standards, including but not limited to, whether they have committed or are alleged to have committed criminal offences or violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law.
Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.
Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the At-a-Glance on "The Application Process" and the Instructional Manual for the Applicants, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.
The screening and evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications, including but not limited to, their education, work experience, and language skills, according to the instructions provided on inspira. Applicants will be disqualified from consideration if they do not demonstrate in their application that they meet the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations. Applicants are solely responsible for providing complete and accurate information at the time of application: no amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to a reference-checking process to verify the information provided in the application.
Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at midnight (New York time) on the deadline date.
