Back Technical Officer, Social Protection and Jobs

Grade: P3

Vacancy no.: DC/PHNOM PENH/P/2025/01
Publication date: 17 February 2025
Application deadline (midnight Bangkok time): 3 March 2025

Job ID: 12758
Department: RO-Asia and the Pacific
Organization Unit: DWT-Bangkok
Location: Phnom Penh
Contract type: Fixed Term

Contract duration: One year

Under article 4.2, paragraph (e) of the Staff Regulations, the filling of vacancies in technical cooperation projects does not fall under Annex I of the Staff Regulations and is made by direct selection by the Director-General.

In order to support the best informed process in the filling of the present vacancy by direct selection, the ILO invites interested candidates to submit their candidature online by the above date.

Technical cooperation appointments are not expected to lead to a career in the ILO and they do not carry any expectation of renewal or conversion to any other type of appointment in the Organization. A one-year fixed-term contract will be given. Extensions of technical cooperation contracts are subject to various elements including the following: availability of funds, continuing need of the functions and satisfactory conduct and performance.

The following are eligible to apply:

• ILO Internal candidates in accordance with paragraphs 31 and 32 of Annex I of the Staff Regulations.
• External candidates.

  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.

  Introduction

  The International Labour Organisation (ILO) is the United Nations agency for the World of Work. It sets international labour standards, promotes rights at work and encourages decent employment opportunities, the enhancement of social protection and the strengthening of dialogue on work-related issues. The ILO works in Cambodia and around the world to promote Decent Work – productive work in conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity – in order to reduce poverty and secure social justice.

  The work of the ILO in Cambodia is structured around the Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP), which provides the basis for the ILO’s contribution to national development priorities in line with Cambodia Sustainable Development Goals (CSDGs) and the national development framework and reflects the ILO’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF).

  The Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions (hereafter referred to as GA) was launched in September 2021 by the UN Secretary-General, to tackle the ongoing structural policy and financing deficits and support the necessary inclusive structural transformations required to accelerate decent job creation, universal social protection and achieve just transitions. In mid-2023, the Royal Government of Cambodia confirmed its high-level political commitment to become a pathfinder country and adopted a national GA Roadmap to develop strong strategic skills and lifelong learning components integrated with social protection systems, which will serve to accelerate the just transition towards an inclusive, digitally enabled and more environmentally sustainable economy.

  1) To support the implementation of Cambodia's GA Roadmap, ILO, together with other UN organizations, are implementing the UN Joint Programme on “Decent Jobs and Social Protection Expansion for Sustainable and Inclusive Economic Growth in Cambodia”. The Joint Programme (JP) will develop the national capacity for strategic foresight to identify future sources of growth that generate both income and jobs for fostering integrated national policies and strategies (GA Pillar 1) for building labour market flexibility, business resilience and competitiveness, leveraging gender-responsive and inclusive partnerships, and integrated financing in the prioritized sectors with high potential for job creation (GA Pillar 2). To foster decent job creation, the JP will strengthen the social protection system to address constraints in both the supply and demand sides in employment and self-employment and ensure the inclusion of those left behind and unlikely to gain decent employment in the short-to-medium term. The JP is expected to improve the wellbeing and livelihoods of at least 2.3 million beneficiaries and their children (under 18), and households living in extreme poverty.

  The JP follows an integrated and cross-sectoral approach to create an enabling environment and opportunities for decent jobs considering the interconnectedness among growth and job creation, skills, and social protection. The JP aligns with government priorities and focuses on providing technical assistance for the adoption of pro-employment macroeconomic and financing policies; improvement of skills for enhanced and inclusive employability; expansion of social protection coverage, particularly towards achieving UHC; support to business formalization, sectoral growth, and productivity; and enhancement of labour market inclusiveness. It is evidence-driven, and designed to convene stakeholders, promote partnerships, and leverage integrated investments for enhanced multilateral cooperation (GA Pillar 3) and high return on investment.

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  2) The RBSA project “Support for implementation of the Global Accelerator in Cambodia” aims to provide the kickstart contribution towards implementation, visibility, and results of Cambodia within the GA community. The intervention aims at strengthening Cambodia’s capacity to achieve increased social security and childcare service coverage and promote the transition of enterprises and workers to formalization.

