Technical Officer, Enterprises, Just Transition, and Skills.

Introduction
The Sustainable Enterprises, Productivity and Just Transition Department (ENTERPRISES) has the overall objective to promote sustainable enterprises to achieve the ILO goal of social justice through decent work. Recognizing that sustainable enterprises of all sizes and forms are the principal source of economic growth, wealth, and decent work creation, the Department promotes and develops sustainable enterprises and provides policy, advisory and capacity development services to the ILO’s tripartite constituents on promoting sustainable enterprises.
The ENTERPRISES Department and the Skills and Employability Branch are working together to advance joint initiatives, including research on skills for productivity and competitiveness in micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), development cooperation projects that integrate both Skills and Enterprises components, and the exploration of further opportunities for joint resource mobilization with a specific focus on countries covered by the ILO Decent Work technical Team in Dakar.

As climate change poses pressing challenges to sustainable enterprises, urgent, coordinated and innovative processes across all sectors are needed. Sustainable enterprises are uniquely positioned to lead this transformation and their success hinges on the availability of a skilled workforce equipped with the knowledge and competencies to implement sustainable practices. The ENTERPRISES Department and the Skills and Employability Branch collaborate with an integrated approach to unlock new opportunities and overcome climate-related challenges.
In close collaboration with the Enterprises Department and Skills Branch, the incumbent will support the Enterprises, Skills and Just Transition Specialists in providing technical assistance to ILO constituents and contributing to resource mobilization efforts aimed at expanding the ILO’s development cooperation portfolio. The incumbent will work across the nexus of MSMEs development, Skills and Just Transition, and should bring a combination of solid technical knowledge and a proven track record of experience across all three areas of work, including their interlinkages. This role requires a qualified individual capable of bridging these areas to deliver an integrated and forward-looking approach.


Fonctions et responsabilités essentielles
Maintain working contacts and collaboration with multi-lateral and bilateral donor agencies and Support resource mobilization efforts for new projects and activities that integrate both Skills and Enterprises components, including by leveraging opportunities for collaboration with partners and proposing/drafting new project proposals, in the field of Enterprises, Just Transition and Skills.
Develop and/or review training materials that promote and integrate both Skills and Enterprises components, deliver trainings and conduct seminars and workshops as needed
Under the guidance of the Senior Sustainable Enterprises Development and Job Creation Specialist, provide technical advice and support to project staff and national partners in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the project activities in the countries covered by DWT/CO-Dakar in the area of SME and skills development and in the context of Just Transition, in coordination with the ILO Country Offices and HQ specialists.

This could include providing technical backstopping to the projects such as: Green Jobs for Women and Youth in the Delta Saloum (Senegal) , the E.U. Pact for Skills, and the Productivity Ecosystem for Decent Work in Ghana, the Social Dimension of the Ecological Transition (phase 2)the UNDA Green Jobs for Youth Pact, PAGE 2.0 , the Global Skill program in Senegal, the An Ka Baara in Mali, RECOMPENSE in Niger, Opportunity Salone in Sierra Leone, ENACTE in Cote d’Ivoire as well as contributing to the development of future projects in these areas.
Provide technical backstopping and contribute to research, assessments and knowledge products, while ensuring coordination with relevant specialists, and integrating technical inputs for regional and country analysis, reports and publications related to Sustainable Enterprises and Skills development, as well as Just transition, and prepare relevant concept, good practices discussion and other notes. This includes but is not limited to, coordinating an ongoing study on Skills for MSME Productivity and Competitiveness, a slide deck for advocacy on ILO Quality Apprenticeship Recommendation, 2023, as well as serving as a focal point for a guidance tool on meaningful Youth Engagement in TVET being developed as part of ILO-AUDA NEPAD partnership.


Required Qualifications
• Under the guidance of the supervisor, maintain close liaison with governments, workers’ and employers’ organizations, and UN/non-governmental organizations, to discuss matters and follow up on a broad range of country programmes and projects.
• Promote linkages between enterprise and skills interventions and coordinate, with Government institutions, social partners, other agencies and academic institutions, other relevant organisations to document and share good practices and lessons learnt with other relevant ILO projects/programmes, ILO units and external stakeholders, and disseminate information on programmes through publications and press releases.
• Participate in national, regional, international and UN inter-agency and other stakeholder working groups, consultations and forums to engage with potential and existing partners to promote the ILO’s technical offer on Enterprises, Just transition, Skills and the wider Decent Work Agenda.
• Organize, assist in and/or facilitate meetings and other events in the areas of Enterprises, Just Transition and Skills, including proposing ToRs, identifying participants, preparing technical materials and presentations, proposing facilitation techniques, preparing and delivering presentations, drafting summary reports and monitoring follow-up.
• Promote the inclusion of gender equality and non-discrimination in all aspects of the project.
• Undertake technical advisory missions in the countries covered by the Dakar DWT/CO.
• Undertake other duties as required.

Formation
Education
Advanced university degree (master’s or equivalent) in International Development, Economics, Social Sciences or similar relevant field.
A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s or equivalent) in one of the afore-mentioned fields or other relevant field with an additional two years of relevant experience, in addition to the required experience stated below, will be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.


Experience
• At least five years of experience in skills and lifelong learning, enterprise (MSMEs) development, just transition and youth employment.
• Familiarity with ILO policies and procedures including experience working with officials of ministries of labour and/or education would be an advantage.
Languages
Excellent knowledge of both English and French as working languages of the Office (English, French or Spanish). Understanding of a local language would be an advantage.


Competencies
In addition to ILO Core Competencies, the candidate should have the following abilities:

• to provide technical advice and to guide and coordinate the work of external collaborators, general service staff and young professionals in the area of specialization.
• to conceptualise and design research techniques and analyse national practices and data sets covering a wide range of issues in the specialized technical fields.
• to formulate new concepts and methodologies.
• to draft reports and prepare guidelines relating to programme development and implementation.
• to provide technical inputs to specialists, coordinate research and project formulation and oversee project implementation.