Director

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Job Category:

This is an external vacancy notice open to external candidates and WTO staff. It is posted on the WTO internal as well as external career site. Eligible WTO staff on short-term, fixed-term or regular contracts and interns must apply through the Workday internal career site.

This is a Fixed-term contract funded through the regular budget. The duration will be two years with the possibility of extension, unless specified in the vacancy notice.

The recruitment policy of the WTO is to seek to attract and retain staff members offering the highest standards of competence, efficiency and integrity. As an Equal Opportunities Employer, the WTO gives full regard to merit and diversity.

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The Secretariat of the WTO is seeking to fill a position of Director to lead the Rules Division.

The Rules Division is responsible for all aspects of WTO work, legal and technical, in the areas of trade remedies (anti-dumping, countervailing, and safeguard measures), subsidies, trade-related investment measures (TRIMS), civil aircraft, and state trading enterprises. The Rules Division facilitates and actively assists in negotiations, consultations, and monitoring of implementation; provides legal and other assistance to dispute settlement panels considering disputes; and provides implementation assistance, counselling, and expert advice to WTO Members, in each of these areas.

General Functions

1.         Leading the Division, including defining the strategic objectives of the Division; setting the objectives for, and motivating, a multidisciplinary staff of lawyers, economists, trade specialists, and support staff to meet those objectives; providing guidance to staff in carrying out their duties; reviewing the output and performance of the staff; supporting the development of the knowledge and skills of staff; and ensuring appropriate staff training plans are in place and executed;

2.         Contributing to the goals, objectives, and management of the WTO as a senior manager in the organization.

3.         Overseeing the work of the Division in respect of the operation of Committees responsible for implementation and surveillance of the Agreements within the Division's competence;

4.         Overseeing the work of the Division in dispute settlement, including ensuring the efficient management of procedural and organizational aspects of the panel process;

5.         Managing the conduct of negotiations in the Rules area, including through strategic, factual, and procedural advice to the Divisional team, the Chairperson of the Negotiating Group on Rules, and Senior Management, as well as advice and support to delegations;

6.        Building relationships with Members in order to serve the WTO as appropriate, in Committee work, negotiations, dispute settlement, and other aspects of the Division's work, while maintaining neutrality and observing the rules of conduct;

7.         Overseeing the participation of the Division in the organization's extensive technical assistance and training programmes with regard to all matters within the Division's competence; such oversight extends to the preparation of teaching and training materials, including for practical hands-on training of trade remedies investigators, and further development of e-learning training tools;

8.         Supervising the management of the Fisheries Trust Fund;

9.         Working closely with the Director of the Legal Affairs Division in ensuring consistency in procedures and legal advice given to dispute settlement panels on horizontal/systemic matters;

10.       Coordinating the Division's work with that of other Divisions on areas of common relevance, including providing substantive contributions to the work of other Divisions;

11.       Liaising with relevant international organisations, NGOs, and private sector entities, including speaking engagements; and

12.       Representing the WTO Secretariat in various public and academic functions in Geneva and abroad that address issues falling within the purview of the Rules Division.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Advanced university degree in disciplines relevant to the Rules Division's areas of responsibility, i.e., either lawyer or economist. If lawyer, training/experience in working with economic concepts and information, especially related to practical application of trade remedies. If economist, training/experience in working with legal concepts and information, especially related to practical application of trade remedies.

Knowledge and Skills

Technical Knowledge and Skills

Expert, in-depth, up-to-date theoretical and practical knowledge of the technical and policy aspects of international and domestic trade remedies and subsidies law and policy, to be able to serve as the Division's intellectual leader.

Excellent knowledge of the institutional, legal, policy, and development context of the work of the WTO, including in-depth practical knowledge of the work of WTO Committees and other bodies, with a particular focus on the Agreements on Anti-dumping, Subsidies and Countervailing Measures, Safeguards, Fisheries Subsidies, TRIMs, Civil Aircraft, and State Trading Enterprises, including dispute settlement in these areas.