  3) The ILO-Korea project aims at strengthening labour market policies for jobs, social protection and just transitions to support the priorities of the GA roadmaps of the pathfinder countries, including Cambodia. To achieve this objective, the project will carry out integrated policy diagnostics and conduct dialogue covering active labour market policies and employment services, skills development and social protection, in collaboration with relevant specialists at HQs and DWT, together with national stakeholders.

  📚 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗮 𝗝𝗼𝗯 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗡 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯! 🌍🤝 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗡 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗨𝗡𝗛𝗖𝗥, 𝗪𝗙𝗣, 𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗖𝗘𝗙, 𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗦𝗦, 𝗨𝗡𝗙𝗣𝗔, 𝗜𝗢𝗠 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀! 🌐

  ⚠️ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐰: 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐚 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐍𝐎𝐖!

  4) Securing the necessary fiscal space for the achievement of universal social protection for just transition must be supported by international cooperation especially with international financial institutions and development partners. The on-going ILO project aims to engage the IMF for a stronger cooperation in social protection financing though exchange of expert knowledge, broadening the national interlocutors, finding common grounds on a range of policy issues, and providing coherent policy advice to governments. At the country level, the project will develop joint analytical documents, exchange information with Art. IV missions and contribute to the respective Art. IV reports, promote joint research on critical issues on the field of social protection, participate in the studies underpinning social clauses in case a programme is under negotiation between IMF and country, as well as exchanging with the national constituents and ensuring that the advice resulting from the cooperation aligns with and promotes the ILO international labour and social security standards.
  

  Reporting lines

  Under the overall guidance of the Director of the ILO Decent Work Team for East and South-East Asia/Country Office for Thailand, Cambodia and Lao PDR (DWT/CO-Bangkok), the Technical Officer directly reports to the Senior Social Protection Specialist of DWT/CO-Bangkok. The Technical Officer receives technical backstopping from the Decent Work Team in Bangkok, including the Senior Social Protection Specialist, Employment and Skills Specialists, Gender and Inclusion Specialist, the Global Accelerator Technical Support Facility (TSF) in ILO Geneva and relevant technical departments in ILO Geneva. The incumbent works in coordination with project staff and national partners involved in the implementation of the projects.

  Description of Duties

  • Ensure effective coordination, implementation, including elaboration of Annual Work Plan, corresponding budgets, monitoring and evaluation, communication of project activities, and production of technical progress reports and project implementation status in accordance with the policies, program strategies, programming guidelines, administrative financial procedures of the ILO, as well as of the monitoring and evaluation framework of the Global Accelerator.
  • Support the implementation of the activities under the work plan of the projects by contributing to the drafting of relevant concept notes, strategy papers and terms of references for consultants and coordinate the development of policy-oriented research and publication.
  • Provide policy support services to PUNOs, constituents and other national and regional institutions in the field of integrated approach to employment and social protection, with a particular emphasis on employment and social protection systems financing and integrated approaches to formalization, in close collaboration with technical specialists in the DWT/CO-Bangkok and reflecting gender- and inclusion-specific evidence and recommendations
  • Provide technical advice to UNJP partners and constituents in Cambodia, on institutional strengthening and implementation of National Roadmap for implementation of Global Accelerator, taking into account LNOB principles, application of human rights instruments ratified by Cambodia and the application of International Labour Standards (ILS).
  • Coordinate with other PUNOs to prepare, execute and monitor results of the integrated workplan, ensuring timely and efficient coordination and delivery of programme components, outputs, reporting, and monitoring and evaluation of the project activities in conformity with ILO/SDGF policies, project strategies, programming guidelines, and administrative and financial procedures.
  • Review reports, publications and materials prepared by UNJP, in close collaboration with the PUNO’s, DWT-CO Bangkok, Global Accelerator TSF and the ILO Social Protection and Employment Departments to ensure that country and regional products feed the production of global products and that none of the material fails to provide gender and social inclusion information and perspective.
  • Liaise with UNRCO on matters related to reporting to UN SDGF Secretariat and preparation and coordination of the UNJP Steering Committee meetings, Global Accelerator Steering Committee meetings. Prepare background documents for these meetings and meeting minutes.
  • Develop and organise programmes of seminars, workshops, roundtables, technical meetings and training courses in consultation with the relevant specialists, PUNOs, UNRCO and national constituents including members of the Global Accelerator Steering Committee.
  • Provide backstopping and technical inputs in the preparation of regional and country analyses, including training materials, reports and publications related to the projects particularly on coordination, advocacy, public debate, economic analysis/modelling, social protection and employment financing, and informal economy.
  • Ensure that project activities, budgets, M&E, communication of project activities and production of technical reports and status updates is gender-responsive in line with ILO commitments. For example, ensuring that gender and inclusion is explicitly incorporated into research, analysis, training, advocacy etc., that quantitative data is disaggregated by sex and other social variables, and that policy-oriented research and publications are not gender neutral but rather reach a high standard of specificity related to inclusion.

