Senior Economist - Economics and Statistics Division

BACKGROUND INFORMATION   The International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) is seeking highly qualified and dynamic individuals to work at its new headquarters in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire (West Africa).   The ICCO recruits its staff on fixed-term contracts (evolving into permanent contracts, based on satisfactory performance) or temporary contracts. Staff members are grouped in two main streams: Professional (P) or General Service staff (GS). Directors (D) are part of the Management category.  ICCO also employs consultants, interns and volunteers to assist with special projects and short-term recruitment needs.   Successful applicants will receive attractive remuneration packages with generous benefits as applicable to their status. This includes tax-free expatriate contracts where relevant or local contracts, pension scheme, paid sick leave, paid maternity/paternity leave, life, accident and health insurance, paid holidays, education grant for children of international recruits, etc. ) based on the United Nations (UN) salary scale.   Working as a staff member in the ICCO Secretariat will give you the opportunity to be part of a dynamic, multicultural environment.  The staff members of the ICCO, who come predominantly from its Member countries (cocoa-exporting and cocoa-importing countries), have diverse backgrounds, and carry distinct professional and personal experience.  It is an exciting and unique opportunity to be part of such a working environment, because it leads to a broader understanding of the issues facing the global cocoa economy. You must be willing and able to travel to various countries worldwide to contribute to the mission of the ICCO.   The ICCO is an equal opportunity employer.   The deadline for the receipt of applications is Friday, 25 November 2016.    Interviews will take place in late November to early December 2016.   Starting dates will begin in January 2017 and can be flexible upon discussions with the ICCO management.   JOB DESCRIPTION FOR THE POST OF SENIOR ECONOMIST IN THE ECONOMICS AND STATISTICS DIVISION (P4/P5 in the United Nations salary scale)   THE POSITION   This position requires a strong academic and professional background as well as a solid grasp of the issues facing the global cocoa and chocolate sector  . He/she must display full commitment to the Organization and be active in communications with relevant internal and external stakeholders.  As he/she may be called upon to stand in for the Director of the Economics and Statistics Division, the ideal candidate will offer a combination of strong interpersonal skills, providing intellectual and analytic leadership to the Organization and its stakeholders.   More specifically, the incumbent will be required to: To conduct economic studies, draft documents and reports within the framework of achieving a sustainable world cocoa economy. To provide substantive guidance on economic methodology and documents writing to staff in the economics and statistics division. To participate in and to oversee as necessary, feasibility studies and development of ICCO projects, as required. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES To conduct policy relevant studies on the global economy and more specifically on the world cocoa economy with the aim of achieving a sustainable world cocoa economy.  Such studies, which will usually result in documents for review and decision by the International Cocoa Council and its subsidiary bodies, will pertain to:  The functioning of the world market for cocoa beans, cocoa semi-products and chocolate, including physical markets and the terminal markets; The functioning of the cocoa economies in producing countries, including Government policies and programmes having a bearing on the cocoa sector; Processing of cocoa beans and production of chocolate in both Producer and Consumer countries; and Consumption of chocolate and cocoa products worldwide. To provide technical assistance and guidance to staff in the Economics and Statistics Division, to conduct studies and research on the world cocoa economy, under the policy guidance of the Head of the Economics and Statistics Division.   To participate, with other staff of the Division, as appropriate, in capacity building initiatives, in the preparation, sourcing for funding, supervision and evaluation of ICCO projects. To establish and maintain contacts with research organizations, academic and other institutions engaged in research and/or policies on cocoa, other commodities and (rural) development. To assist the Director of Division in servicing the meetings of the International Cocoa Council, the ICCO Consultative Board on the World Cocoa Economy and the other subsidiary bodies of the Council. To assist in organizing seminars and workshops, including preparation of agendas and topics, selection of speakers and servicing of such meetings. To represent the Executive Director at seminars, conferences and meetings outside the Organization, when necessary. To perform general administration duties within the Division, including discipline and annual appraisal of staff performance as necessary. To assess, review and, if necessary, revise work done by the professional staff before submission to the Director of Division or to Executive Director as necessary. To perform any other duties assigned by the Executive Director. SELECTION CRITERIA   Including desirable skills, knowledge and experience: Hold an Advanced degree  in Economics with extensive experience in macro-economics or related discipline combined with specialized experience in similar organization/s. A minimum of 10 years relevant and demonstrable experience acquired in the area of development economics, academia or multilateral institutions. Must have in-depth knowledge of the state of the cocoa economy, social development issues, within the wider global economy. Ability to implement continual improvement activities to processes, with a keen eye for detail; Ability to multitask, meet strict deadlines and work under a pressured environment; Strong outreach competencies with ability to confidently speak at international fora on the cocoa economy and the other economic development issues. Excellent public relations skills with all partners, the press, analysts, academics, professional bodies, Multilateral Development Banks and other international organizations, and government departments. Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English and/or French with a good working knowledge of the other language. Competence in the use of standard Microsoft software (e.g. Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint).  APPLICATION PROCESS   Applications, quoting the reference “Senior Economist” and including a curriculum vitae, three (3) referees, cover letter and salary expectations must be submitted by 25 November 2016 sent to the address below.   The Executive Director International Cocoa Organization Westgate House, Westgate Road Ealing, London W5 1YY United Kingdom   A copy of the application may also be sent by email to jobs@icco.org.   To apply for this position, you must to be a national of one of the ICCO member countries (please see list on www.icco.org ). Please note that only short-listed applicants for interview will be contacted. Notice to Applicants   ICCO does not charge any sort of fees from applicants for jobs or its prospective employees for any reason before, during and after the selection process (application, interview, meeting, traveling, processing, training or any other fees). All communication with applicants is done through a verifiable ICCO email address and not from an Internet address such as Hotmail, Yahoo, Gmail or mobile line, etc.