Political Advisor at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is a regional group of fifteen West African countries. Founded on 28 May 1975, with the signing of the Treaty of Lagos, its mission is to promote economic integration across the region.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Political Advisor

Location: Niamey, Niger
Institution: ECOWAS Commission
Grade: P4 / P5
Status: Permanent
Department: Office of the President
Directorate: ECOWAS Permanent Representation in Niger     
Line Manager: Resident representative

Overview

• Under the authority of the Resident Representative, the incumbent will work with the Representative of the ECOWAS Commission’s President to brief him/her on various matters and offer advice on different matters and issues relating to politics in the sub-region.
• He/She shall review various matters and provide advice on national and regional politics.  
• He/She shall also write speeches and communiques presenting the ideas, options and views of the Commission in such a way as to inform stakeholders and explain certain positions taken by ECOWAS.
• The political adviser shall take into consideration all factors in a given situation, analyse same and advise the Resident representative. He/She shall present reports from time to time.

Role And Responsibilities

• Establish a surveillance system to gather information that may influence national or regional politics
• Regularly assess political situations and events and their consequences, and render report thereof
• Give appropriate advice regarding the country situation and ECOWAS’ position to the Resident Representative
• Explain the organisation’s positions, draft summary notes and write the Representative’s speech
• Analyse the laws and rules of the area and provide information on the political and economic situation of the country to the Resident Representative
• Assist in the development and implementation of the political content of ECOWAS Commission statutory meetings and the Group of Ambassadors meetings
• Ensure close relations and contacts are maintained with leaders and all political and social bodies to make them understand ECOWAS position on all subjects
• Under the supervision of the Resident Representative, participate in meetings organised by leaders, social actors or the political class, to which ECOWAS is invited
• Ensure working links and information channels between the Office and the technical departments of the Commission. Organise and implement, under the authority of the Resident Representative, all activity aimed at enhancing the visibility of ECOWAS in Niger
• Contribute to the preparation and organisation of all the Office’s official missions
• Ensure that matters under his/her purview are strategically monitored
• Perform any other related tasks as may be assigned by the Permanent Representative.

Qualifications and Experience

• Master's degree or equivalent qualification in Political Science, International Relations, Social Sciences, Economics, Law, Public Administration or similar field, from a recognised university.
• (7) Seven years’ experience with increasing responsibility in political affairs, governance, diplomacy, conflict resolution, security or a related field;
• An understanding of political, economic, governance and security, as well as conflict management and resolution dynamics
• Technical skills for the collection of information, research and analysis with modern technology.

Age Limit:

• Be below 50 years old. This provision does not apply to internal candidates.

ECOWAS Key Competencies:

• Ability to work closely in a group through active participation, creation of  an environment of respect and openness, application of appropriate techniques for group management, development of its potential, motivation and guidance
• Ability to organise teamwork and lead an inter-divisional working group to formulate creative solutions and/or lead a small group of top-level professionals and administrative support staff
• Ability to appropriately show respect for hierarchy
• Develop on-the-job training techniques combined with excellent coaching and mentoring skills, knowledge of new approaches to staff orientation to facilitate understanding of the position and the organisation
• Ability to delegate work and provide timely and consistent feedback on technical competence and effectiveness
• Must be able to properly represent the organisation.
• Ability to take into account the impact of a change in programme orientation based on the needs of internal and external stakeholders
• Ability to promote and take into account staff feedback to streamline processes and meet deadlines in line with client expectations
• Must be able to work under pressure
• Ability to develop situational problem-solving, mediation and conflict resolution skills, to deal with disagreements, complaints, bottlenecks, time constraints affecting the quality and quantity of services provided to the client
• Ability to anticipate growing client needs and expectations, in order to continuously improve service quality, timescales, delivery and respond promptly to client concerns
• Must be able to communicate openly with clients, by keeping them informed of progress and issues requiring attention/resolution
• Ability to implement programme changes in a manner that ensures a bias-free working and a fair and equitable application of new rules and regulations
• Adherence to policies, goals, objectives and principles which promote diversity in the performance of daily tasks and responsibilities promote behaviours that demonstrate tolerance and understanding of diverse cultures
• Able to remain objective in conflict management regardless of cultural differences/ positions, gender, and ability to encourage other members of staff to overcome prejudices and cultural and gender differences
• Ability to create value by drawing on the diverse contributions of cultures, employees and clients
• Ability to mainstream gender and ensure equal participation of women and men in all areas of work
• Ability to create a diverse and inclusive interactive environment that builds on the strengths of different innovative practices
• Ability to seek out good practices to make relevant organisational decisions in terms of diversity management, while ensuring that project and programme activities are focused on vulnerable areas and monitoring systems.
• A good knowledge of ECOWAS institutions and relations between the various bodies, particularly regarding their sectors/work programme
• Knowledge of approaches to policy and programme development in an international organisation and project management
• Knowledge of rules and procedures of international organisations in relation to the post
• Knowledge of indicators, challenges and development opportunities of Member States on projects/programmes relating to the position.
• Creativity and flexibility to depart from traditional methods to develop new processes, procedures and tools, using technology to simplify methods and approaches wherever possible
• Ability to reassess current procedures and suggest improvements to ensure an efficient and streamlined process
• Ability to gather and synthesize information to predict stakeholder views on new policy/programs and excellent analytical skills to assess external policies and trends when considering policy and programme options, advantages, disadvantages and recommendations
• Ability to manufacture complex information gathered from a variety of external and internal sources and disseminate it in a logical manner
• Ability to apply an appropriate methodology to detect or identify general policy and resources issues
• Evaluate, incorporate and inform on recent developments in his/her area of operation using ECOWAS directives and criteria
• Develop interpersonal skills, in negotiation, networking and presentation, as well as be able to explain complex information while showing empathy and openness
• Proficiency in computer use, ability to use information technology tools to communicate
• Must be able to convey clear, concise and organised oral and written information
• Listening actively for better communication among team members, being attentive to them, making them feel that their presence is valuable, and fostering a sense of commitment among staff in all institutions and agencies
• Proficiency in information and communication technology (ICT)
• Proficiency in spoken and written French.  Knowledge of one or two ECOWAS languages will be an advantage.
• Knowledge of in-house planning cycles and ability to contribute to the development and implementation of Community or institutional policy by identifying the target public, setting coalitions with appropriate population and monitoring the achievements
• Ability to take into account circumstances, external trends and factors during the organisation of project activities in order to obtain best results
• Ability to take into account the outcome of processes, correspondence, reports and policy documents, to develop practicable plans
• Must be able to organise meetings with staff, stakeholders, colleagues and other persons, in order to define organisational requirements while adjusting the plans and activities accordingly
• Ability to adjust project plans based on the contributions of staff and stakeholders and/or the capacity to design and implement the guidelines, tools and models in order to adapt new or revised programmes and services.

Annual Salary
UA48,078.94 USD75,858.95 / UA55,624.68 USD87,764.62

Application Closing Date
7th February, 2021.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should download the Application Form below, fill it out correctly; attach a Curriculum Vitae (CV) and a Motivation Letter and send to: [email protected] using the Job Title as the subject of the email.

Click here to download Application Form (Ms Word)

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