Senior Skills Development Specialist

Grade: P5
Vacancy no.: RAPS/1/2023/AR/02
Publication date: 24 February 2023
Application deadline (midnight Geneva time): 27 March 2023

Job ID: 10496
Department: RO-Arab States/DWT-Beirut
Organization Unit: RO-Arab States/DWT-Beirut
Location: Beirut
Contract type: Fixed Term

The following are eligible to apply:

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

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.

Please note that in the context of the new ILO organigram, the naming of the departments may be subject to change.

Introduction
The position is located in the ILO Decent Work Team for the Arab States (DWT-Beirut). DWT-Beirut covers the following countries and territories: Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syrian Arab Republic, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. DWT-Beirut provides technical support in the design and implementation of Decent Work Country Programmes (DWCPs) and other ILO country support activities within the framework of the outcome-based work plans.

The DWT-Beirut provides support towards the promotion and acquisition of skills, competencies and qualifications for all workers throughout their working lives to address existing and anticipated skills gaps; ensures that education and training systems are responsive to labour market needs; and enhances workers capacity to make use of the opportunities available for decent work.

The position will be responsible for technical and policy advisory services to constituents and will support the integration of skills development into broader employment promotion strategies. In particular, the position will lead the implementation of the ILO Strategy on Skills and Lifelong Learning for 2022–30, and provide support to constituents for the implementation of labour standards related to skills development and lifelong learning. The position will also manage the design and technical backstopping of development cooperation projects in the field of skills development and employment services which includes targeting both formal and informal skills development provision. Significant emphasis will be given to addressing the training and skills needs of women, disadvantaged youth, unemployed graduates, persons with disabilities and informal economy workers.

The position will report to the Director of DWT-Beirut and receive technical guidance and advice from the Skills and Employability Branch (EMP/SKILLS) at ILO headquarters. In the context of a broader Middle-East and North Africa focus (MENA), the Specialist will seek to collaborate with his/her counterpart in the ILO DWT for North Africa (DWT-Cairo).

Specific Duties
Plan, manage and coordinate skills development initiatives and strategies in the region, ensuring an integrated approach with ILO’s broader employment promotion strategies. Lead the implementation of its strategy on skills and lifelong learning 2022-30.
Analyse trends and developments in the countries of the region and lead the design and development of related programmes, strategies and approaches fori) a new generation of skills and lifelong learning policies, employment promotion, and poverty reduction strategies and ii) programmatic frameworks, such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks (UNSDCFs) and DWCPs.
Provide high-level technical and policy advisory services to the ILO constituents and other stakeholders for designing and delivering innovative, flexible and inclusive learning options, including work-based learning and quality apprenticeships, particularly for women and persons in vulnerable situations, while focusing on meeting the needs of the rural and informal economy and addressing digital, demographic and green transitions.
Work with constituents towards greater ratification of ILO conventions related to skills development, and to their improved implementation within national and sector-specific contexts.
Provide policy advice and technical expertise to countries for improvements in inter-ministerial coordination in order to link basic education, vocational training, employment services and lifelong learning, to integrate skills development in employment strategies and in the work of line ministries (for example, agriculture, industry, environment, enterprise development, youth employment, trade and commerce, migration), and to identify sustainable financing solutions that contribute to a greater access to lifelong learning for all.
Provide advice on developing and sustaining industry skill councils and other institutions to fully engage employer and worker representatives in designing and implementing skills development strategies and in linking training provision to current labour market needs and to emerging employment-creating industries and sectors in order to reduce skills mismatch and improve skills utilisation.
specifies duties
7. In coordination with employment and enterprise development specialists, and with other UN agencies, develop integrated strategies and programmes that link technical and vocational training to better quality jobs, enterprise productivity and good working conditions, thereby enhancing the social perception of technical and vocational training.

8. Contribute inputs to improve skills delivery systems and programmes, including through skills anticipation exercises, competency-based trainings and assessments, apprenticeships, digitalisation of programmes, improved accreditation of training providers, and enhanced capacity and status of teachers and instructors.

9. Mainstream gender issues in national skills and lifelong learning policies and systems and in development cooperation projects and promote policies and programmes targeting access to quality and relevant training for women, refugees, migrants, persons with disabilities, individuals from rural areas and other vulnerable groups.

