Grade: P3
Vacancy no.: RAPS/5/2023/ENTERPRISES/01
Publication date: 6th October 2023
Application deadline (midnight Geneva time): 6th November 2023
Job ID: 11297
Department: ENTERPRISES
Organization Unit: MULTI
Location: Geneva
Contract type: Fixed Term
The following are eligible to apply:
Staff members with at least five years of continuous service with the Office are encouraged to apply.
Applications from candidates who have already separated from ILO service upon retirement or early retirement, will not be considered.
The ILO values diversity among its staff and welcomes applications from qualified female candidates. We also encourage applicants with disabilities. If you are unable to complete our online application form due to a disability, please send an email to ilojobs@ilo.org.
The ILO welcomes applicants with experience in working within ILO constituents (governments, employers’ and business membership organizations, and workers’ organizations).
Applicants from non- or under-represented member States, or from those member States which staffing forecasts indicate will become non- or under-represented in the near future would be particularly welcome. A list of these countries can be found here: ILO Jobs: Non- and under-represented Member States
In addition to the interviews and tests that any candidate may be required to take, successful completion of the ILO Assessment Centre is required for all external candidates and any internal candidate applying to a higher category.
Notwithstanding the general considerations set out in the ILO Staff Regulations, this vacancy announcement is the only authoritative document pertaining to the qualifications required for this position. The minimum required qualifications were determined in view of the specific duties and responsibilities of this position.
The specific language requirements for this position are detailed hereunder. However, candidates applying for the professional category vacancies who have not already successfully completed their probationary period within the ILO and whose mother tongue is not one of the working languages of the Office (English, French and Spanish), shall be required to possess a fully satisfactory working knowledge of at least one of the ILO working languages. If appointed they may be required to acquire a knowledge of a second working language of the Office during their initial years of service.
The position is located in the Multinational Enterprises and Enterprise Engagement unit (MULTI) which is part of the Sustainable Enterprise, Productivity and Just Transition Department (ENTERPRISES).
ENTERPRISES’ overall mission is the promotion of sustainable enterprises of all sizes and forms, which are a principal source of growth, wealth creation, employment, and decent work. To this end, the Department collaborates with and supports the ILO’s tripartite constituents through advisory services and development cooperation. It is organized around four units: Cooperatives, Multinational Enterprises and Enterprises Engagement, Small and Medium Enterprises and Social Finance; and technical specialists are based in Decent Work Technical Support Teams (DWTs) in all Regions. ENTERPRISES is part of the Jobs and Social Protection (JSP) policy cluster, along with the Department on Universal Social Protection (SOCPRO) and the Department on Employment Policy, Job Creation and Livelihoods (EMPLOYMENT).
MULTI supports ILO constituents and enterprises, especially multinational enterprises, to make better use of the guidance provided by the ILO Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy (MNE Declaration) and its operational tools to advance inclusive economic growth and sustainable and responsible business practices. Action areas include policy advice on Responsible Business Conduct (RBC), sustainable trade, investment, and supply chains at the global, regional and country levels, and technical support, mainly through development cooperation projects. Through the ILO Helpdesk for Business on international labour standards, MULTI directly supports companies that seek to align their policies and practices more closely with principles of the international labour standards/MNE Declaration, including when conducting due diligence.
MULTI supports investment promotion agencies in aligning investment attraction and facilitation more closely with national decent work priorities, in collaboration UNCTAD, UNIDO, WAIPA and other international organizations. MULTI also collaborates with other international organizations that have RBC instruments, frameworks and initiatives, in particular the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct.
The main role of the position is [to support governments, social partners and enterprises to advance responsible business through trade, investment and supply chains to achieve decent work and inclusive economic growth, building on the guidance provided by the MNE Declaration and other relevant ILO standards.
The incumbent reports to the Head of the Multinational Enterprises and Enterprise Engagement unit.
The Officer works in collaboration with other specialists in the unit, other units in the Enterprises department, other policy departments, the ENTERPRISES specialists in the DWTs, the ILO’s International Training Centre in Turin (ITC-ILO) as well as with relevant other international organizations.
1.Provide technical and policy support to the Multinational Enterprises and Enterprise Engagement Unit in the areas of sustainable enterprises, responsible business/business and human rights, environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards, due diligence, sustainable FDI, trade and supply chains.
2.Undertake global, regional, country, sectoral, enterprise and thematic analyses to identify constituent decent work priorities and needs. Review previous impact assessments done on decent work challenges and opportunities in business operations as well as collaborative action by public and private actors in addressing these challenges and harnessing opportunities to identify innovative practices and propose adaptations to best address the issue(s) identified.
3.Contribute to the formulation of strategies and policies relevant to [an enabling environment for business contribution (own operations and business relationships) to decent work and social justice], including providing technical inputs to components of ILO Decent Work Country Programmes (DWCPs) as well as UN and other development cooperation frameworks, in response to the demand from Member States, ILO field offices and international organizations. Collect and compile data, statistics and other information that reflect the country, regional, sectoral and enterprise level decent work situation and ILO constituents’ key concerns and priorities.
4.Provide technical support to ILO constituents, enterprises and other relevant stakeholders pertaining to RBC, sustainable foreign direct investment and supply chains and national policy coherence with a view to promoting decent work and social justice through responsible business practices and a broader contribution of business to national development priorities. Respond to requests for guidance and supporting tools on how to make better use of the MNE Declaration, including its operational tools, and other ILO instruments to stimulate the business contribution to decent work and social justice in home and host countries of multinational enterprises. Draft policy recommendations and provide support with follow-up actions, as and when appropriate.
5.Undertake policy- and action-oriented research and analysis that takes into account gender and diversity considerations in the areas of RBC, ESG frameworks, foreign direct investment facilitation and supply chains, national policy coherence in these areas]. Commission research, draft terms of reference for research consultants and monitor and coordinate their work.
6.Identify and maintain up-to-date knowledge on emerging trends and policy developments on [RBC, investment facilitation for development, sustainable supply chains, due diligence, grievance mechanisms, trade agreements, mechanisms stimulating home-host country collaboration addressing decent work deficits in business operations.
7.Draft and/or provide technical input into the development, peer review and editing of policy briefs, working papers, reports, publications and other knowledge products and contribute to their dissemination. Provide evidence-based technical content for social media, digital and other knowledge-sharing tools and platforms, with a view to reaching broad and diverse audiences.
8.Synthesize and share good practices and lessons learned, taking into account complementarities with other technical areas of the ILO Decent Work Agenda.
9.Participate in the identification of capacity development needs of constituents in relation to the MNE Declaration and other relevant ILO standards and make proposals on how to address them. Prepare related training and learning materials and activities in collaboration with the International Training Centre in Turin and/or with other relevant partners as applicable. Deliver training to diverse audiences using innovative methods and communication tools and leveraging the use of digital technologies. Participate in knowledge sharing activities.
10.Provide substantive inputs to the design, development, implementation, monitoring, reporting and technical backstopping activities of development cooperation projects. Draft programme and project documents, taking into account priorities on harnessing decent work opportunities and addressing decent work deficits in business operations – own operations and supply chains – using responsible business/ESG frameworks as well as trade and investment and home-host country collaboration as leverage points and the need to position these within relevant cooperation frameworks.
11.Support resource mobilization efforts for new projects and activities including by leveraging opportunities for collaboration with partners and proposing new initiatives/activities, in the field of RBC/business and human rights, due diligence, sustainable investment facilitation and supply chains development, making better use of the MNE Declaration as outlined in the ILO strategy on decent work in supply chains.
12.Participate in national, regional, international and UN inter-agency and other stakeholder working groups, consultations and forums to engage with potential and existing partners to promote the sustainable enterprises agenda / highlight the ILO approach on RBC and sustainable investment and supply chains / discuss collaborative approach to stimulate positive contribution of business to decent work and propose solutions to resolve potential negative impacts in line with the guidance provided by the MNE Declaration and joint work/initiatives / share good practices.
13.Organize, assist in and/or facilitate meetings and other events in the areas of RBC/business and human rights, harnessing foreign direct investment, trade and supply chains for decent work], including proposing agenda items, identifying participants, preparing technical materials, proposing facilitation techniques, preparing and delivering presentations, drafting summary reports and monitoring follow-up.
14.Perform other relevant duties as assigned.
Advanced level university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in business management, law, economics, international relations, international development, social sciences or other relevant field.
A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s or equivalent) in one of the afore-mentioned field(s) 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.
At least five years of experience in RBC or the interaction between public and private measures to advance decent work through investment, trade and supply chains. This RBC experience should encompass exposure to two or more regions, to have an appreciation of how RBC priorities and perspectives differ by region.
Experience working in, or with, enterprises is required.
Excellent command of English and a working knowledge of French or Spanish.
In addition to the ILO core competencies, the following are required:
Good knowledge and understanding of theories, trends and approaches in the area(s) of RBC, due diligence, foreign direct investment facilitation for development, trade agreements as lever for inclusive economic growth, cross-border collaboration to address decent work deficits and encourage decent work opportunities in business operations.
Knowledge of the substantive nature of Organization’s work programmes and activities.
Knowledge of IT applications for information collection, management and dissemination.
Ability to use analytical tools and qualitative and quantitative techniques.
Ability to identify sources and develop methods for data collection.
Good research and analytical skills.
Good drafting skills.
Ability to adapt quickly to new IT software and systems.
Good communication skills, presentation skills. Persuasion and ability to present technical arguments to convince counterparts on a course of action.
Ability to maintain effective and collaborative working relationships with key stakeholders and work well in a tripartite context.
Ability to present/promote the technical area of work and the ILO's position on it to partners using a wide range of techniques and technologies.
Ability to assess, adapt and amend individual and group assignments (policies, approaches, models) to meet new or changed needs and situations.
Ability to share knowledge and provide technical advice and guidance in the technical area.
Ability to work effectively in a multicultural environment and to demonstrate and model gender-responsive, non-discriminatory and inclusive behaviour and attitudes.
Conditions of employment
For more information on conditions of employment, please visit the ILO Jobs International Recruitment page.
Important Information
Any officials of the General Service category interested in applying to this position are hereby informed that, if selected, they will be offered the salary and allowances applicable to the grade of the position applied for, which may result in substantial changes in their take-home remuneration. In accordance with Article 3.4 of the Staff Regulations, the salary of an official, upon promotion, shall in no case be greater than the maximum salary of the grade to which he or she was promoted. For any questions or clarifications, please contact your HR partner at hrpartner@ilo.org
Recruitment process
Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application form. To apply, please visit the ILO Jobs website. The system provides instructions for online application procedures.
Evaluation (which may include one or several written tests and a pre-interview competency-based assessment centre) and the interviews will tentatively take place during the 3 to 4 months following the application deadline. Candidates are requested to ensure their availability should they be short listed for further consideration.
Depending on the location and availability of candidates, assessors and interview panel members, the ILO may use communication technologies such as Skype, Video or teleconference, e-mail, etc. for the assessment and evaluation of candidates at the different stages of the recruitment process, including assessment centres, technical tests or interviews.
The ILO has zero tolerance for acts of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) and is determined to ensure that all staff members and all beneficiaries of ILO assistance do not suffer, directly or indirectly, from sexual exploitation and abuse.
To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organisation, the ILO may conduct a background verification of candidates under consideration.
Fraud warning
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