Senior Industry Officer (P-4)

Position Remarks

This fixed-term appointment is for a duration of two years with a six-month probationary period, and is subject to the OPCW Staff Regulations and Interim Staff Rules, as applicable. The OPCW is a non-career organisation with limited staff tenure. The total length of service for Professional staff shall not exceed 7 years. The Director-General retains the discretion not to make any appointment to this vacancy, to make an appointment at a lower grade, or to make an appointment with a modified job description. Several vacancies may be filled.

Principal Functions

Under the general supervision of the Head, Industry Verification Branch, and in accordance with the OPCW Core Values of Integrity, Professionalism and Respect for Diversity/Gender Equality, the incumbent performs the following primary duties and one or more in a back-up capacity, as indicated in sections 2 and 3:
1.    Executes short-term planning of allocated inspections under Article VI (Activities not Prohibited) of the Convention, supervises their execution and facilitates the production of Final Inspection Reports (FIRs) by the Inspection Teams (ITs) within the provisions of the OPCW Confidentiality Regime and the timelines of the Convention by:
·Accessing all declarations and other documentation relevant to the inspection site, evaluating the declared information and deciding on whether the chemicals are scheduled and thresholds are appropriate for inspection;
· Deciding the requirement for number of inspectors for specific mission;
· Briefing the IT on technical, treaty-related and policy issues in relation to the inspection;
· Monitoring the on-site progress of the inspection and guiding and advising the IT while on-site to meet its mandate and to resolve all problematic issues during the mission;
· Debriefing the IT upon its return to The Hague on technical, treaty-related and/or policy issues;
· Advising on issues requiring further attention, uncertainties and/or possible violations of provisions of the and deciding on which issues, if any, are to be brought to the attention of top-management;
· Drafting the letter to the inspected State Party on the inspection;
· Reviewing the Risk Assessment for Schedule 1 facilities and Schedule 2 plant sites performed by the IT;
· Communicating and meeting with the inspected State Party representatives to resolve issues requiring further;
· Participating in Technical Visits to States Parties resulting from inspection activities;
· Negotiating to conclude or update Facility Agreements with the States Parties;
· Acting as Chief Technical Planning Officer when assigned in the case of challenge inspections at industrial facilities, etc.

2.    Support other Verification Branches as required.
· Developing, supporting and implementing a consistent verification regime at chemical weapons production facilities (CWPF) and at chemical weapons destruction facilities (CWDF) in support to CDB when needed.

3.    Supports Management of the Branch, the Division and the Secretariat by:
· Making recommendations and advising Management on chemistry and industry-related technical issues on the basis of acquired expertise and on treaty compliance and/or policy matters to facilitate the political decision-taking process;
· Selecting plant sites and facilities declared under Article VI of the Convention for the medium term inspection plan and preparing the schedule of inspections;
· Writing papers on industry-related and Convention-related subjects for briefing of or use by Management;
· Advising and making recommendations to representatives of States Parties, Industry Associations, individual industrial companies and/or groups, NGOs and other outside organisations on industry-related and Convention-related subjects;
· Developing SOPs, guidelines and other working procedures related to the activities of the Branch and Division'
· Making recommendations on the implementation of the OPCW Confidentiality Regime on the basis of practical experience in working in the Security Critical Area.
· Acting as Branch Head when designated to do so;
· Serving on various Secretariat Committees and/or Councils, etc.;

4.    Supports the work of the Policy Making Organs (PMOs) of the OPCW by:
· Advising and assisting the designated Facilitators of the Industry Cluster Consultations of the Executive Council on issues within their purview, attending Industry Cluster Consultations as Secretariat expert;
· Discussing issues relating to the work of the PMOs with Delegations and providing advice to the delegates, etc.;

5.    Represents the Secretariat in contacts with outside organisations and provides inputs to Secretariat training programs.

6.    International Duty Travel to be undertaken as per the requirement of the assignment.

Performs other duties as required.

Knowledge and Skills

Education (Qualifications):
Essential: An advanced university degree in the fields of chemical engineering and/or organic chemistry, or a closely related field, from an accredited college or university. Qualifications in both chemical engineering and organic chemistry would be an asset. A relevant first level university degree in combination with qualifying experience (minimum nine years) may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Equivalent or specialized training in combination with at least thirteen years of relevant professional experience may be accepted in lieu of a university degree.

Desirable: An additional degree in business or management (MBA) would be an asset.

Skills and Abilities (key competencies):
· Excellent communication skills (verbal and written) including the ability to prepare reports.
· Strong analytical and conceptual skills.
· Tact, discretion, and the ability to work harmoniously in a multi-cultural environment.
· Demonstrable ability to work with the confines of a strict confidentiality regime.

Experience

Essential: A minimum of 7 years of hands-on, practical in-plant experience with chemical operations in the chemical industry with advanced degree, 9 years with first level degree, 13 years with equivalent or specialized training, involving:Industrial chemistry support for product development or chemical production, and/or conduct of plant operations; and/or chemical process design/development + process optimisation; and /or process safety activities, including quantitative risk assessment, hazard and operability studies, auditing, etc., and/or R&D chemical development or R&D chemical process design in agrochemicals or pharmaceuticals, plant design or scale-up planning.
(chemical business management, sales &/or govt admin of chemical industry will not be regarded as relevant experience)
Experience in multiple types of chemical operations, with multiple chemical technologies and working in a toxic environment while wearing personal protective equipment.
Desirable: International experience

Languages

Fluency in English is essential and a good working knowledge of one of the other official languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish) is desirable.

Salary Remarks

Total annual salary consists of a net annual salary (net of taxes and before medical insurance and provident fund deductions) in US$ and a post adjustment. The post adjustment (cost of living allowance) is variable and subject to change without notice in accordance with the rates as set within the UN Common System for salaries and allowances. The figure quoted on the right, is based on the July 2017 rate of 35.7%.