Senior Country Liaison Officer and Programme Coordinator – Re-advertised – (International Position)

General Background

The OSC: The Organisation of Southern Cooperation (OSC) is an international intergovernmental organisation, founded in January 2020 by countries from across the Global South, to “contribute to the equitable, just, and prosperous social transformation of societies by promoting balanced and inclusive education, in order to attain the fundamental rights to liberty, justice, dignity, sustainability, social cohesion, and material and immaterial security for the peoples of the world”.

The CLUB: The Common Leveraging Union of Borrowers (CLUB) – a key instrument of the OSC – is an innovative solution to the several challenges and constraints faced today by sovereign borrowers in the Global South. The CLUB is a union of borrowing countries (OSC Member States) which have combined forces to jointly apply for development loans, oversee the national utilisation of the loan funds, and repay the borrowed amounts. This novel approach, which seeks to be operational in the next two years, has numerous potential benefits for low-income borrowers, including unhindered access to debt instruments, enhanced bargaining power in loan negotiations, and incentives for effective loan utilisation. The CLUB is hosted within the broader OSC organisation and is managed directly by the OSC’s Department of Financing for Development (FINDEV).

The main functions of FINDEV are to:

a. provide technical and policy support to Member States in developing context appropriate frameworks for the implementation of sustainable public private partnerships

b. host and support the Common Leveraging Union of Borrowers (CLUB)

c. collectively secure more favourable financing and debt relief for the CLUB members

d. reinforce the case and actively advocate for a more equitable international financial system considering the interests of Member States.

Role Summary

Under the overall authority of the Secretary-General, the guidance of the Under-Secretary-General for FINDEV, and the direct supervision of the CLUB Coordination Chief of Section, the Senior Country Liaison Officer manages the CLUB’s core functions at country level and acts as a liaison between OSC Member States and creditors. This is an external-facing role for a highly organised, motivated and personable individual who is keen to contribute to OSC’s mission to assist Member States secure sustainable funding. This position provides the unique opportunity of joining the core team of a new international organisation – contributing to its lasting construction and influencing its future trajectory – and an innovative international financing instrument.

Duties

• Liaise with senior government officials from OSC Member States to discuss financing needs, development gaps, debt issues, challenges related to credit access etc.;
• Act as a liaison between creditors and OSC Member States and ensure that each country’s requirements and voices are heard during the debt origination phase;
• Work together with the CLUB Coordination Chief of Section and the Senior Investment Officer to review loan proposals submitted by OSC Member States;
• Facilitate meetings and workshops between Member States to discuss progress on the CLUB’s negotiations, creditor views, challenges, opportunities etc.;
• Responsible for coordinating all activities under the CLUB which inter alia include setting goals and objectives, defining roles and producing schedules and timelines for tasks, tracking team’s progress and report regularly to the CLUB Coordination Chief of Section and the Under-Secretary-General for FINDEV;
• Act as a point of contact for all inquiries related to the CLUB from OSC Member States.

Competencies

• Highly skilled in coordinating global/regional development programs;
• Ability to travel extensively, sometimes on short notice;
• Strong interpersonal and organizational abilities as well as excellent written and oral communication skills;
• Experience in living/working in a developing country;
• Excellent cross-cultural communication and diplomatic skills with a proven track record;
• Excellent networking and negotiation skills; credibility and confidence in relating to and dealing with people from various backgrounds;
• Ability to operate sensitively and effectively in a multicultural environment and deal with cross-cultural sensitivity.

Qualifications

• At least 7 years of experience in working with multiple officials from developing countries either as being employed by an international financial institution, international or regional organisation, diplomatic service and/or public service body;
• Master’s degree (or higher) preferably in political science, economics, finance, international development or related fields.

Language Requirements

Candidate must at least be fluent in English and French, and additional fluency in one or more other official languages (Arabic, Spanish) is an asset.

Apply

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• Subject: Job Title

This position is based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and open to international applicants. (Applications South America and Asia Pacific highly encouraged).

Female Candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Position open until filled.