Head, Labour Law and Reform Unit

Introduction

The position is located in the Labour Law and Reform Unit of the Governance and Tripartism Department (GOVERNANCE), within the ILO’s Policy Portfolio.
 
GOVERNANCE develops advice on labour laws and assistance on labour law reforms based on ILO conventions and recommendations, and on best comparative practices. It provides state-of-the-art technical support and capacity-building to labour ministries, and assists labour inspectorates to build capacity and develop strategies to achieve compliance with labour laws, including occupational safety and health laws. It advocates and helps constituents to build strong and functional institutions and processes for social dialogue. The Department includes ILO programmes to realize fundamental labour rights. It incorporates the following Branches and Units: Labour Administration, Labour Inspection and Occupational Safety and Health; Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work; Better Work; Social Dialogue and Tripartism and Labour Law and Reform.

The overall mandate of the Labour Law and Reform Unit is to promote social justice by providing support to governments and employers and workers’ organizations to establish the rule of law and good governance in the field of labour and employment. The Unit seeks to provide proactive and integrated policy advice on what labour law and labour dispute resolution systems can do, drawing on experience from other countries. This includes practical guidance on strengthening institutions to assure good governance in practice. In particular, the Unit provides services that seek to:

a) Increase the number of Member States which base their labour laws and other employment-related legislation on ILO standards and advice on best comparative practices, and which use tripartite consultative processes in the preparation of such legislation;

b) Assist Member States to improve access to justice in labour disputes by establishing and strengthening dispute resolution mechanisms, including through new ways of working and technologies, so that individual and collective disputes are dealt with efficiently, effectively and equitably; and so as to promote compliance with labour law, in coordination with labour inspectorates as appropriate;

c)Assist Member States to integrate gender into all aspects of labour law and labour dispute settlement.

Within the above mandate, the Head will lead the Labour Law and Reform Unit and will report to the Director of the Governance and Tripartism Department.

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Specific Duties

1. Lead, Plan, manage and coordinate the work of the Labour Law and Reform Unit, defining priorities in line with the overall vision of the Department, establishing relevant strategies in coordination with the field, and monitoring and evaluating their implementation.
2. Prepare and monitor strategic workplans for the Unit that respond to constituents’ needs and integrate work with other Branches or Units of the GOVERNANCE Department and, as appropriate, with other departments and field offices.
3. Coordinate the Unit's inputs into the development and implementation of the overall ILO Strategic Plan and the relevant Programme and Budget Outcomes.
4. Assume primary responsibility for providing technical advice to the ILO’s constituents on labour law reform and labour dispute resolution systems, based on International Labour Standards and best comparative practices, such as reviewing labour laws and other employment-related legislations and base the analyses on best comparative practices.
5. Identify strategic partnerships and mobilize resources to develop new tools and methods, including through the use of technology, to improve access to labour justice by strengthening dispute resolution mechanisms, including labour courts and industrial tribunals.
6. Build and maintain a global network with leading academics, practitioners, technologists, and researchers in the field of Labour Law and Reform and employment -related legislation.
7. Position the Unit as the central node in the global ILO network of specialists on labour law and labour dispute resolution, including by developing and implementing new Office knowledge products and tools, methods of work and technology to support labour law reforms, improved labour dispute resolution systems, and promotion of compliance with labour law.
8. Perform other relevant duties as required.
    

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

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).

Required qualifications

Education

An advanced university degree in law.

Experience

Ten to fifteen years’ practical experience of which at least seven years at the international level in labour law and labour relations. Demonstrated experience in the formulation of legal opinions and in providing high-level labour law advisory services. Demonstrated capacity to develop and to implement new approaches, methods and tools for use in advising ILO constituents. Demonstrated skill in undertaking comparative analytical research on a wide range of labour law-related policy questions, with particular attention to the inter-relations between regulation, industrial relations practices and labour market developments.

Languages

Excellent command of one official language (English, French, Spanish) of the Organization and a working knowledge of a second official language. One of these languages must be English. A knowledge of a third official language would be an advantage.

Competencies

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

Technical

A strategic vision in relation to labour law and labour relations. Ability to contribute effectively as a member of the GOVERNANCE management team on organizational issues and organizational priorities; assure technical leadership in developing and providing policy advice and carrying out the objectives of the Unit; design research studies and conduct comparative analyses involving the application of principles of law to the analysis of administrative, substantive and procedural problems of substantial intricacy; and to promulgate the results of research studies in a variety of ways, including academic quality publications.

Demonstrated and recognized technical and/or managerial leadership in carrying out the objectives and policies of the related work unit. Ability to manage large projects and to coordinate activities among projects. Demonstrated and recognized technical, advocacy and communication skills in policy development; 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 on policy and programme development; the ability to provide seasoned policy and programme advice to constituents; ability to understand purposes and approaches to policy advice and technical tools outside the specific area of technical expertise.

Behavioural

Strong interpersonal skills, tact, discretion, confidentiality and diplomacy. Demonstrated sound political judgment and capacity to work well in a tripartite context. Decision making skills and excellent problem-solving skills. The ability to work in a multicultural environment and to demonstrate gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory behaviour and attitudes.