Title:  International Value Chain Development Expert

 ​​Requisition ID: 6675 
Grade: ISA-P4 
Country: Botswana 
Duty Station: Gaborone 
Category: International Consultant 
Type of Job Posting: Internal and External
Employment Type: Non-staff Regular
Contract Duration: 6 months (with the possibility of extension)
Application Deadline: 26-Nov-2025, 11:59 PM (Vienna, Austria time)

Vacancy Announcement
TEMPORARY APPOINTMENT OF PROJECT PERSONNEL
Female candidates are encouraged to apply.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is the specialized agency of the United Nations that promotes industrial development for poverty reduction, inclusive globalization and environmental sustainability.  The mission UNIDO, as described in the Lima Declaration adopted at the fifteenth session of the UNIDO General Conference in 2013 as well as the Abu Dhabi Declaration adopted at the eighteenth session of UNIDO General Conference in 2019, is to promote and accelerate inclusive and sustainable industrial development (ISID) in Member States. The relevance of ISID as an integrated approach to all three pillars of sustainable development is recognized by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which will frame United Nations and country efforts towards sustainable development. UNIDO’s mandate is fully recognized in SDG-9, which calls to “Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation”. The relevance of ISID, however, applies to a greater or lesser extent to all SDGs.

The medium-term programme framework (MTPF) is UNIDO’s core strategic document. As the Organization moves from the 2022–2025 cycle to the 2026–2029 MTPF, it sets a renewed vision to support Member States shape their industries for development. The new priorities include renewable and clean energy, sustainable access and climate action, ending hunger through innovation and local value addition, and fair and sustainable global and regional supply chains. Cross-cutting priorities focus on industrial and economic policy advice, skills development, fostering digitalization and artificial intelligence, gender equality and the empowerment of women, supporting youth, promoting cleaner production and circular economy, and leveraging private sector investment and development finance.

Each of these programmatic fields of activity contains a number of individual programmes, which are implemented in a holistic manner to achieve effective outcomes and impacts through UNIDO’s four enabling functions: (i) technical cooperation; (ii) analytical and research functions and policy advisory services; (iii) normative functions and standards and quality-related activities; and (iv) convening and partnerships for knowledge transfer, networking and industrial cooperation. Such core functions are carried out in Divisions/Offices in its Headquarters, Sub-regional Offices and Country Offices.

Under the overall direction of the Director General, and in close collaboration with all relevant organizational entities within UNIDO, the Directorate of Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Industrial Development (TCS), headed by a Managing Director, ensures the Organization's application of strategies and interventions for sustainable industrial development related to environment, energy, Micro, Small and Medium-Enterprises (MSMEs), and digitalization. The Directorate also oversees the Organization's normative contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals through industrial policy advice and capacity development. Through coordination in-house and with Member States and industry stakeholders, it ensures that the services provided in these areas contribute to effective and appropriate technical, business and policy solutions and are focused on results, scaling up and positioning UNIDO as a leading platform for industrial development in developing countries and global fora.

The Directorate is responsible for the Division of Industrial Policy Advice and Capacity Development (TCS/IPC), and technical Divisions of Circular Economy and Green Industry (TCS/CEG), Energy and Climate Action (TCS/ECA), Climate Innovation and Montreal Protocol (TCS/CMP); MSME Competitiveness, Quality and Job Creation (TCS/SME); and Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence (TCS/DAI). Leveraging the diverse skill sets of UNIDO personnel and the services provided by the two TC directorates, TCS collaborates closely with IET to develop and implement programmes and projects, aiming at enhancing synergy and complementarity and maximizing UNIDO corporate performance and impacts on the ground. The Directorate also ensures close coordination and collaboration among the Divisions as well as with relevant entities in all Directorates across the Organization.

The Division of MSME Competitiveness, Quality and Job Creation (TCS/SME) works towards increasing the competitiveness of industries in developing countries and countries in transition, especially emphasizing business development of MSMEs engaged in manufacturing and creating jobs therein. It aims at increasing competitiveness among MSMEs in two interconnected ways: first, by modernizing businesses through the transfer of advanced technologies adapted to local conditions, product innovation, productivity improvement and upgrading, developing market and value chain readiness as well as improved access to finance; and second, by improving the quality of MSME manufactured products and their compliance with market requirements through capacity building for the development of industrial production and trade-related quality infrastructure including for standardization, metrology, accreditation and of conformity assessment service institutions (testing, certification, inspection and calibration) and the strengthening of their capacities.

PROJECT CONTEXT

ID 240325 - Africa Trade Competitiveness and Market Access (ATCMA) Programme – SADC

The EU-funded Africa Trade Competitiveness and Market Access (ATCMA) Programme, a Sub-Saharan African initiative aims at sustainably increasing intra-African and EU-Africa trade. In addition to a continental component, the programme comprises five regional components in the ECOWAS, COMESA, SADC, ECCAS and EAC regions, building on existing or previous regional programmes (WACOMP in West Africa, MARKUP in East Africa, PIQAC in Central Africa, RECAMP and SIPS in Southern Africa).  

