Company Description

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an international organisation comprised of 38 member countries, that works to build better policies for better lives. Our mission is to promote policies that will improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world.  Together with governments, policy makers and citizens, we work on establishing evidence-based international standards, and finding solutions to a range of social, economic and environmental challenges. From improving economic performance and creating jobs to fostering strong education and fighting international tax evasion, we provide a unique forum and knowledge hub for data and analysis, exchange of experiences, best-practice sharing, and advice on public policies and international standard-setting.

The Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities (CFE) helps local and national governments unleash the potential of entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), promote inclusive and sustainable regions and cities, boost local job creation, and implement sound tourism policies. It includes the Secretariat serving the Regional Policy Development Committee (RDPC) and its three Working Parties on Urban Policy, Rural Policy and Territorial Indicators and the Expert Group on Multi-level Governance, the Committee on SMEs and Entrepreneurship (CSMEE), the Tourism Committee and its Working Party on Tourism Statistics, and the Local Economic and Employment Development (LEED) Directing Committee.

Job Description

CFE is looking for a Counsellor with relevant experience in the Directorate’s main policy areas. In line with the Secretary-General’s strategic objectives, the Counsellor will support the CFE Director and Deputy Director in reinforcing the role of the Centre as the focal point for all of OECD’s work on SMEs and entrepreneurship issues, both international and domestic; the OECD’s hub for regional and local development, including urban and rural policies; and a global forum on tourism; working in close collaboration with other OECD Directorates, the Office of the Secretary-General (OSG) and the G20 Sherpa Office.

Together with colleagues in the Director’s Office, the Counsellor will play a key role in ensuring the smooth planning, shaping and management of the forward-looking agenda of CFE. The selected candidate will take responsibility to co-ordinate inputs from across the Directorate for a very broad range of requests from the OSG and CFE senior management. S/he will also assume responsibility for special assignments at Directorate level.

The successful candidate will welcome the challenges of working in a vibrant, fast-paced environment. S/he is required to have excellent drafting, technical, organisational, communication and interpersonal skills, be a good team player and have good political judgment. S/he will work under the direct supervision of the Director of the CFE and in close collaboration with other members of the Director’s office and CFE senior management team.

Main Responsibilities

Strategic and analytical contributions to OECD-wide projects and events

• Contribute to the development and promotion of the directorate’s strategic outputs.
• Draft briefs, speeches, articles and presentations for use by senior level officials in OSG, Director’s Office (DO)), drawing on a wide range of available material  and ensuring that all submissions from CFE are pertinent, with clear and consistent messaging. Establish mechanisms to improve the quality,  timeliness, and process for producing, of submissions .
• Act as the Director’s Office focal point for all OECD briefing requests and external correspondence, highlighting issues that require the attention of the Director, and coordinating responses, where needed, across CFE.
• Work closely with the DO team and the Heads of Divisions to contribute to and co-ordinate the analytical and policy content of the Director’s briefings, talking points, reports, letters and other strategic documents.
• Assist in the preparation of the Director’s missions, ensuring that the right issues are covered, that key strategic messages are transmitted, and the appropriate feedback and follow-up actions are taken.
• Co-ordinate CFE contributions to G20 and similar processes.
• Lead, participate in, and contribute to special assignments and specific initiatives as required.

Meetings and communication

• Assist the Director’s Office in the planning and preparation of CFE meetings, including the preparation of background documents, briefing and summary records.
• Explore, propose and implement options to improve and facilitate constructive and productive communication across a wide range of platforms and audiences, within the CFE, other Directorates and social media.
• Represent CFE at OECD and other meetings as required.

Other duties

• Lead, participate in, and contribute to initiatives to improve the organisation and management of the Directorate and its links with the rest of the Organisation.
• Carry out other tasks as assigned.

Qualifications

Academic Background

• An advanced university degree in economics, statistics, finance, international relations, social, public policy or political sciences or a related field.

Professional Background

• A minimum of three, preferably five years’ relevant experience in an international organisation, a national administration, university, research centre or consultancy.
• A solid understanding of OECD's strategic orientations and modus operandi.
• A good knowledge of the OECD's substantive work on SMEs, Entrepreneurship, local Development and Tourism, and a strategic sense of the role of the OECD in the overall framework of international co-operation and domestic policy formulation.
• Demonstrated ability to organise and to summarise complex material, encompassing empirical data, preferably with strong analytical skills.
• Proven skills in establishing and developing professional relationships  and to interact with national delegations, government officials, other international organisations and stakeholders.

Core Competencies

• OECD staff are expected to demonstrate behaviours aligned to six core competencies which will be assessed as part of this hiring processes: Vision and Strategy (Level 2); Enable People (Level 1); Ethics and Integrity (Level 2); Collaboration and Horizontality (Level 2); Achieve Results (Level 2); Innovate and Embrace Change (Level 2).
• There are three possible levels for each competency. The level for each competency is determined according to the specific needs of each job role and its associated grade.
• To learn more about the definitions for each competency for levels 1-3, please refer to OECD Core Competencies.

Languages

• Fluency in one of the two OECD official languages (English and French) and knowledge of the other, with a commitment to reach a good working level.
• Knowledge of other languages would be an asset.

Additional Information

Closing Date:

• This vacancy will be filled as soon as possible, and applications should reach us no later than midnight 16 February 2024 (CEST).

Contract Duration

• One-year -year fixed term appointment, with the possibility of renewal.

What the OECD offers(External Only)

• Depending on level of experience, monthly salary starts at either 6 665.76 EUR, plus allowances based on eligibility, exempt of French income tax.
• Click here to learn more about what we offer and why the OECD is a great place to work.
• Click here to browse our People Management Guidebook and learn more about all aspects relating to people at the OECD, our workplace environment and many other policies supporting staff in their daily life.

Salary Information(Link - Internal Only)

• Please note that the appointment may be made at one grade lower in the specified job family, based on the qualifications and professional experience of the selected applicant.(Internal and external)

Selection Process

For retained candidates, video-recorded interviews and written tests are foreseen for the end of February 2024 and panel interviews are planned for end of March 2024.

The OECD is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes the applications of all qualified candidates [who are nationals of OECD member countries]*, irrespective of their racial or ethnic origin, opinions or beliefs, gender, sexual orientation, health or disabilities.

The OECD promotes an optimal use of resources in order to improve its efficiency and effectiveness. Staff members are encouraged to actively contribute to this goal.