Programme Officer, Disarmament and Arms Control at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) - 2 Openings

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: Programme Officer, Disarmament and Arms Control

Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Job Status: Permanent
Institution: ECOWAS Commission
Grade: P4
Department: Political Affairs, Peace and Security
Directorate: Peacekeeping and Regional Security
Division: Small Arms
Line supervisor: PPO Small Arms
Supervising: PO Disarmament (P3), PO Arms Control P3)

Role Overview

• Under the supervision of the Head of Division, the incumbent is to serve as the unit head for disarmament and arms control programs supporting the Head of Division in ensuring the full implementation of the ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons, Their Ammunition and Other Related Materials. 
• The officer has responsibility of supporting that obligations at regional and national levels relating to the Convention on Small Arms are conducted and regularly reported upon.
• Ensure the continental and global disarmament obligations are promoted and implemented by the Member States in the region, in particular, the vision 2020 silencing the guns project of the African Union; the United Nations Programme of Action on Small Arms; Arms Trade Treaty; Implementation of Chemical Weapons Convention etc.

Role & Responsibilities

• Heads the program unit of disarmament / arms control and supports the coordination of all related activities.
• Elaborates programs and projects related to arms control based on emerging threats in and around the region.
• Ensure smooth elaboration of SAD’s Annual Budget and support its implementation.
• Support elaboration of periodic reports on the implementation of the Convention on SALW.
• Support Mobilization of Resources for the implementation of the Convention on SALW and other disarmament and non – proliferation instruments; etc.
• Carry out any other duty as may be assigned by his supervisors.

Academic Qualification and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent degree in Political Science, International Relations, Social Science, Economics, Law, Public Administration, or a related field from a recognized university.
• 7 years of progressively responsible experience in political affairs, governance, diplomacy, conflict resolution, security or related field.
• Understanding of political, governance and security dynamics, conflict prevention management and resolution.
• Technical competence to conduct information gathering, 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 get groups to work together cooperatively, by enlisting active involvement, creating a climate for respect and openness, and applying effective techniques for group facilitation, exploring their potentials, motivate and guide them.
• Organize and lead cross-divisional work group in developing creative solutions to address problems and or lead a small group of entry level professionals and administrative support staff.
• Ability to respect chain of commands in an appropriate manner.
• Develop on—the-job training techniques paired with excellent coaching and mentoring skills; knowledge of new staff orientation approaches to facilitate understanding of the position and organization.
• Ability to assign work to direct reports and provide timely and consistent feedback regarding technical proficiency and effectiveness.
• Ability to represent the organization effectively before external parties.
• Ability to consider the impact of a shift in programmatic direction to the needs of internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to promote and consider staff feedback to streamline processes to meet deadlines of relevance to client expectations.
• Ability to consistently maintain composure and direction in high- pressure situations.
• Develop problem solving, mediation and conflict resolution skills to address discrepancies, complaints, bottle necks, time constraints affecting quality and quantity of client services.
• Ability to anticipate growing client needs and expectations to continuously improve quality, timelines, service delivery and addressing client questions in a timely manner.
• Ability to communicate openly with clients, keeping them informed of progress and issues requiring attention/resolutions.
• Ability to implement programmatic changes in a manner that ensures a biased-free work environment, fair and equitable application to new rules/regulations.
• Experience and ability to adhere to policies, goals, objectives, and principles of valuing diversity in performing everyday duties and responsibilities; promoting/modeling behaviors that demonstrate tolerance and understanding of various cultures.
• Ability to remain objective in managing conflict regardless of cultural differences /positions, gender differences, and encourage other staff to overcome cultural and gender bias and differences.
• Ability to build value from leveraging diverse capabilities and inputs from various cultures, staff and clients.
• Ability and responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.
• Ability to create a diverse and inclusive interactive environment that benefits from diverse strengths bringing together innovative practices.
• Ability to seek out best practices to make organizational decisions of relevance to diversity management, ensuring that project and program activities identify vulnerable areas and contain systemic checks.
• Knowledge of ECOWAS institutions and how the different organs relate to each other, particularly as it relates to own work sector/programs.
• Knowledge of approaches to policy and program development of an international organization as well as project management.
• Knowledge of the rules, processes and procedures of an international organization, of pertinence to tasks related to own position.
• Knowledge of member states development trends, indicators, challenges and opportunities as it relates to project/programme assigned to own position
• Creativity and flexibility to deviate from traditional methods in developing new procedures, processes and tools, using technology to simplify methods and approaches whenever possible.
• Ability to re-evaluate current procedures and suggest improvements to ensure an effective, streamlined process.
• Ability to gather and summarize information to predict stakeholder views on a new policy/programme; and excellent analytical skills to assess external policies and trends when reviewing policy/programme options, pros, cons and recommendations.
• Ability to synthesize complex information gathered from a variety of external and internal sources and disseminate it to others in a logical manner.
• Ability to apply appropriate methodology to discover or identify policy issues and resource concerns.
• Ability to evaluate, incorporate, and communicate the latest developments in specialty areas using institution/agency guidelines and criteria.
• Develop interpersonal, negotiation, networking and presentation skills with proven abilities to influence, explain complex information and demonstrate empathy and open-mindedness.
• Ability to demonstrate operational proficiency in the use of computers in communicating using technology tools.
• Ability to convey information clearly and concisely in a succinct and organized manner through both written and verbal expressions.
• Exhibit active listening skills to encourage stronger communication amongst team members, to show care and make them feel valued and to drive employee engagement in all institutions and agencies.
• Proficiency in information communication technologies (ICT).
• Fluency in oral and written expressions in one of the ECOWAS official languages of the Community (English, French & Portuguese). Knowledge of an additional one will be an added advantage.
• Knowledge of internal planning cycles and ability to contribute to the development and to implement Community-wide or institution policy by determining target audience, building coalitions with the appropriate population, and monitor progress.
• Ability to consider external circumstances, factors and trends when organizing project activities to ensure the best outcomes.
• Ability to review process outcomes, correspondence, reports, and policy documents to develop achievable plans.
• Ability to conduct meetings with staff, stakeholders, colleagues and others to ascertain organizational program and/or project needs, adjusting plans and activities accordingly.
• Ability to adjust project plans based on input from staff and stakeholders and/or ability to design and implement guidelines, tools and templates to accommodate new or revised programmes and services.

Assessment method:

• Assessment of qualified candidates may include a written exercise and a competency-based interview.

ECOWAS Work Environment:

• ECOWAS provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and a healthy work-life balance.
• We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore, we encourage women to apply for positions that suit their competencies.
• Individuals from minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are also highly encouraged to apply. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of ECOWAS’s workforce.

Salary
USD 89,289.87 Annually.

Application Closing Date
30th April, 2025.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should send their filled job application form with three (3) professional references, resume (CV) and a cover letter to: b60disarmarmscontrol@ecowas.int using the job title as the subject of the email.

Click here to download the application form (Docx.)

The required documents for registration include:

• Curriculum Vitae
• Cover letter
• Application form

Disclaimer

• Selection and appointment will be subject to background and reference checks and other administrative requirements.
• ECOWAS does not charge for any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing in connection with application or recruitment processes and does not concern itself with information on applicants’ bank accounts.