Ethics Officer

VN Category (INT / EXT / EOI):

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 WTO seeks to attract and retain staff members offering the highest standards of competence, efficiency and integrity and to build an organization that is representative of the Members and People it serves. As an equal opportunity and inclusive employer, the WTO gives full regard to competence and welcome applications from qualified candidates irrespective of age, disability status, gender, nationality, race, religion, sexual orientation, social origin or any other characteristic. Applications from non-represented Members (link) are particularly encouraged for all positions.

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Organizational setting and reporting

The Ethics, Risk, and Compliance Office was established in September 2024 to provide comprehensive guidance and support across the entire Secretariat, with a focus on promoting ethical conduct, effective risk management, and compliance with internal policies. Its purpose is to foster a culture where these principles are embedded in all aspects of the Secretariat. As an independent office within the WTO Secretariat, the Ethics, Risk, and Compliance Office functions autonomously from other divisions, particularly in matters related to ethics and advisory services.

The Ethics Officer will report to the Chief Ethics, Risk and Compliance Officer.

Context of the position

This vacancy represents the first formally designated Ethics Officer position at the WTO, and the successful candidate will play a pioneering role in shaping the Secretariat’s ethics architecture.

The candidate will be required to combine technical expertise in ethics and compliance with change‑management skills, working closely with senior management to establish credibility, ownership, and institutional legitimacy for the new Ethics Officer function.

General Functions

1. Ethics‑policy and standards development

• Lead the development, review, and updating of ethics-related policies and instruments — including conflicts of interest, gifts and hospitality, and outside activities — and advise on the ethics-sensitive design and amendment of all WTO policies and procedures.

• Ensure ethics standards are coherently integrated into the broader compliance and risk-management framework, including the Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) framework and crisis-management plans.

2. Confidential ethics advice and management

• Provide confidential, impartial ethics advice to staff at all levels on complex ethical dilemmas, real-time decision-making, and conflicts of interest.

• Operate and manage a centralised record management and reporting system for ethics queries, documenting and analysing trends and recurring issues across the Secretariat.

3. Conflict of interest and outside‑activity management

• Oversee the administration of conflict-of-interest declarations, including the design and maintenance of digital tools, workflows, and guidance materials; evaluate declared conflicts and outside activities and recommend management measures where risks are identified.

• Monitor and analyse patterns of conflicts and outside activities to identify systemic risks and propose policy or procedural adjustments.

4. Ethics training, culture‑building, and communication

• Design and deliver targeted ethics training programmes for staff groups, including new starters and managers, and develop e-learning modules, awareness campaigns, and internal communications that make ethical standards relevant to daily work.

• Partner with ERCO colleagues to co-develop integrated workshops highlighting the interplay between ethics, risk management, and compliance.

5. Risk‑based ethics and integrity monitoring

• Contribute to the risk‑based planning of ERCO’s work, identifying and prioritising areas of the Secretariat where ethics‑related risks are elevated (e.g., high‑value procurement etc).

• Use data from records, conflict-of-interest declarations, and training feedback to produce periodic ethics-risk and integrity dashboards for senior management, and propose preventive measures and controls (e.g., enhanced disclosure requirements, standardised ethics‑screening checklists for high‑risk activities) to reduce the likelihood and impact of ethics breaches.

6. Independence, governance, and external coordination

• Ensure that the ethics function operates with independence and objectivity, particularly in advisory and individual advisory record ‑handling roles, while maintaining constructive coordination with other divisions and senior management.

• Support ERCO's reporting to the Director-General and designated governance bodies on ethics-related issues and emerging risks, and represent the WTO Ethics Office in inter-agency or regional dialogues on public-sector ethics and integrity.

• Monitor international best practices in ethics and integrity management in other international organisations and adapt relevant lessons to the WTO context.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in ethics, international relations, law, public administration, or a related field.

Knowledge and Skills:

Technical knowledge and skills:

Proven experience advising on complex ethical issues, managing sensitive and confidential matters

Demonstrated ability to develop, implement, and evaluate ethics related policies, procedures, and organizational integrity mechanisms

Experience designing and delivering ethics training and awareness programmes for diverse audiences

Strong analytical skills in ethics risk assessment, conflict-of-interest management, and misconduct prevention

Excellent written and oral communication skills, including drafting policy documents, reports, and presentations for senior management and oversight bodies

Knowledge of current best practices relating to ethics and business conduct/practice.

Experience in multilateral organizations, international public institutions, or complex decentralized organizations.

Familiarity with WTO issues, trade‑related governance, or intergovernmental settings is considered an asset but not mandatory.

Information technology skills:

• Essential: Demonstrated ability to use enterprise systems and modern digital tools to support ethics advisory, reporting, and knowledge management functions. Proficiency in Microsoft Office and collaboration platforms (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive). Demonstrates interest in advancements in relevant IT tools and platforms and makes ongoing efforts to stay abreast of the latest developments.
• Desirable: Knowledge of PowerBi, Workday, and strong familiarity with AI assisted platforms, such as Microsoft Co-Pilot and other AI tools to enhance productivity, automate insights, leverage data, and support efficient workflows.

Behavioural skills

Integrity: Demonstrates honesty, ethical conduct, and consistency with stated principles.

Professionalism: Mastery of subject matter, reliability, and adherence to high standards.

Communication and working with people: Clear, sensitive communication and ability to work collaboratively across units and cultures.

Strong advisory, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work discreetly and build trust with diverse stakeholders.

Confidentiality, diplomacy, tact, and discretion.

Work experience:

A minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience in ethics, compliance, integrity, or related areas within an international organization, government, multilateral institution, large‑scale public‑sector entity or complex decentralized organizations.

Languages:

Full professional proficiency in English; working knowledge of French is desirable.

Organizational Competencies

Core Competencies:

•              Communicating for Results

•              Effective Collaboration

•              Cultivating Progressive Growth

•              Professional Accountability

•              Relevant Digital Proficiency

•              Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

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.

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.