Date:  Chief Technical Advisor

Under the overall direction of the Director General, and in close collaboration with all organizational entities within UNIDO, in particular the Office of Change Management (ODG/CHM), the Office of Legal Affairs and Compliance (ODG/LEG), the Office of Strategic Planning and UN Engagement (ODG/SPU), and the Office of Evaluation and Internal Oversight (EIO), the Directorate of SDG Innovation and Economic Transformation (IET), headed by a Managing Director, is responsible for the development of innovative UNIDO services in the areas of agro-industry and agribusiness, sustainability standards and fair production, and climate-relevant or climate-improving technologies. It is also, in collaboration with ODG, responsible for developing innovative technical cooperation concepts, identifying new sources and means of finance and entering into new partnerships with a broad range of relevant stakeholders.

The Directorate houses the Divisions of Quality, Impact and Accountability (IET/QUA), Agribusiness and Infrastructure Development (IET/AGR), Innovative Finance and International Financial Institutions (IET/IFI), Fair Production, Sustainability Standards and Trade (IET/PST), Public-Private Partnerships (IET/PPP), and Climate and Technology Partnerships (IET/CTP). The Directorate also ensures close coordination and collaboration among the Divisions and relevant entities in the Directorate of Global Partnerships and External Relations (GLO) and the Directorate of Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Industrial Development (TCS).

Division of Fair Production, Sustainability Standards and Trade (IET/PST)

Under the overall guidance of the Director General, the direct supervision of the Managing Director, Directorate of SDG Innovation and Economic Transformation (IET), and in close coordination with other organizational entities within UNIDO, the Division of Fair Production, Sustainability Standards and Trade (IET/PST) develops and implements an innovative service package in response to UNIDO's mandate for fair and responsible local industrial production and trade with a particular focus on building the required skills and capacities and foster a conducive business operating environment to ensure that such production and trade are as inclusive as possible, promoting – among others – the development of human capital through vocational training and industrial skills development. In collaboration with IET/IFI, IET/PPP, TCS/SME, TCS/CPA, and GLO/MSR, the Division will conceptualize and negotiate such services and raise funds from Member States, development partners, IFIs, and the private sector to coordinate their effective implementation and devise ways in which their implementation can be brought to scale. This will include cross-cutting and sector-specific initiatives for sustainable supply/value chain and skills development in industrial sectors where UNIDO has, over the years, accumulated expertise, such as agro-industries, fisheries, textiles, leather, light manufacturing, health, mining, automotive and pharma and others. It will do so through close engagement with Member States, private sector associations, industrial enterprises, international quality, standards and trade-related governing bodies, other UN Agencies (e.g. ILO), development partners, NGOs and consumer associations, as appropriate, ensuring solid and operational partnerships.

Skills Development, Entrepreneurship and Fair Production Unit (IET/PST/SEF)

The Skills Development, Entrepreneurship and Fair Production Unit supports Member States in integrating into the emerging global systems of fair and sustainable trade and supply chains. It aims 62 to increase employability, strengthen access to decent employment, augment job retention, and increase access to qualified workforce by the industry, through modern technical and vocational education and training (TVET), professional education and entrepreneurship systems essential for driving sustainable transition. Central to its mandate is the commitment to provide the skills required to enabling sustainable supply chain practices, ensuring resilience, particularly at the firm level, and addressing the challenges and opportunities arising from new due diligence regulations. To this end, it provides specialized and country-tailored assistance to Member States to skill, upskill, and/or reskill their labour force and enhance their entrepreneurship capacity, it implements demand driven educational approaches, leverages partnerships with the private sector and strengthens institutional and firm-level capacities that fortify sustainable supply chains, with emphasis on the most vulnerable. It places importance on mitigating unintended consequences stemming from due diligence regulations, ensuring that all actors, especially at firm-level, are equipped to navigate through these changes. The Unit promotes innovation in learning, concepts and norms to augment the quality, relevance, attractiveness and accessibility of TVET for sustainable industrial employment and self-employment for the most vulnerable. The Unit also deploys foresight and planning instruments to guide Member States in developing industrial skills of future employees and respond to re-skilling and up-skilling requirements tailored for sustainable supply chains.

