Principal Economic Affairs Officer

The Principal Economic Affairs Officer leads the Strategic Planning and Communications Service in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, formulating policies and strategies in thought leadership, strategic planning, communications, and ICT governance. The role involves supporting senior management, overseeing analytical work, managing publications, and representing the Department in various policy and normative bodies.

Responsibilities

• Supports the Under-Secretary-General and the Assistant Secretaries-General in defining the Department’s strategic priorities, and in coordinating and delivering shared goals for the Department.
• Leads, supervises and carries out the work programme of the Service under his/her responsibility.
• Coordinates the work carried out by different work units under the Service; provides programmatic/substantive reviews of the drafts prepared by others.
• Supports senior management in the thought leadership and analytical work of the Department, acts as the Secretary of the Editorial Board and the High-level Advisory Board on Economic and Social Affairs.
• Strengthens the collaboration of DESA Divisions to more effectively address new and emerging challenges and enhance foresight, especially on cross-cutting issues.
• Promotes strategic integration and policy coherence, including collaborative work with other Secretariat entities in the economic and social fields to better meet intergovernmental mandates and emerging challenges.
• Provides strategic direction and authoritative oversight of analytical work, ensuring that publications and policy briefs are substantively robust, methodologically sound, and aligned with mandated priorities and organizational objectives.
• Reviews and validates analyses and reports, ensuring accuracy, coherence, and strategic relevance, and advises on necessary revisions to strengthen policy messaging and alignment with the Department’s vision and goals.
• Oversees the preparation of the Department’s annual plan of action and performance reports in consultation with all divisions and offices.
• Ensures that the Department’s publications and policy briefs are substantively robust, methodologically sound, coherent and strategically relevant; advises on necessary revisions to strengthen policy messaging and alignment with the Department’s vision and goals.
• Serves as the focal point for the work of the Department related to the Executive Committee of the Secretary-General, and the Executive Committee on Economic and Social Affairs.
• Oversees the preparation and implementation of the Department’s strategic communications plan as well as the creation, production and dissemination of public information outreach materials, including through digital campaigning, social media channels and platforms.
• Guides the preparation and implementation of the Departmental ICT strategy; acts as the Secretary to the Departmental Steering Committee on ICT and its working groups; ensures Departmental compliance with ICT policies and directives.
• Undertakes or oversees the programmatic/administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the Service, including preparation of budgets, reporting on budget/programme performance, securing extrabudgetary resources and managing related projects, evaluation of staff performance (PAS), interviews of candidates for job openings, evaluation of candidates and preparation of inputs for results-based budgeting.
• Recruits staff, taking due account of geographical balance.
• Manages, guides, develops and trains staff under his/her supervision.
• Fosters teamwork and communication among staff in the Service and across organizational boundaries.
• Leads and supervises the organization of meetings, seminars, etc. on economic and social issues; manages the substantive preparation and organization of such meetings or seminars.
• Represents the Service at internal and external meetings and conferences, and, as required, on other matters.

Requirements

• Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent degree) in economics, social sciences, sustainable development or related area is required.
• A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• A minimum of fifteen years of progressively responsible experience in sustainable development research and policy analysis in an international environment is required.
• A minimum of five years of experience in strategic planning within a global sustainable development context is required.
• Experience in managing complex programmes and diverse teams is required.
• Experience in the production of publications, including substantive review and quality assurance, in the development field is required.
• Experience in developing communication materials (e.g., communication campaigns, speeches, press releases, articles, audio-visual materials or similar) in the development field is required.
• Experience in intergovernmental support and inter-agency engagement is desirable.
• English language proficiency at UN Level III in reading, writing, listening, and speaking is required.

Skills

• Research on sustainable development
• Policy Analysis
• Strategic Planning
• Programme Management
• Team Management
• Publication Production
• Quality Assurance
• Communication Materials Development
• Intergovernmental Process Support
• Inter-agency Engagement
• Economic Policy Formulation
• Thought Leadership
• IT Governance
• Analytical Work
• Speech Writing
• Press Release Writing
• Audiovisual Material Development

Languages

English