10. Develop project ideas and concept notes, take the lead in resource mobilisation, provide technical backstopping support to development cooperation projects, and coordinate the documentation of results generated by these projects, with the ILO Service Tracker, for knowledge management purposes and optimal use of resources.

11. Represent the ILO at policy-making levels and in conferences and meetings in the region, and globally, concerned with strategies, policies or programmes in the field of vocational training; maintain close relations with governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations, with UN agencies and other relevant national, subregional or regional institutions.

12. Analyze, document and disseminate good practices on conducive national policies and programmes, through local and global knowledge-management systems, including the ILO Knowledge-Sharing Platform on Skills and Lifelong Learning, and ILO Communities of Practices on lifelong learning topics relevant to the region.

13. Participate in the development of global products in order to maintain cross-regional coherence in ILO policy advice, tools, and methods and in order to assure the relevance of research, policy guidance, and development cooperation tools to the needs of constituents in the Arab States.

14. Perform other relevant duties as assigned.
These specific duties are aligned with the ILO relevant generic job description, which includes the following generic duties:

Generic Duties
Lead, organize, plan, supervise and control the work of a technical unit (including managerial functions).
Design and promote a wide range of special subject-matter-related programmes, This involves analysis of complex or conflicting data, statistics, information or policy guidelines in a manner requiring the advanced application of principles of a recognized technical specialization.
Develop and review an institutional framework, in which social partners can best improve, implement and evaluate efficient and equitable ILO action programmes.
Assume full responsibility for policy formulation and providing policy advice to ILO’s constituents on institutional strengthening, the application of ILO standards and the promotion of development cooperation activities.
Develop project design, review proposals, formulate, revise and submit project proposals and negotiate funding.
Evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the project activities.
Lead technical advisory missions.
Conduct seminars, workshops and technical meetings.
Prepare recommendations and guidelines for discussion and adoption as ILO recommendations on related technical fields.
Write manuals and training guides on related topics.
Disseminate information on action programmes through publications and press releases as well as ensuring representation at donors’ meetings, international, regional and national fora and advocacy campaigns.
Monitor and coordinate research carried out by junior technical officers and external collaborators.
Provide technical inputs to office documents (sectoral meetings, technical committees, conference reports, Director General’s report to ILC).

Required qualifications
Education
Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in one of the following fields: (development) economics, human resource development, education and training, related social sciences field 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 required 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 on skills development, technical and vocational education and training and/or lifelong learning. Experience targeting gender equality and non-discrimination in the world of work would be considered an asset.

Demonstrated experience in high-level policy development, technical and quantitative analysis skills, providing high-level advisory and capacity-building services. Experience in managing and implementing development cooperation projects and collaborating with UN and development partners would be a strong advantage.

Languages
Excellent command of English is required. A working knowledge of Arabic would be an advantage.

Competencies
In addition to the ILO core competencies, this position requires:

demonstrated and recognized technical and /or managerial leadership;
 the ability to synthesize research and reach empirically based conclusions on related subjects;
 the ability to provide seasoned advice on best practices, to address broader issues outside the field of specialization;
 demonstrated technical expertise to devise new methods, concepts, approaches and techniques;
 the ability to develop training materials, alternative courses of action, programme and project proposals, synthetic policy notes, procedures and workflows and present them at high-level meetings;
 the ability to produce reports (e.g. reports for regional conferences and the ILC, technical publications, training manuals and draft resolutions)
 The ability to monitor and evaluate development cooperation activities and projects, and document lessons learnt and good practices;
 the ability to provide effective backstopping and quality assurance support for large projects, and to coordinate activities among projects;
 the ability to work in a multicultural environment and to demonstrate 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.
• The first contract will be issued for a twenty-four month period.
• A successful external candidate will be on probation for the first two years of assignment.
• Any extension of contract beyond the probation period is subject to satisfactory conduct and performance.
• 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

The ILO does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process whether at the application, interview, processing or training stage. Messages originating from a non ILO e-mail account – @ilo.org – should be disregarded. In addition, the ILO does not require or need to know any information relating to the bank account details of applicants.