PROJECT CONTEXT

The Island of Mindanao in the Philippines has undergone social unrest in the past decades due to the Moro Conflict. Since 1960s, political tensions and open hostilities have developed between Philippines’ Government and Moro Muslim rebel groups. To defuse these tensions, lengthy peace negotiations have led to the formation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) in 2019. Philippines’ and BARMM’s political commitment will be fundamental to ensure Bangsamoro’s institutional strengthening. Collaboration of foreign donors to ensure institutional strengthening and delivery of peace dividends will also be fundamental in the coming years to enhance BARMM’s socio-economic conditions & human security.

The UNIDO action fits in this context by supporting the development of BARMM’s Agribusiness Sector. The action aims to support agribusinesses in post-conflict Bangsamoro to increase their sales to the Filipino market and their exports to the market of Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-the Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA)

General Objective

To contribute to the achievement of this objective the action will aim to ensure that:

1. BARMM’s institutions enforce the implementation of the reviewed Halal and sea products’ standards and certification procedures (Outcome 1);
2. Local testing laboratories are upgraded to ensure compliance to the reviewed Halal and sea products’ standards (Outcome 2); and
3.  Supported local agribusinesses obtain the certification for the reviewed Halal and sea products’ standards (Outcome 3).

To achieve these outcomes the support will be threefold:

1. Institutional support is provided to BARMM to review and to implement Halal and sea products’ standards and relevant agreements (Output 1);

2. Capacity development program is carried out to help local testing laboratories to be upgraded (Output 2); and

3. Skills development and technology transfer program is delivered to selected local agribusinesses to comply with Halal and sea products’ standards (Output 3).

4.Capacity development activities for the relevant stakeholders will include an integrated skills development and a technology transfer program.

UNIDO’s intervention will be part of a larger EU intervention: EU Bangsamoro Agri-Enterprise Programme (EU BAEP) - towards peaceful, cohesive, secure & inclusive development in Bangsamoro. EU BAEP is designed to deliver on two major outcomes:

Outcome 1: Local agricultural production is improved in quality, diversity, consolidation and its response to the needs of the market;

Outcome 2: BARRM has an elaborate policy and strategy for further development and investment promotion in Agri-business. Outcome 2 will include:

• Output 2.1 (The capacities and systems for specific agricultural and sea product quality procedures are improved);
• Output 2.2 (BARMM agri-business development and investment promotion strategy is elaborated and implemented).

FUNCTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

The CTA will work under the overall guidance and supervision of the Project Manager (PM) and the Industrial Development Expert (IDE) at UNIDO HQ and assume responsibility for implementing all project activities in close coordination with project partners.

The incumbent will undertake the following duties:

MINIMUM ORGANIZATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Education

Advanced university degree in international development, agribusiness management, agricultural development, business administration, economics, enterprise development, food systems, engineering, or other relevant discipline is required.

Technical and Functional Experience and skills

• A minimum of seven (7) years of international professional experience in the area of economic development within private or public sector organizations is required.
• Experience related to agricultural value chain/enterprise development is desirable.
• Good understanding of the skills and training needs and challenges in productive sectors in developing countries is required.
• Experience in working in developing countries, including in complex contexts and/or remote areas, and as part of multicultural teams is desirable; prior experience in Southeast Asia is desirable.
• Experience in working with the UN system, international organizations or non-governmental organizations and/or with the donor community, is desirable.
• Willingness to travel to and within the Philippines is required.

Languages

Fluency in written and spoken English is required.

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES

Core Values

WE LIVE AND ACT WITH INTEGRITY: work honestly, openly and impartially.

WE SHOW PROFESSIONALISM: work hard and competently in a committed and responsible manner.

WE RESPECT DIVERSITY: work together effectively, respectfully and inclusively, regardless of our differences in culture and perspective.

Key Competencies

WE FOCUS ON PEOPLE: cooperate to fully reach our potential –and this is true for our colleagues as well as our clients. Emotional intelligence and receptiveness are vital parts of our UNIDO identity.

WE FOCUS ON RESULTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES: focus on planning, organizing and managing our work effectively and efficiently. We are responsible and accountable for achieving our results and meeting our performance standards. This accountability does not end with our colleagues and supervisors, but we also owe it to those we serve and who have trusted us to contribute to a better, safer and healthier world.

WE COMMUNICATE AND EARN TRUST: communicate effectively with one another and build an environment of trust where we can all excel in our work.

WE THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX AND INNOVATE: To stay relevant, we continuously improve, support innovation, share our knowledge and skills, and learn from one another.