It intends to do this for the project beneficiaries – women and men living in poverty, through:

• Strengthening regional and global trade of dairy products and tourism services, with a focus on micro enterprises and SMEs
• Supporting private sector development for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), including through value addition, diversification, enhancing competitiveness, and improving the business environment
• Engaging with Swedish companies to leverage their expertise, services, products and private investment potential

The project will adopt a market systems approach, as it is an approach that focuses on delivering long-term sustainable impact at scale. The approach is analysis-focused, partner driven, and driven by evidence-based adaptation.

What makes the approach for Trade for Jobs Uganda different is its unique focus on trade as a lever for decent job creation. While many development initiatives address employment or enterprise development in isolation, this project combines the ILO’s expertise in promoting decent work using a market systems development approach with ITC’s deep experience in strengthening trade and MSME competitiveness. Together, the two organizations bring a market systems lens to unlock trade-driven growth that delivers not just more jobs – but better, more secure and inclusive employment opportunities.

The project starts with an extended 18-month inception phase that includes project and team set-up, stakeholder and donor coordination, further analyses and initial piloting. It is highly probable that Trade for Jobs will continue for an additional 42-month implementation phase.

Within the policy and procedural requirements established by the ILO and the Trade for Jobs Uganda Project, the National Expert will be responsible for the design and implementation of interventions that work to strengthen regulations that can support employment, business and trade outcomes both project sectors.

Reporting lines:

The National Expert will work under the supervision of the Project Manager (Team Leader) with support from the Deputy Team Leader in ITC, in close collaboration with the remainder of the project team.

They will also contribute to coordinating and quality checking the work of international and local consultants hired during the project to support the implementation of project interventions, or as indicated by the Project Manager.

Description of Duties

• With the project team and with support from ILO and ITC specialists, support the design of interventions based on the findings of the market systems assessments in the dairy and tourism sectors and that tackle regulatory barriers. This will be done by consulting with constituents, market actors, and other development partners.
• Support the project team, coordinate the planning, implementation, and monitoring of interventions through partnerships with the private and public sector. Such pilot interventions will be designed to address systemic constraints and aim to create employment and increase incomes for women and men living in poverty, through increased trade and MSME growth.
• Develop, guide and coordinate systemic interventions that can strengthen the rules and regulations in the dairy and tourism sectors such that can support more or better jobs, business growth and trade.
• Serve as a key project focal point and contact for project-relevant ministries and the primary technical resource and advisor on all regulatory-themed and sector coordination interventions.
• Support the project team to strengthen private and public sector coordination in the project sectors.
• Collaborate with other team members to ensure complementarity and adequate workload management between interventions and staff.
• Support the team leader and deputy team leader to establish of the Steering Committee and to organize and participate in Steering Committee meetings.
• Support the results measurement and monitoring and evaluation officers in the development and operationalisation, and regular update of the monitoring and results measurement (MRM) system, relative to the regulatory themed interventions.
• Prepare inputs for reports and presentations to inform project management, donors, and stakeholders about the progress and results on project interventions and activities.
• Facilitate the organisation of workshops, trainings and events and support the adaptation of existing ILO training materials to the local context and objectives of the project.
• Ensure that gender perspectives and attention to gender equality and women’s economic empowerment are central to all the activities during both the inception and implementation phases.
• Invest in personal upskilling in the systemic approach by completing systemic themed onboarding activities, participating in internal and external training, events, and peer learning exchanges, such as the ILO’s MSD Network or regional exchanges with other ILO projects. Invest in personal upskilling on trade, including on export promotion, by working with ITC support staff.
• Perform any other duties as requested by the team leader and deputy team leader.

Required qualifications

Education

First Level University degree (bachelor’s or equivalent) in public policy, public administration, business, economics, political science, international development, or another relevant technical field.

Experience

• Minimum of three years of experience in the private, public and development sectors.
• Experience working on regulatory-themed work in market systems development, private sector development or trade-related programme would be an advantage.
• Experience working on coordinating regulatory changes with or within government would be an advantage, particularly in multi-stakeholder activities

Competencies

• Technical knowledge on the governance, regulatory reform process and enforcement in Uganda.
• Knowledge of the market systems development approach, trade and export promotion or the dairy and/or tourism sectors would be an advantage.
• Research and analytical skills, with the ability to develop and implement innovative solutions to complex challenges.
• Political awareness and understanding of socio-economic factors.
• Ability to respond to developments in and relevant to the project with flexibility and adapt project activities and procedures as required.
• Drafting skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a team and excellent interpersonal skills.
• Ability to interpret and work within applicable rules, regulations policies and procedures.
• Ability to maintain effective working relationships with key stakeholders.
• Ability to manage competing priorities.
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment and to demonstrate gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory behaviour and attitudes.
• Ability to adapt quickly to new software and systems.
• Good knowledge of PC software (including word processor, spreadsheet and presentation software) such as Microsoft Office.

Recruitment process

Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application form. To apply, please visit the ILO Jobs website. The system provides instructions for online application procedures.

Fraud warning The ILO does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process whether at the application, interview, processing or training stage. Messages originating from a non ILO e-mail account – @ilo.org – should be disregarded. In addition, the ILO does not require or need to know any information relating to the bank account details of applicants.

Assessed candidates who will be considered as appointable but not selected for this position can also be offered to be assigned on another temporary position at the same or at a lower grade provided that said candidates possesses the minimum qualifications for this position.

The ILO values diversity among its staff and welcomes applications from qualified female candidates. We also encourage applicants with disabilities.

We do our best to provide you the most accurate info, but closing dates may be wrong on our site. Please check on the recruiting organization’s page for the exact info. Candidates are responsible for complying with deadlines and are encouraged to submit applications well ahead.