The overall focus of this four-year ATCMA SADC Programme is to address market access challenges faced by selected value chains in the southern African region, through two pillars:

1. The programme will spearhead the identification of trade barriers, being those tariffs, non-tariff barriers, as well as regulatory constraints, and support SADC and its Member States in formulating and implementing targeted strategies to address these challenges. Further it will enhance the regional and national quality infrastructure systems by defining quality-related policies and good governance strategies and strengthening selected quality infrastructure institutions at the national and regional levels. As success hinges on complementing the overall governance with a robust value chain approach, the programme will focus on ensuring market access for specific target value chains to be selected through a consultative process.

2. The programme will prioritize the enhancement of export competitiveness as a crucial enabler towards trade development, anchoring its interventions around the strengthening of MSMEs capacities and ensuring their compliance with regulatory frameworks. A pivotal role will be played by the private sector and business associations that will facilitate the implementation of services aimed at enhancing export competitiveness and maximizing opportunities for MSMEs. Forward looking and innovative practices will be at the core of the programme’s approach. Moreover, the intervention will support the development of sustainable (green, blue, circular and climate-neutral) policies, strategies and actions for the target value chains. It will promote the development of clusters and consortia fostering resilient business alliances and reliable institutional networks, and support MSMEs access to innovative financing and investment solutions.

The programme is thematically structured into five components leading to 5 outputs as follows:

In relation to Specific Objective 1:

Output 1.1: Market access barriers identified and reduced

Output 1.2: Strengthened quality compliance and standards

Output 1.3: Value-chain revision mechanism facilitated

In relation to Specific Objective 2:

Output 2.1: Enhanced value addition and diversification

Output 2.2: Enhanced SME capacities and opportunities for business and export

While UNIDO is in charge of implementing output 1.2 and 2.1., ITC is responsible for the implementation of output 1.1, 1.3 and 2.2.

To ensure an overall coherent umbrella ATCMA framework, coordination and complementarity between the Continental component and sub-regional components will be ensured throughout the overall programme implementation. 

FUNCTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

The International Expert on value chain development works under the direct supervision of the programme manager coordinating Output 2.1 at UNIDO HQ, and the overall guidance of the UNIDO Industrial Development Officer responsible for the project (Lead Programme Manager) at UNIDO HQ, in close collaboration with the Industrial Development Expert at UNIDO HQ, the Regional Programme Manager in Gaborone, and the UNIDO-ITC project teams in Gaborone.

Main Duties

Project Management and Implementation:

• Elaborate the work plan for Output 2.1 and supervise the implementation of its activities from the technical perspective to ensure quality and impact of interventions.
• Ensure the daily technical coordination of the output in cooperation with all relevant stakeholders.
• Provide technical inputs to the work plan, progress report, final report and any other reports/documents as requested, and in compliance with UNIDO and the donor guidelines and requirements.
• Ensure synergies with programmes conducted by other organizations or institutions and with other UNIDO projects in the region.
• In collaboration with the Regional Programme Manager, assist the UNIDO team at HQ in monitoring and evaluating the progress and the impact of the programme interventions under output 2.1, as well as the impact on the products’ quality and on the performance of the selected MSMEs and manufacturers.
• Report obstacles, problems and shortcomings to the programme manager coordinating Output 2.1 and the team at HQ in order to coordinate the introduction of rapid remedial measures.
• Undertake travels as required by the programme activities.
• Provide briefing, guidance, training and technical inputs to experts for developing and implementing technical assistance activities across the programme´s outputs.
• Lead and/or participate in meetings/workshops/seminars to publicize the project as requested.
• Support the lead programme manager, programme manager coordinating Output 2.1 and the team at HQ in the preparation of administrative, technical, and financial files for the subcontracting of equipment and services, including calls for tenders.
• Support the lead programme manager and the monitoring expert in tracking the progress of the project through collecting relevant data and providing necessary information.