    Description of Duties

    • Support capacity building activities for tripartite partners and provide technical expertise and advice to the stakeholders of the projects including Employers' and Workers' representatives, in defining their potential role in supporting sectoral approaches to formalization and the development of sector campaigns, registration tools, support services, formalization package and respective training and incentives. Activities should include practical support to partners’ gender and inclusion capacity as part of their supporting formalisation and related activities.
    • Explore synergies with other ILO programmes/projects to integrate social protection and formalization in relevant outputs and activities, aligned with the Decent Work Country Programmes and national development priorities in Asia-Pacific region.
    • Support the coordination of the Global Accelerator initiative and Social Protection/Employment issues in Cambodia in collaboration with the Employment and Social Protection Specialists in HQs and DWT-Bangkok, the Global Accelerator TSF in HQ Geneva.
    • Serves as focal point for the ILO-IMF collaboration, liaising with IMF counterparts at country level; finalizing the outputs agreed (especially those linked to the Art. IV mission); reports to SOCPRO on the activities linked to the ILO-IMF collaboration; supports the internal evaluation process; and disseminates knowledge on financing and the results of the cooperation to national constituents.
    • Support resource mobilization efforts, both financial and technical, necessary for the continuity and expansion of initiatives under National Roadmap for Global Accelerator for Cambodia, including exploring opportunities for collaboration with IFIs as well as bilateral and multilateral Public Development Banks and donors.
    • Support communication and dissemination activities such as drafting news articles and sharing with partners’ institutions.
    • Perform other related duties as assigned by the supervisor.

      Required qualifications

      Education

      Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in economics, social policy, public finance or relevant field with demonstrated focus on employment and social protection issues. Strong knowledge of development issues, particularly in the region of Asia and Pacific, including related to gender and inclusion.

      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 required experience stated below, will be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

      Experience

      At least five (5) years of relevant international experience in social protection and/or employment promotion . Familiarity with international labour standards, experience of working in and with developing countries and with officials of ministries of labour, social protection or finance and social partners would be an advantage.

      Languages

      Excellent knowledge of English both written and verbal.

      Competencies

      • Ability to prepare project proposals, reports and studies clearly and concisely.
      • Ability to identify and analyse problems and make recommendations.
      • Good interpersonal and communication skills, both oral and written.
      • Strong analytical skills.
      • Ability to distinguish between work (research, plans, methodologies, terms of reference, communication products etc) that take no account of gender, and those that explicitly take account of it.
      • Ability to work on own initiative as well as a member of a team; ability to manage a heavy workload under time pressure.
      • Ability to plan and organize own work, prioritize work assignments, perform routine work independently, meet deadlines and adapt to changing demands and carry out assignments in accordance with instructions and guidelines.
      • Ability to use analytical tools and qualitative and quantitative techniques.
      • Ability to conceptualise, plan and conduct straightforward research.
      • Ability to liaise and network with a range of stakeholders including staff, government officials, employers’ representatives, unions, UN and NGOs diplomatically and effectively.
      • Proven ability to use word processing software and email as well as ability to use other software packages required by the Office.
      • Demonstrated capacity and willingness to take initiative.
      • Capacity to demonstrate responsible behaviour and attention to detail.
      • High level of ethical conduct, honesty and integrity.
      • Ability to work in a multicultural environment and to demonstrate inclusive, gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory behaviour and attitudes.

        Conditions of employment

        • Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to ILO Staff Regulations and other relevant internal rules. Any offer of employment with the ILO is conditional upon certification by the ILO Medical Adviser that the person concerned is medically fit to perform the specific inherent requirements of the position offered. In order to confirm an offer from the ILO the successful candidate will be required to undergo a medical examination.
        • Any extension of technical cooperation contracts are subject to various elements including the following: availability of funds, continuing need of the functions and satisfactory conduct and performance.

          For more information on conditions of employment, please visit the ILO Jobs International Recruitment page.

          Recruitment process

          Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application form. To apply, please visit ILO Jobs. The system provides instructions for online application procedures.

          Applicants will be contacted directly if selected for a written test and/or an interview.

          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 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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