Senior Social Affairs Officer

The Senior Social Affairs Officer is responsible for providing authoritative technical and policy advice on socio-economic development issues, leading research and policy formulation, coordinating intergovernmental support, and managing technical cooperation programmes within the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). The role involves leadership in social development analysis, partnership building, and programme management to support regional and national social policies.

Responsibilities

• Serve as focal point for collaboration on major social development issues and provide technical and policy advice to inter-governmental and non-governmental bodies, Member State officials, and international organizations.
• Monitor institutional mandates and influence the development of UN approaches to social development issues including gender considerations.
• Lead the development of research agendas and manage major projects/studies analyzing socio-economic trends and issues at global, regional or national levels.
• Establish partnerships with governments, research institutes, academia, UN system, NGOs, and private sector to discuss emerging social development topics.
• Plan and direct targeted campaigns for knowledge sharing and dissemination of information.
• Write and supervise preparation of studies, reports and publications on social and socio-economic issues.
• Represent the organization at national, regional and international fora and coordinate sectoral seminars, training programmes, workshops and expert group meetings.
• Coordinate substantive services to inter-governmental bodies and facilitate negotiation processes and collaboration.
• Manage work unit contributions to meetings of intergovernmental bodies and represent the unit at various meetings.
• Develop and maintain relations with senior officials of member governments and respond to requests for advice on social policies.
• Negotiate with donor and recipient governments on technical assistance programmes and projects.
• Organize and coordinate cooperation among Member States on social programmes or issues.
• Design, monitor, backstop and assess implementation of technical cooperation programmes and projects.
• Lead or participate in technical cooperation missions.
• Contribute to personnel and financial management of the work unit including work plans and budgets.
• Supervise key programme activities and lead a team of staff including coaching, mentoring and evaluation.
• Lead team efforts to collect and analyze data for data-driven planning and decision-making.
• Perform other duties as required.

Requirements

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent), in sociology, economics, other social science or related field.
• A first-level university degree in combination with two qualifying years of experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• Successful completion of both degree and non-degree programs in data analytics, business analytics or data science programs is desirable.
• A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible experience in socio economic development, policy analysis, sociological research or related area is required.
• Experience with regional technical cooperation projects is required.
• Experience in research and policy advisory in social protection issues, labour inclusion policies, poverty and multiple dimensions of inequality are desirable.
• Experience in data analytics or related area is desirable.
• Publications in social development issues and social policies are desirable.
• English and Spanish are required at UN Level III proficiency in reading, writing, listening and speaking.

Skills

• Socio-Economic Development
• Policy Analysis
• Sociological Research
• Social Protection Policies
• Labor Inclusion Policies
• Poverty Analysis
• Inequality Analysis
• Regional Technical Cooperation
• Research Leadership
• Policy Advisory
• Data Analytics
• Business Analytics
• Data Science
• Programme Management
• Partnership Building
• Social Development

Languages

English, Spanish