Senior Specialist

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Job Description

The position is located in the ILO Bureau for Workers’ Activities (ACTRAV). ACTRAV consists of a Bureau at ILO headquarters and network of field-based Workers’ Specialists in the different regions. Its principal work is to manage the relationship between the ILO and workers’ organizations to promote mutual understanding, shared values and a desire to work together. Through its programme of work aligned with the ILO Programme and Budget, ACTRAV seeks to strengthen the workers’ organizations’ institutional capacity so that they are more representative, stronger, and can increase their value to their members and potential members. This work also enhances social dialogue in the countries concerned.

The main role of the position is to provide technical advisory services in the field of occupational safety and health, labour inspection and labour relations and policy advice to support workers’ organizations in their efforts to influence labour, employment and other macroeconomic policies. The position is responsible for providing workers’ organizations with improved/new services enabling them to become strong, independent and representative organizations.

The incumbent will provide technical assistance to colleagues at ILO headquarters, ACTRAV technical specialists in the Regional Offices and Decent Work Technical Support Teams as well as the International Training Centre in Turin (ITC-ILO) and will liaise with other relevant ILO Units on issues related to these areas of work as well as with workers’ organizations. The incumbent will work in different ACTRAV clusters and institutional teams covering a wide range of issues.

The incumbent works under direct supervision of the Director, ACTRAV.

Duties and responsibilities:

1. Plan, manage and coordinate a technical area of work on workers’ activities in the field of occupational safety and health, labour inspection and labour relations. Lead teams involved in this work and manage staff and consultants as applicable.
2. Lead the design, development, implementation, monitoring and promotion of related programmes, strategies, approaches and policies with a view to enhancing and positioning the Organization’s technical leadership in these areas. Lead, manage and coordinate high-level advocacy and technical and policy advisory services at all relevant levels to advance the Decent Work Agenda and social justice, fostering the integration of cross-cutting policy drivers, including international labour standards, social dialogue, gender equality and non-discrimination, and a just transition towards environmentally sustainable economies and societies.
3. Provide thought leadership in areas of importance to workers’ organisations, including through the continuous strategic positioning of the Organization and its mandate within the United Nations system. Act as a catalyst in formulating policies on critical issues related to the promotion of decent work across ILO’s strategic objectives and build bridges and synergies between strategic policy areas. Coordinate cross-organizational initiatives to ensure integration and policy coherence to advance broad programme development.
4. Review and facilitate the strengthening and effective implementation of inclusive institutional, legal and policy frameworks. Provide authoritative policy and technical advice in the area of occupational safety and health, labour inspection and labour relations to support workers’ organizations with a view to promoting the formulation of inclusive and gender-responsive policies and programmes, and their impactful implementation and monitoring to ensure equitable outcomes. Promote relevant international labour standards.
5. Support workers’ organisations in identifying their needs and provide adequate technical support, including through comparative policy analyses. Facilitate the effective participation and advocacy role of workers’ organizations in policy design, implementation and evaluation of decent work programmes and projects.
6. Provide technical inputs to the design and implementation of Decent Work Country Programmes (DWCPs) as well as UN and other development cooperation frameworks. Build and stimulate multidisciplinary initiatives with a view to ensuring an integrated approach for the delivery of the Decent Work Agenda.
7. Lead innovative gender-mainstreamed global, regional and country specific research projects on decent work issues, in particular occupational safety and health, labour inspection and labour relations, that provide clear and operational policy recommendations, including at sectoral level and ensure an integrated approach with a view to influencing policy agendas of countries and recommendations of other international agencies and multilateral organizations.]
8. Develop and lead/coordinate the development of occupational safety and health, labour inspection and labour relations policies, and a range of original and evidence-based technical and policy knowledge products and tools responding to constituents’ needs and priorities and advancing the Decent Work Agenda. Promote and facilitate their dissemination at all levels. Provide advice and technical support to workers’ organisations on effectively using such tools. Contribute to Office-wide efforts to analyse, document and disseminate lessons learned and information on innovative practices.
9. Lead the development, review and quality control of major reports, publications, documents and other office documents, including for the Governing Body, International Labour Conference and regional, sectoral and expert meetings.
10. Support the strengthening of workers’ organisations capacity to monitor the impact of policies and measures in the area of occupational safety and health, labour inspection and labour relations, taking into account the need for policy coherence and an integrated approach to decent work. Oversee the design of tools and learning materials, pilot new guidelines, lead/coordinate workshops, meetings and other events, using innovative methods, digital platforms and communication tools. Develop and run/implement global and/or regional capacity development programmes, knowledge sharing and training events, including in collaboration with the International Training Centre in Turin (ITC-ILO) and/or with other relevant partners as applicable.
11. Formulate and develop conceptual approaches for development cooperation activities, taking into account the priorities at all levels on workers’ organizations and their members interests and concern and the need to position these within relevant development cooperation frameworks. Design and develop programmes and projects and coordinate their implementation, in accordance with established monitoring and reporting standards, including financial resources, and coordinate activities among projects. Manage stakeholder engagement, mobilize resources and negotiate funding, terms and conditions.
12. Identify opportunities for technical and strategic partnerships and broker collaborative relationships to benefit the broad areas of the Decent Work Agenda with traditional and non-traditional partners/entities of the UN system, other international organizations, regional and national actors other key stakeholders in the area of workers’ and their organizations with a view to advancing ILO’s strategic objectives and ensuring policy coherence in support of decent work objectives and workers activities.
13. Convene and represent the ILO at major international/regional meetings and events, including with strategic players, national and international development partners, international financial institutions and multilateral and regional institutions of the UN system and other key stakeholders/organizations. As the ILO’s technical representative, play a key role in promoting and advocating the Decent Work Agenda.
14. Perform other relevant duties as assigned.

Required qualifications:

Education:

Advanced level university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in law, industrial relations, international relations, economics, social sciences or other relevant field.
A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s or equivalent) in one of the afore-mentioned fields or other relevant field with an additional two years of relevant experience, in addition to the experience stated below, will be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Experience:

At least ten years of experience, including at the international level working with workers’ organizations in the field of occupational safety and health, labour inspection and labour relations.

Languages: