Date: National Quality Infrastructure Expert

​Requisition ID: 5310
Grade: SB5 - Local Professional (Mid-Level & Senior)
Country: Egypt
Duty Station: Cairo
Category: National Consultant
Type of Job Posting: Internal and External
Employment Type: Non-staff WAE
Contract Duration: 66 working days over a period
Application deadline: 25-Mar-2025, 11:59 PM (Vienna, Austria time)

Vacancy Announcement
TEMPORARY APPOINTMENT OF PROJECT PERSONNEL
Only nationals or permanent residents of the country of the duty station are considered eligible.
Female candidates are encouraged to apply.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is the specialized agency of the United Nations that promotes industrial development for poverty reduction, inclusive globalization and environmental sustainability. The mission of UNIDO, as described in the Lima Declaration adopted at the fifteenth session of the UNIDO General Conference in 2013 as well as the Abu Dhabi Declaration adopted at the eighteenth session of UNIDO General Conference in 2019, is to promote and accelerate inclusive and sustainable industrial development (ISID) in Member States. The relevance of ISID as an integrated approach to all three pillars of sustainable development is recognized by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which will frame United Nations and country efforts towards sustainable development. UNIDO’s mandate is fully recognized in SDG-9, which calls to “Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation”. The relevance of ISID, however, applies in greater or lesser extent to all SDGs. Accordingly, the Organization’s programmatic focus is structured in four strategic priorities: Creating shared prosperity; Advancing economic competitiveness; Safeguarding the environment; and Strengthening knowledge and institutions.

Each of these programmatic fields of activity contains a number of individual programmes, which are implemented in a holistic manner to achieve effective outcomes and impacts through UNIDO’s four enabling functions: (i) technical cooperation; (ii) analytical and research functions and policy advisory services; (iii) normative functions and standards and quality-related activities; and (iv) convening and partnerships for knowledge transfer, networking and industrial cooperation. Such core functions are carried out in Divisions/Offices in its Headquarters, Regional Offices and Hubs and Country Offices.

Under the overall direction of the Director General, and in close collaboration with all relevant organizational entities within UNIDO, the Directorate of Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Industrial Development (TCS), headed by a Managing Director, ensures the Organization's application of strategies and interventions for sustainable industrial development related to environment, energy, Micro, Small and Medium-Enterprises (MSMEs), and digitalization. The Directorate also oversees the Organization's normative contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals through industrial policy advice and capacity development. Through coordination in-house and with Member States and industry stakeholders, it ensures that the services provided in these areas contribute to effective and appropriate technical, business and policy solutions and are focused on results, scaling up and positioning UNIDO as a leading platform for industrial development in developing countries and global fora.

The Directorate is responsible for the Division of Industrial Policy Advice and Capacity Development (TCS/IPC), and technical Divisions of Circular Economy and Green Industry (TCS/CEG), Energy and Climate Action (TCS/ECA), Climate Innovation and Montreal Protocol (TCS/CMP); MSME Competitiveness, Quality and Job Creation (TCS/SME); and Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence (TCS/DAI). Leveraging the diverse skill sets of UNIDO personnel and the services provided by the two TC directorates, TCS collaborates closely with IET to develop and implement programmes and projects, aiming at enhancing synergy and complementarity and maximizing UNIDO corporate performance and impacts on the ground. The Directorate also ensures close coordination and collaboration among the Divisions as well as with relevant entities in all Directorates across the Organization.

The Division of MSME Competitiveness, Quality and Job Creation (TCS/SME) works towards increasing the competitiveness of industries in developing countries and countries in transition, especially emphasizing business development of MSMEs engaged in manufacturing and creating jobs therein. It aims at increasing competitiveness among MSMEs in two interconnected ways: first, by modernizing businesses through the transfer of advanced technologies adapted to local conditions, product innovation, productivity improvement and upgrading, developing market and value chain readiness as well as improved access to finance; and second, by improving the quality of MSME manufactured products and their compliance with market requirements through capacity building for the development of industrial production and trade-related quality infrastructure including for standardization, metrology, accreditation and of conformity assessment service institutions (testing, certification, inspection and calibration) and the strengthening of their capacities.

The Division of Industrial Policy Advice and Capacity Development (TCS/IPC) is responsible for delivering the Organization's advice, learning and knowledge on industrial policy and attendant policy-making process to Member States. It contributes to maintaining and enhancing the Organization's technical, policy and normative knowledge base to support sustainable industrial development in Member States. It further responds to the need of developing countries to build the capacities to formulate and implement industrial policies and strategies to pursue industrial development with the greatest potential for attaining the SDGs in the 2030 Agenda. In this context, the Division supports Member States in identifying, designing, implementing and evaluating policies and strategies that aim to expand and diversify their manufacturing capacity, and advocates for sustainable industrialization strategies at the global, regional and national levels. By collaborating with other organizational entities, the Division ensures that capacities built, and policy advice provided are integrated into UNIDO TC programmes and projects. The outputs of the Division are disseminated and promoted in the form of inputs to global fora, policy briefs and other publications to Member States and the wider industrial development community, complying as such with the Organization’s normative function with regard to building and enhancing a knowledge base for industrial development.