Technical advice and implementation

• Identify and liaise with the key national and regional stakeholders, partners and decision makers from the industrial ecosystem in SADC
• Jointly define and validate an enterprise upgrading approach (based on the priority value chains) and set the selection criteria for beneficiary enterprises.
• Support the development of enterprise diagnosis tools, Job Descriptions, and Terms of Reference for experts and service providers, and participate in the evaluation of candidates/offers.
• Preparation of the call for application and the selection and evaluation of the final list of beneficiaries based on the agreed criteria (in consultation with the programme stakeholders)
• Identification of experts from the region and the establishment of a pool of experts to serve the enterprise upgrading and modernization activities.
• Create and maintain a database of beneficiary enterprises.
• Support the diagnosis process of beneficiary enterprises by preparing an awareness package to explain the approach and the expected results.
• Establish a communication channel with the beneficiary enterprises and ensure the flow of communication.
• Supervise the process of diagnosis and implementation of capacity building activities, including the missions of the experts, outcome of the missions, preparation of reports, ToRs, etc.
• Ensure that the different upgrading activities are implemented with high quality and ensure the delivery of equipment and training in line with the ToRs and contractual terms to the satisfaction of UNIDO.
• Ensure monitoring and follow-up of activities with enterprises to ensure the positive impact of the intervention.
• Support the organization of capacity building activities, study tours, and regional workshops.
• Support the development of roadmaps for the priority value chains.
• Contribute to the development of different tools, platforms, and initiatives aimed at strengthening digitalization, innovation and R&D along the value chains.
• Support access to finance and investment activities and interventions in the region in alignment with EU Global Gateway priorities, and EU Business Forum events, aimed to mobilize investment in enterprises in selected value chains.
• Support centre of excellence establishment and upgrading-related activities.

Coordination:

• Liaise with all the relevant UNIDO divisions and project managers responsible for the implementation of activities under output 2.1 of the programme and ensure smooth and regular communication on the status and progress of Output 2.1 between the PMU and UNIDO HQ.
• Ensure that the different technical inputs from different activities under Output 2.1 are orchestrated and coordinated to serve the final goal of Output 2.1. by promoting synergies and a coherent intervention logic so that activities are implemented efficiently, maximizing impact, and optimizing resources to ensure optimal cost-effectiveness.
• Establish a mechanism to ensure that the technical inputs, activities and initiatives are all well-aligned among the different UNIDO output/activity managers.
• Support the Regional Programme Manager in coordinating with regional stakeholders, including national Governments, the SADC Secretariat and institutions and national Focal Points (from both public and private sectors) to ensure strong programme ownership, effective collaboration and the successful delivery of programme outcomes related to value addition and diversification.
• Ensure gender and social inclusion in any type of interventions under Output 2.1 and manage project data disaggregated by sex and age.

Reporting:

• Develop the reporting plan with clear structure, responsibility, deliverables and timelines/deadlines.
• Prepare short monthly progress reports for the progress of Output 2.1.
• Prepare ad-hoc Programme reports upon request of UNIDO and the counterparts.
• Support the Regional Monitoring and Evaluation expert by providing relevant and timely inputs linked to Output 2.1.
• Contribute to enhancing the visibility of the project as well as UNIDO by providing relevant and timely inputs linked to Output 2.1 of the programme to the Regional Advocacy and Outreach expert,and promote stakeholders' engagement in areas relevant to value chain development.

Other activities:

• Support other related duties and assignments as required by the project manager.

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.

MINIMUM ORGANIZATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Education: Advanced university degree (master’s or equivalent) in economics, trade, sciences, engineering, business management, or similar field relevant to UNIDO’s mandate, is required.

Technical and Functional Experience:

• A minimum of 7 years of relevant professional experience in the areas of enterprise upgrading, digital transformation, trade competitiveness, market access, industrial development and/or private sector development, is required.
• Experience involving technical cooperation in one or more SADC countries (United Nations, other international organizations, etc.), is required.
• Exposure to the needs, conditions and problems in the SADC region, is required.
• Experience in implementing, coordinating and monitoring technical cooperation projects, is required.
• Experience dealing with sustainable development challenges is required.
• Experience in implementing multi-country/regional technical assistance projects, is desirable.
• Experience with programmes funded by the EU, is desirable.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, with the ability to convey complex information clearly and effectively, is required.
• Strong command of office software (PowerPoint, Word, Excel, Outlook), is required.

Languages: Fluency in written and spoken English is required. Fluency or working knowledge of French and/or Portuguese is an asset.

This appointment is limited to the specified project(s) only and does not carry any expectation of renewal.
Employees of UNIDO are expected at all times to uphold the highest standards of integrity, professionalism and respect for diversity, both at work and outside. Only persons who fully and unconditionally commit to these values should consider applying for jobs at UNIDO.

All applications must be submitted online through the Online Recruitment System. Correspondence will be undertaken only with candidates who are being considered at an advanced phase of the selection process. Selected candidate(s) may be required to disclose to the Director General the nature and scope of financial and other personal interests and assets in respect of themselves, their spouses and dependents, under the procedures established by the Director General.

Visit the UNIDO website for details on how to apply: www.unido.org

NOTE: The Director General retains the discretion to make an appointment to this post at a lower level. 

Notice to applicants:
UNIDO does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. If you have received a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Vacant positions within UNIDO are advertised on the official UNIDO website. Should you have any questions concerning persons or companies claiming to be recruiting on behalf of UNIDO and requesting payment of a fee, please contact: recruitment@unido.org