Economic Affairs Officer (Temporary) at United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the incumbent will be responsible for the following duties and responsibilities:

• Technical cooperation Coordinates the implementation of Disaster Risk Reduction financing and de-risking initiatives, including on resilient infrastructure, in the region and at national level, working in cooperation with HQ colleagues and external partners.
• Carries out development of integrated national financing frameworks, risk sensitive budget reviews and cost-benefit analyses in support of UN partners and national authorities at the country level, and facilitates related training and/or capacity-building events.
• Provides technical assistance and policy guidance to Member States to develop national DRR financing strategies, to develop sector-specific DRR financing strategies and to integrate DRR into development finance and economic policy.
• Participates in missions on development issues, usually as a member of a team, including to support the implementation of technical cooperation projects at the national level.
• Organizes training seminars for national experts, including on the use of risk information in economic and financial decision-making.
• Prepares documentation for technical cooperation programmes and projects on topics of DRR financing and resilient infrastructure.
• Contributes to the preparation of material for the approval of regional, country or sector technical cooperation projects.
• Monitors, backstops and assesses the implementation of technical cooperation programmes and projects. Partner support
• Provides substantive support on economic issues related to Disaster Risk Reduction to UNDRR partners including Member States, private sector, UN agencies and others.
• Attends, and assists in the organizing of regional and national meetings on the economic impacts of disasters and DRR financing issues and prepares inputs to statements and presentations.
• Assists in the organization of panels, round tables etc. on development issues for intergovernmental processes.
• Identifies opportunities for partnerships with other organizations and entities, including regional and global development banks and financial institutions, infrastructure providers and institutional investors in Africa, to advance DRR financing priorities. Economic or sector analysis
• Develops socio-economic databases and qualitative information necessary for specified recurrent or ad hoc assignments on topics of DRR financing and resilient infrastructure.
• Interprets, applies and, as necessary, adapts econometric models to determine trends, patterns and relationships and to analyse the effects of alternative policies and assumptions.
• Drafts specified inputs for technical papers, country-support methodologies, and analytical studies on selected global, regional, national or sector aspects of economic development.
• Identifies and analyses policy proposals made elsewhere relating to assigned topics.
• Attends international, regional, and national meetings to collect information, present UNDRR knowledge products and hold discussions with colleagues in other institutions.
• Prepares speeches and other inputs for presentations by senior staff.
• Performs other related duties as required

Education

• An advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent degree) in economics or related field is required.
• A first-level university degree in the above-mentioned areas in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience

• A minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in economic research and analysis, policy formulation, application of economic principles in development programmes or a related area is required. Work experience in development finance is required.
• Work experience in disaster risk reduction, and/or resilient infrastructure, and/or climate finance is desirable.