Senior Specialist on Occupational Safety and Health (OSH)

The position is located in the Decent Work Technical Support Team for East, South East Asia and the Pacific and ILO Country Office for Thailand, Cambodia and Lao PDR (DWT/CO-Bangkok). DWT/CO-Bangkok provides support to the work of ILO Country Offices in assisting governments, employers' and workers' organisations in East and South-East Asia and the Pacific in their efforts to promote decent work. This support includes technical and policy advice, information and analyses covering a wide range of specific subjects within the core areas of the ILO’s mandate.

The Senior Specialist will provide technical advisory services, including provision of technical advice on occupational safety and health (OSH) and working conditions; technical analysis of OSH developments, issues and challenges in the national OSH policies and programmes; technical advice on the preparation and up-dating of ILO strategies and programmes and related research and analysis; and technical advice on the design, implementation and evaluation of result-oriented projects directed to providing support to ILO constituents. The Senior Specialist will also be responsible for technical backstopping of a range of development cooperation projects and for providing support towards the OSH components of other projects.

The position reports to the Director of DWT/CO-Bangkok and receives technical guidance and advice from the Labour Administration, Labour Inspection and OSH Branch (LABADMIN/OSH) at headquarters. The incumbent will work in cooperation with other technical specialists of the DWT/CO with a view to integrating and implementing OSH components in Decent Work Country Programmes. The successful candidate will be a member of the ILO Global Technical Team (GTT) on LABADMIN/OSH.

1. Take a lead in supporting member States in preparing national OSH profiles and in developing and implementing National OSH Policies and Programmes aiming at placing OSH high on national agendas.

2. Promote the ratification and application of the ILO OSH Standards in particular the Promotional Framework for OSH Convention, 2006 (No 187), the Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1981 (No 155) in line with the ILO Plan of Action to achieve widespread ratification and effective implementation of the OSH instruments through a tailored approach at the national level.

3. Promote the strategic application of the ILO Guidelines on Occupational and Safety and Health Management Systems (ILO-OSH 2001). This will include integrating the OSH management system promotion in the national OSH strategy to support implementation in the enterprises.

4. Support the strengthening of national OSH systems including OSH legislation, compliance with OSH laws, occupational accident and disease reporting systems, OSH knowledge and information, education and training. This will involve working with constituents to jointly analyse the national OSH situation, develop programmes and advise in selecting priority areas for development.

5. Support employers' and workers' organizations in developing their OSH capacity and programmes. Give overall guidance and organizational and technical advice.

6. Review and analyse national OSH situations throughout the countries covered by DWT/CO-Bangkok with a view to identifying issues specific to the region and promoting regional collaboration on OSH. Gather, analyse, promote and share information on OSH, in order to support policy-making, programme development and awareness, and collaborate with LABADMIN/OSH to increase knowledge sharing globally.

7. Develop and coordinate work for the development of technical tools on OSH applicable to the region and/or countries. These tools will be guided by existing tools developed and used by LABADMIN/OSH.

8. Extend adequate OSH protection to vulnerable groups of workers, in particular migrant and women, global supply chains, small enterprises, the rural and the informal economy by developing action-oriented research, developing, adapting and using strategies and methods that respond to their specific needs and circumstances.

9. Promote regional cooperation and integration in OSH with ASEAN-OSHNET, WHO and other UN and international organizations.

10. Design and organize high level technical conferences, symposia, workshops or meetings covering OSH.

11. Develop concept notes, project documents, logframes, assist with recruitment and backstop development cooperation programmes on OSH.

12. Maintain close interaction, communication and dialogue with LABADMIN/OSH in relation to all of the above tasks for effects of consistency and similarity of methods and processes, and in particular assisting to implement projects under the flagship safety and health for all programme.

13. Perform other relevant duties as assigned.

These specific duties are aligned with the relevant ILO generic job description, which includes the following generic duties:

1. Lead, organize, plan, supervise and control the work of a technical unit (including managerial functions).
2. Design and promote a wide range of special subject-matter-related programmes, This involves analysis of complex or conflicting data, statistics, information or policy guidelines in a manner requiring the advanced application of principles of a recognized technical specialization. 
3. Develop and review an institutional framework, in which social partners can best improve, implement and evaluate efficient and equitable ILO action programmes.
4. Assume full responsibility for policy formulation and providing policy advice to ILO’s constituents on institutional strengthening, the application of ILO standards and the promotion of development cooperation activities.
5. Develop project design, review proposals, formulate, revise and submit project proposals and negotiate funding.
6. Evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the project activities.
7. Lead technical advisory missions.
8. Conduct seminars, workshops and technical meetings.
9. Prepare recommendations and guidelines for discussion and adoption as ILO recommendations on related technical fields.
10. Write manuals and training guides on related topics.
11. Disseminate information on action programmes through publications and press releases as well as ensuring representation at donors’ meetings, international, regional and national fora and advocacy campaigns.
12. Monitor and coordinate research carried out by junior technical officers and external collaborators.
13. Provide technical inputs to office documents (sectoral meetings, technical committees, conference reports, Director General’s report to ILC).

Advanced university degree in engineering, industrial hygiene, medicine, labour law, public administration or other relevant field with demonstrated expertise in OSH.

Ten to fifteen years' experience in OSH of which at least seven years at the international level. Experience in developing or supporting national OSH programmes and extending safety and health protection at workplace level, particularly in developing countries, would be an advantage.

Excellent command of English. A working knowledge of another official language (French, Spanish) of the Organization would be an advantage.

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

Demonstrated and recognized technical and /or managerial leadership in carrying out the objectives and policies of the related work unit, demonstrated technical expertise to devise new methods, concepts, approaches and techniques, leading to development of ILO standards and technical guidelines and ability to prepare ILO strategy reports in the related field for programme development, the ability to provide policy advice and the ability to manage large projects to coordinate activities among projects. Ability to conduct discussions and negotiate occupational safety and health matters with governments, employers' and workers' organizations, non-governmental organizations, development banks and with other agencies as well as top-level professionals in related fields. Knowledge of ILO procedures is an advantage. Ability to demonstrate a high level of accountability. Proven communications skills, both written and verbal. Initiative, mature judgement, ability to assume and discharge responsibility. Ability to work in a multicultural environment and demonstrate gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory behaviour and attitudes.