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OpenIGO | International Careers Development Network
UNCTAD Jobs

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UNCTAD Jobs

Find out everything about Jobs and Careers with UNCTAD!

Working for an organization such as the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is an opportunity that could change your life. The organization combines good remuneration with meaningful work that will help in the promotion of the interests of developing states in world trade. You will be able to construct influential networks as well as receive encouragement to develop professionally. In addition, working for UNCTAD means having a global career with a global reach, in a multicultural and pleasant environment.

Because of the above-mentioned reasons, in addition to a competitive remuneration package, career mobility, and the support that successful candidates receive once they are assigned to a position at the organization, UNCTAD Jobs selection processes are highly sought-after by many young professionals, making them highly competitive.

In pursuit of its mission, the OpenIGO network has prepared a comprehensive eBook (Landing your dream job at the United Nations), as well as support and guidance services, with the aim of highly increasing your chances of success in these competitive selection processes. These services include revising your application documents (curriculum vitae/resume and cover letter) and a mock interview, as per the United Nations model. We also offer a range of packages that combine the eBook with different services!

WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT OUR UN JOBS PRODUCTS & SERVICES?

UN Jobs – Products & Services


Current jobs

UNCTAD Overview

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is a United Nations agency which aims at promoting economic growth in developing countries to make them more integrated with international trade. For that purpose, the agency forwards integration between governments, civil society and representatives of the private sector (trade and industry), coordinating policies to reduce tariff and non-tariff related obstacles to advance international commerce. Thus, UNCTAD assists countries in facing macroeconomic challenges; protects them from market fluctuations; promotes entrepreneurship and attracts external investments. Headquartered in Geneva (Switzerland), the agency has offices in New York (USA) and Addis Ababa (Ethiopia).

UNCTAD’s main focus: Promoting the integration of developing nations into global trade.

Themes addressed by the UNCTAD:

  • International Finance
  • Technology and Innovation
  • Trade Agreements, Trends, Regulations and Negotiations
  • Commodities
  • Private Sector and Enterprise Development

UNCTAD Jobs - Selection Processes

In order to start a career with UNCTAD, applicants must know what are the existing recruiting initiatives, their eligibility criteria, and different stages of the selection processes, as well as have a broad understanding of the culture and values of this complex international organization.

Being part of the United Nations Secretariat, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) employs a recruitment process that is governed by the United Nations staff selection platform (Inspira), which publishes a collection of current job openings within the United Nations Secretariat.

General Job Openings

In order to get access to the general job openings currently available for UNCTAD, check out this page: UNCTAD Job Openings.

UN Secretariat Consultant Roster

In order to register as a possible consultant for the UN Secretariat Consultant Roster and be able to work in that capacity for UNCTAD, check out this page: UNCTAD Consultants Roster.

Junior Professional Officer Programme

The Junior Professional Officer Programme is aimed at young professionals interested in developing and acquiring experience in the fields of trade and development.

Being sponsored by their national government for a limited period, the junior professional officer acquires hands-on experience and contributes to UNCTAD’s activities in the area of research, policy analysis and advice, consensus-building, and technical assistance programmes.

To know more, check out this page: UNCTAD’s Junior Professional Officer (JPO) Programme.

UNCTAD Internships

The goal of the UNCTAD internship program is to make it possible for candidates to put into practice the knowledge acquired in their academic training and acquaint themselves with UNCTAD’s work.

Hence, by participating in the internship program, you will have the opportunity to work with themes related to the promotion of economic growth in developing nations via trade integration and the attraction of external investment.

To know more, check out this page: UNCTAD Internship.

United Nations Young Professional Programme – UN YPP

Entry-level positions for UNCTAD (P-1/P-2) are selected through the United Nations Young Professional Programme (YPP).

UNCTAD Jobs - General Requirements

Before applying for a vacancy at an organization, it is important to understand which staff profile it employs and looks for in its selection processes. This will help you to: understand if your professional profile fits with what the organization is looking for; to get ready, in order to have greater chances of success in future selection processes, and to prepare better curriculum and application documents required for your application.

Therefore, an overview of the UNCTAD staff profile will be presented in this section, so that you will be able to gain a better understanding of what this organization looks for in its human resources.

What are the fields of study required for jobs with UNICEF?

UNCTAD’s job opportunities have a diverse range of fields. It is crucial to always check the fields accepted by the specific job opportunity. However, these are some of the most common fields required:

  • Finance
  • Business
  • Economics
  • Communications
  • Information Technology
  • International Relations
  • Other related areas

As there are many types of job opportunities within UNCTAD, they differ in terms of education, language and work experience required. Below is the example of the requirements of a vacancy to guide in your pursuit for a spot at the organization:

Job Opening available at: https://careers.un.org/lbw/jobdetail.aspx?id=162844&Lang=en-US

Posting Title: ECONOMIC AFFAIRS OFFICER, P3
Job Code Title: ECONOMIC AFFAIRS OFFICER
Department/Office: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
Duty Station: GENEVA
Posting Period: 20 September 2021 – 03 November 2021
Job Opening Number: 21-Economic Affairs-UNITED NAT-162844-R-Geneva (G)
Staffing Exercise N/A

Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the Investment Policies Branch, Division on Investment and Enterprise (DIAE), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The incumbent will report to the Chief of the Investment Policy Review Section in DIAE.

