Introduction

This position is located in the UN Global Compact Office (UN GCO), Department of Management at United Nations Headquarters. The incumbent reports to the Head Social Sustainability in the Programmes team of the UN GCO. The UN Global Compact Office (GCO) is the UN entity responsible for the overall management and coordination of the Global Compact initiative.

Within the policy and procedural requirements established by the ILO and the UN Global Compact, the Technical Officer will be responsible to lead the labour workstream in the programmes’ team of UNGCO. The incumbent will assist in promoting ILO standards and policies and other components of the ILO Decent Work Agenda in the UNGC’s programmatic work.

Work implies frequent interaction with counterparts, senior officers and technical staff in relevant secretariat units and in UN funds, programs and other UN specialized agencies, especially the International Labour Organization as well as the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and UNICEF, representatives in business, governments, international organizations, trade unions and civil society organizations, consultants.

The Technical Officer will work under the guidance of the UNGC’s Head Social Sustainability, on the following tasks:

Description of Duties

1. Assist the Head Social Sustainability in Coordinating the strategic framework for UN Global Compact’s efforts to support companies to ensure they strengthen respect for labour standards by embedding and implementing the UN Global Compact labour principles within all aspects of business operations to provide and promote decent work for all workers.
2. Engage with the ILO focal point for the UNGC (ENTERPRISES/MULTI) on the yearly joint ILO-UNGC workplan and assist in the implementation of the activities included in this joint workplan.
3. Support the collaboration between ILO and UN Global Compact related to:
   • The ILO Business platforms: the child labour platform, the Global Business Network on Forced Labour and the Global Business and Disability Network;
   • The Global coalition for Social Justice;
   • Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC);
   • Forward Faster initiative on living wage, gender equality and just transition.
4. Maintain regular contacts with the UN Global Compact focal point in the ILO to ensure coherence of the UN Global Compact initiatives with ILO standards, policies and programmes.
5. Develop reports, publications, tools and academy sessions on the implementation of the Global Compact’s labour rights principles, decent work and the advancement of SDG 8.
6. Promote the UNGC’s labour rights global programmes and initiatives, with a specific focus on the “Forward Faster initiative” and the flagship “Business and Human Rights Accelerator” programme.
7. Support the UNGC Local Networks in understanding and promoting the UNGC Labour Principles and help local networks to engage with relevant stakeholders;
8. Participate in and contribute to activities organized by UNGC local networks, companies, partner organizations and stakeholders to promote labour-related work at the UNGC;
9. Reach out to relevant UNGC partners and institutions to strengthen and support the development of partnerships related to labour rights, decent work and sustainable supply chains.
10. Provide support to the coordination of UNGC meetings, flagship events and activities such as the Global Compact Leaders’ Summit, the Private Sector Forum, and the UN Global Compact engagement in the Annual UN Forum on Business and Human Rights (Geneva) to ensure inclusion of the labour principles in the narrative. Doing so by providing administrative and substantive support, including proposing agenda topics, identifying and proposing participants, preparation of background documents and presentations, handling logistics, etc.
11. Supports coordination of activities related to budget and funding, including programme strategy and annual activity reports, progress reports, and assists in preparing related documents.
12. Performs other duties as required.

Required qualifications

Education

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in business administration, international relations, law, management, economics or a related field. A first level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience

• A minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in working on international labour standards, or related area with relevance to the UNGC’s programmes and mandates, including managing/supporting multi-stakeholder initiatives and multi-lateral processes.
• Experience in working on international labour standards and corporate citizenship especially as it relates to United Nations business collaboration is required.
• Expertise in fundamental principles and rights at work and the broader decent work agenda is required; expertise in due diligence and human rights risk assessment is desirable.
• Qualifying years of experience are calculated following the receipt of the first level university degree recognized by the United Nations.

Languages

Fluency in written and spoken English is required. Knowledge of French is desirable. Knowledge of Spanish or another UN language (Arabic, Chinese, Russian) is an advantage.

Competencies

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

Professionalism: Ability to provide technical advice and to guide and coordinate the work of external collaborators, general service staff and young professionals in the area of specialization. Ability to conceptualise and design research techniques and analyse complex cross-national practices and data sets covering a wide range of issues in the specialized technical field. Ability to formulate new concepts and methodologies. Ability to draft reports and prepare guidelines relating to programme development and implementation. Ability to provide technical support to senior specialists, carrying out research, project formulation and implementation. Ability to participate effectively in technical missions and to provide technical inputs for the ILO Decent Work Agenda. Excellent analytical skills and knowledge of analytical tools and qualitative and quantitative techniques. Good computer skills. Ability to work in a multicultural environment and gender-sensitive behaviour and attitudes are also required.

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.