Excellent oral and written presentation and communication skills, including strong capacity – grounded in expert knowledge and practical experience in the domain - to review and expertly edit written legal and economic analyses of issues pertaining to trade remedies and subsidies, and the other areas covered by the Rules Division.

High level of political awareness and sensitivity, particularly regarding the politics of trade remedies, subsidies, and negotiations between and among Members.

Well-developed diplomatic skills.

Ability to establish and maintain strong networks with WTO Members, and strategic partnerships with relevant outside stakeholders including in particular other international intergovernmental organizations.

Behavioural skills

Excellent demonstrated management and organizational skills (planning and organizing work, managing people and performance, managing deployment of resources).

Skills and ability to guide, empower, and motivate a team of around 40 staff at all levels, engaged in all WTO core functions, to excel at their jobs (namely, expert and administrative support for: Committee work and other work related to Members' implementation of WTO Agreements; WTO dispute settlement panels; negotiations; technical assistance and capacity building; and management and administration of trust funds).

Proven ability to build a team culture that consistently delivers high quality results and to work with other teams within the Secretariat.

Ability to interact and work with others in a diverse international setting in a harmonious and effective way, bringing to bear both empathy and clarity of vision as to the overall mission and interests of the Division and of the WTO Secretariat and the WTO.

Intellectual flexibility including openness to others' views and ability to find solutions.

Proven ability to work under tight deadlines and often under high levels of stress.

High ethical standards and ability to ensure adherence by others to established rules of conduct (general and topic-specific).

Work Experience

At least 15 years' experience in the areas of trade remedies and/or subsidies (experience in both would be an asset), including extensive practical experience at senior levels (in government, in private practice, and/or in international organization(s)), e.g., involvement in trade remedies investigations, or provision of practical advice to governments on such policies and practice. In particular, experience in implementing and/or supporting Members' implementation of the Rules-area Agreements (through work related to the relevant WTO Committees, and/or as an official of a Member, or through public or private sector provision of expert-level advice to one or more WTO Members). Proven leadership and management experience with broad supervisory responsibilities of colleagues at different levels, including managing multicultural teams. Experience in managing multilateral negotiations, or participating therein at senior levels, would be a strong asset.

Languages

Fluent proficiency (speaking and writing) C2 level in English is required, with a demonstrated ability to write quickly, concisely, and accurately, and a demonstrated strong capacity to review and expertly edit technically complex written work. Professional skills in at least one other working language of the WTO (French or Spanish) would be an advantage.

Additional Information:
 
Only applications from nationals of WTO Members will be accepted. 

The recruitment process will be undertaken as per Administrative Memorandum No. 976 (OFFICE(16)/15) on Staff Promotions and external recruitment through Vacancy Notices.

For non-entry level positions, the position may be offered at a lower grade if the selected candidate does not fully meet all the required qualifications (not applicable to director positions).

The initial fixed-term contract for positions up to grade 10 shall normally be two years, which shall be probationary, as per Administrative Memorandum No. 997 (OFFICE(23)/4) on Probation Policy. For Director positions, the Policy on evaluation of directors apply as per Administrative Memorandum No. 978 (OFFICE(17)/29).

The WTO may use various communication technologies such as video or teleconference for the assessment and evaluation of candidates. The recruitment process may also involve the use of various forms of testing, assessment centres, interviews and reference checks. 

Applicants may be required to sit a written examination. 

Applicants will be contacted directly if selected for an interview. 

Candidates not selected whose performance in the selection process nevertheless shows them to be suitable for a similar position may be kept on a roster for up to 24 months, and may subsequently be called upon as and when the need arises for additional resources.

All applicants are encouraged to apply online as soon as possible after the vacancy has been posted and well before the closing date – Geneva (Switzerland) time – stated in the vacancy announcement. 

PLEASE NOTE THAT APPLICATIONS RECEIVED AFTER THE CLOSING DATE WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. 

The WTO is a non-smoking environment.