Responsibilities

Under the general supervision of the Head of the Investment Policies Branch and the direct supervision of the Chief of the Investment Policy Review Section in DIAE, the Economic Affairs Officer will be responsible for the following duties:

Economic or sector analysis:

• Analyses foreign direct investment trends (FDI), patterns and relationships, as well as strategies of international investors.
• Identifies and prepares proposals for policy actions in the field of investment.
• Interprets, applies and, as necessary, adapts models to analyse the effects of alternative policies and assumptions.
• Drafts specified inputs for technical papers and analytical studies on selected global, regional, national or sector aspects of economic development.
• Identifies and analyses policy proposals made elsewhere relating to assigned topics.
• Attends international, regional, and national meetings to collect information and to hold discussions with colleagues in other institutions.
• Conducts policy discussions with policymakers, the private sector and civil society.
• Assists in the organization and servicing of expert group meetings, seminars, etc. on development issues.
• Prepares speeches and other inputs for presentations by senior staff.

Intergovernmental support:
• Prepares inputs for reports to intergovernmental bodies, including the Commission on Investment and Enterprise Development, expert group meetings and the Trade and Development Board.
• Follows intergovernmental meetings and prepares summary reports.
• Prepares inputs to statements by members of the Bureau and Secretariat staff to such meetings.
• Assists in the organization of panels, round tables etc. on development issues for intergovernmental processes.

Technical cooperation:
• Participates in missions on development issues, usually as a member of a team.
• Organizes training seminars for national experts.
• Prepares documentation for technical cooperation programmes and projects.
• Contributes to the preparation of material for the approval of regional, country or sector technical cooperation projects.
• Monitors, backstops and assesses the implementation of technical cooperation programmes and projects.

General
• Performs other related duties as required, including a variety of administrative tasks necessary for the final delivery of the work unit’s services.
• Undertakes on-the-job and other training activities, both internally and externally.

Competencies

• PROFESSIONALISM: Ability to apply economic theories and concepts in different sectors of economic and sustainable development, especially ability to apply theories related to foreign direct investment and activities of multinational enterprises. Ability to conduct independent research on economic topics, including international investment, to determine suitability, validity and accuracy of data provided by different sources. Shows skill in developing sources for data collection. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.

• COMMUNICATION: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

• PLANNING & ORGANIZING: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.

Education

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent degree) in economics or related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience

A minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in economic research and analysis, policy formulation, application of economic principles in development programmes or related area is required.
Out of these, a minimum of two-year experience in economic research and analysis and policy formulation in international investment for development is desirable.
Experience in capacity-building is also desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of Spanish is desirable. Knowledge of another UN official language is desirable.

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which will be followed by a competency-based interview.

Special Notice

The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.
For this position, applicants from the following Member States, which are unrepresented or underrepresented in the UN Secretariat as of 30 April 2021, are strongly encouraged to apply: Afghanistan, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahrain, Belize, Brunei Darussalam, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, China, Comoros, Cuba, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Djibouti, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Japan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Monaco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Norway, Oman, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, Suriname, Timor-Leste, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Vanuatu, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

UNCTAD Jobs - Salary and Benefits

In its employment page, UNCTAD states that it employs the salaries and benefits of the UN Common System, indicating users to refer to the United Nations Careers Portal in order to know more about the details on these topics.

Hence, we will reproduce here the salaries and benefits you can find at the UN Common System.

 

UN Jobs – Salary and Benefits

 

The United Nations presents career development as one of its central concerns in its human resources policies. Career progression is something that the organization understands as the result of a Staff Member`s efforts and decisions, which are supported in various ways and different areas. The United Nations defines this in the following way: “Your career path is a reflection of your aspirations and decisions about your professional development, where you play the leading role. The Organization plays a supporting role putting effective systems in place to enhance and support your career decisions” (UNITED NATIONS CAREERS, 2020).

In order to guarantee this support for its Staff Members, the UN has created programs, training centers, Career Resource Centres, courses, and staff development services. In addition to the UN System Staff College, several actions may be listed as examples of opportunities for the organizations` Staff Members` professional and personal development. 

This information is important to understand how the United Nations Common System sees its Staff Members` professional development, centered on skills development and how progression and personal growth can occur within the organization. These questions are directly related to the salaries and benefits that are available, according to the job category (Professional and Higher Categories, General Service Staff, Field Service Category and National Professional Officers) and post they are working at.

Note that, depending on the type of contract you have with the organization, many of these benefits are not applicable to professionals working with the United Nations. This is the case for three of the categories presented above: consultants, interns and volunteers. 

With regards to salaries, staff in the General Service Staff and National Professional Officers categories receive their pay according to a local salary scale (UNITED NATIONS CAREERS, 2020). The staff salaries in the Professional and Higher and Field Service categories are made up of a fixed annual salary – according to each professional level within the category – and a readjustment is made according to the characteristics of the post where the professional is based:

With regards to benefits, it can be observed that some are granted to all the professionals in the different categories, but the application of others varies according to the Staff Member`s situation (for example, if they have dependents), or characteristics of the post where they are working.

Here are some of the benefits Staff Members may be entitled to:

1. Holidays and leave
2. Health insurance
3. Retirement pension
4. Rental subsidy
5. Dependency allowances 
6. Education grant
7. Travel and shipping expenses
8. Assignment grant
9. Hardship allowance 
10. Hazard pay and rest and recuperation break/danger pay 
11. Language incentive 
12. Language allowance

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