JOB DESCRIPTION

Org. Setting and Reporting This position is located in the Division of Production, Productivity and Management of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. The Economic Affairs Officer reports to the Chief of Division. The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean is one of the five regional Commissions of the United Nations. It was founded in 1948 with the purpose of contributing to the region”s economic and social development. Its mission includes the design, monitoring and evaluation of public policies and the provision of advisory services, expertise and training to Governments, as well as support for regional and international cooperation and coordination activities. Please visit our website at www.eclac.org for further information.

Responsibilities Within delegated authority, the duties of an Economic Affairs Officer are likely to fall mainly into one of the functional areas identified below: Economic or sector analysis:

• Assist in the identification of recurring and emerging issuesof concern to the United Nations.
• Assist senior staff in developing studies of selected issues in economic development and draft resulting reports.
• Attends international, regional, and national meetings and supports the discussions with representatives of other institutions.
• Assist in the organization of expert group meetings, seminars, etc. on development issues.
• Provides inputs for the preparation of speeches for presentations by senior staff.
• Drafts specified inputs for technical papers and analytical studies on selected global, regional, national or sector aspects of economic development.
• Prepares speeches and other inputs for presentations by senior staff Intergovernmental support:
• Prepares inputs for reports to intergovernmental bodies.
• Follows intergovernmental meetings and prepares summary reports.
• Prepares inputs to statements by senior staff.
• Assists in the organization of panels, round tables etc. on development issues for intergovernmental processes. Technical cooperation:
• Assist senior staff in preparing technical cooperation projects.
• Supports the Organinzation”s technical cooperation activities in missions..
• Participate in the preparation of global, regional, national or sector analyses that provide a basis for advising national governments on economic development issues.
• Assists the organization and implementation of training seminars and workshops for government officials and others. Data Analysis:
• Contribute to the identification, analysis and interpretation of trends or patterns, using statistical methods to identify relevant features and variables in structured sources of information and data.
• Contribute to the development of reports, dashboards or other tools to effectively summarize findings and convey information to management.
• Contribute to the creation of basic data visualization outputs to aid decision-making and communications of analysis outputs.
• Contribute to data preparation and preliminary analysis, support team members in data verification and routine reporting tasks, help in administrative aspects of the work plan. General:
• Participates in intra- and inter-Departmental meetings.
• Performs other related duties as required, including a variety of administrative tasks necessary for the final delivery of the work unit”s service.
• Undertakes on-the-job and other training activities, both internally and externally.

Competencies

• Professionalism: Knowledge of economic theories and their application. Ability to identify and develop sources for data collection. Ability to undertake research, analyse data, make recommendations and write reports. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work. Able to analyze and interpret data in support of decision-making and convey resulting information to management.
• Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.
• Planning& Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.

Education Advanced university degree (Master”s degree or equivalent) in economics or related field is required. A first-level degree (Bachelor’s degree or equivalent) in the specified fields of studies with two additional years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Job – Specific Qualification Not available.

Work Experience Applicants to positions at this level who have an advanced university degree in a relevant field of study are not required to have professional work experience. For applicants who have a first level university degree, two additional years of qualifying work experience is required. A minimum of one year of experience in economic research and analysis, policy formulation, application of economic principles in development programmes or related arean is desirable. 1 year of experience in data analytics or related area is desirable. Experience in productive development (industrial) policies, their governance, and their territorial implementation or related areas is desirable.

Languages English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English and Spanish are required. The table below shows the minimum required level for each skill in these languages, according to the UN Language Framework (please consult https://languages.un.org for details).

Required Languages
LanguageReadingWritingListeningSpeakingEnglishUN Level IIUN Level IIUN Level IIUN Level IISpanishUN Level IIIUN Level IIIUN Level IIIUN Level III

Assessment Applicants will be assessed based on the information provided in their APs. Short-listed applicants might be contact by the Hiring Manager for further assessment.

Special Notice

• This position is temporarily available until April 2026. If the selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the selection will be administered as a temporary assignment.
• While this temporary job opening may provide the successful applicant with an opportunity to gain new work experience, the selection for this position is for a limited period and has no bearing on the future incumbency of the post.
• At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application.
• The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance and geographical diversity in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.
• Although there is no right or entitlement to Flexible Working Arrangements, many of our staff work flexibly in many different ways. The following types of flexibility are usually possible: staggered working hours, compressed work week, scheduled breaks for learning activities and telecommuting (maximum 80.5 Km from the duty station). Please wait until the final stage of the offer to ask more about flexibility since the agreement is voluntary between the staff members and their supervisor and will depend on the organisational needs.

United Nations Considerations According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile of the inspira account-holder homepage. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.