The Division of Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence (TCS/DAI) promotes digital transformation and Artificial Intelligence as well as associated technologies as part of innovation ecosystems consisting of productive capacities in manufacturing, services and digital firms, with the purpose to advance the competitiveness of industries and manufacturing firms in Member States. It helps industries to benefit from the rapid progress in digital and convergent technologies associated with the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), ensuring a smooth transition towards safe and secured cyber- physical industrial systems and a smart society and mitigating any negative adverse effects on employment and quality of work. Through the Division's services, the productive transformation is the key, by integrating industrial businesses, dynamic entrepreneurship, and acceleration services, and by applying technological innovation to smart manufacturing, smart energy, smart agribusiness and others, in developing countries, transition and emerging economies, with emphasis in developing countries to provide the opportunity to technologically catch up instead of falling behind industries in more advanced countries.

The position is located under the TCS/SME division and linked to the component on Quality Infrastructure (Output 1.3) .

PROJECT CONTEXT

The TIGARA project is funded by the European Union (“European Union support to trade, industry, growth and rapid market access (TIGARA)”, SAP ID 210122). It supports the Egyptian government's efforts to strengthen cooperation among SMEs and the private sector's capacity to comply with trade and domestic market regulations. The program aims to increase competitiveness and market transparency by developing an industrial policy framework that enhances the productivity and competitiveness of the manufacturing sector in Egypt, modernizing the National Quality Infrastructure, promoting cluster development and supporting digitilization to lead to sustained economic growth and job creation.

The overall objective is to contribute to the increased competitiveness and efficiency of the Egyptian private sector, which will lead to higher sustained economic growth and decent job creation.

It will focus on two main axes, targeting on the one hand the Egyptian ecosystem, through inclusive industrial and quality infrastructure policies development and capacity building of public institutions and business development services, and on the other hand providing support to targeted value chains and clusters to sustain the country’s economic growth and fully benefit of the available trade opportunities.

The Component 1 of the Project (Improved the capacity and efficiency of the Egyptian ecosystem for enterprise development and trade) builds on the outputs from the EU’s TDMEP activity (previous EU Trade Flagship project in Egypt). It, therefore aims at strengthening stakeholder involvement and reducing fragmentation and creating a conducive and coordinated environment for industrial development and Quality Infrastructure.

The Component 2 of the Project (Increased participation of Egyptian SMEs in selected industry value chains) will build on the technical support provided to selected value chains and clusters to demonstrate the benefit of a conducive National Quality Infrastructure and local collaboration among SMEs and their support institutions, in view of promoting inclusive and sustainable industrial development as well as increasing access to trade and promoting economic green growth.

FUNCTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

In the framework of the TIGARA project in Egypt, under the overall supervision of the Project Manager in UNIDO HQ and in coordination with the National Project Coordinator and the International Expert on Quality Infrastructure, the expert is expected to provide technical expertise and guidance to the implementation of the Quality Infrastructure (QI) Output. In details, he/she is expected to perform the following main duties:

Main duties

Location

Duration

Achieved results

1. Follow up on the trainings and capacity-building activities provided to the Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs). This will include trainings on ISO standards, gaps assessments and CABs accreditation.

   Egypt

   15 days

   Trainings and capacity building delivered

   1. Coordinate the technical assistance activities of the QI Output including the digitalization of the national standards process, the establishment of traceability systems of conformity marks and setting-up of market surveillance system.

      Egypt

      10 days

      Technical assistance delivered

      1. Provide support to the development and reform of national quality policy, technical regulation frameworks and institutional mechanisms for standardization, accreditation, metrology and conformity assessment. The expert will be responsible for involving key NQI actors in the development of the NQI policy, facilitating institutional setup of the national quality council and ensuring the quality of work of contractors responsible for policy support.

         Egypt

         12 days

         Quality policy process coordinated

         1. Maintain collaboration and facilitate knowledge exchange to strengthen strategic partnerships with the NQI actors and achieve the results of the Quality Infrastructure Output.

            Egypt

            10 days

            Partnerships are well established

            1. Coordinate the planning and implementation of the raising awareness sessions of quality culture in which producers, especially SMEs, policymakers and other stakeholders understand the importance of quality as a driver of competitiveness and as a wider social good.

               Egypt

               15 days

               Raising awareness session are delivered

               1. Promote women empowerment and facilitate women participation in the activities of the QI Output.

                  Egypt

                  2 days

                  30% of project beneficiaries are women

                  1. Assist project team in preparing regular reports on the progress of the QI activities, updating UNIDO IRPF, detailing achievements, challenges, and lessons learned.

                     Egypt

                     2 days

                     Regular reports submitted

                     MINIMUM ORGANIZATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

                     • Education: Advanced degree in engineering, business administration, economics, or other relevant disciplines is required.
                       • Technical and Functional Experience:
                         • At least 5 years’ experience in National Quality Infrastructure (NQI) and institutional reform is required.