GIZ
The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is the implementing agency of the Federal Republic of Germany for technical and international cooperation. It offers flexible, sustainable, and effective solutions in political, economic and social change processes. Most of the work of GIZ is commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). GIZ also operates on behalf of other German ministries as well as public and private bodies in Germany and abroad. These include the European Commission, the United Nations, the World Bank and governments of other countries.
As part of our team in Lusaka we are recruiting a Trade Policy Advisor (AfCFTA).
The African Union (AU), established as a unique Pan African continental body, was charged with the responsibility to coordinate and provide overall guidance for the negotiations on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The AfCFTA entered into force on May 30, 2019 and implementation is set to start in January 2021.
The Trade Policy Advisor will be responsible for the setup of the technical advisory component of the project towards the AfCFTA Secretariat as well as Zambia as an African Union (AU) Member State. The project in support of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) works in close collaboration with the Department of Trade and Industries (DTI) of the African Union, the AfCFTA Secretariat, Member States and partners such as UNECA, the International Trade Centre (ITC) and a large number of African actors to support the content of free trade negotiations in the areas of trade in goods and services, trade facilitation, customs cooperation as well as on the investment protocol. The project also works on industrialization, e-commerce, women in trade, value chains, special economic zones and other trade-related issues. The project is part of the GIZ portfolio with the African Union in Addis Ababa under the direction of the GIZ Liaison Office to the AU. However, the Trade Policy Advisor will be based in Lusaka, Zambia. Due to the continental relevance of its mandate and range of tasks, the project increasingly cooperates with global and other regional GIZ projects, for instance with the East African Community (EAC) and African member states such as Zambia:
Trade Policy Advisor (Lusaka based)
REF: GIZ_AfCFTA_TPA
Main tasks and responsibilities:
- Support the Government of the Republic of Zambia and other bilateral partners in Zambia in fostering their role in implementing the AfCFTA through technical advisory services on the member state level
- Collaborate closely with the AU Commission, the GIZ AfCFTA Support Programme Team (which the advisor is part of) as well as with Regional Economic Communities (especially SADC)
- Manage short-term experts to undertake subject-specific research into areas of concern to Member State representatives
- Participate in technical meetings throughout the key project component topics of trade in services, goods as well as the investment protocol
- Provide technical advice and project coordination on various aspects of trade integration, including trade in goods, trade in services, trade facilitation, and stakeholder involvement and possibly also industrialization, value chain and other emerging topics
- Participate in the AfCFTA Team meetings and bilateral exchanges with AfCFTA advisors throughout the various project components and locations
- Work with other GIZ projects and be familiar with GIZ internal procurement processes.
Qualifications and requirements:
- Master’s degree in Economics, Law, or equivalent
- Fluent in written and spoken English. Fluency in French is an asset.
Professional experience
- Demonstrated experience of at least 5 years in trade policy
- Excellent understanding of regional and continental economic integration issues in Africa
- Demonstrated experience in consultancy of governments and public institutions
- Experience in development cooperation is an asset
- Experience in working with AU or other regional organizations and the Government of the Republic of Zambia is an asset
- Flexibility to travel within the region
Other knowledge, additional competences
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
- Proven ability to work in an intercultural environment
- Problem solving and proactive work attitude
- Ability to adapt to changing requirements and to work under tight deadlines
The successful candidate will be expected to start full-time employment with GIZ as soon as possible. Interested candidates must send their CVs and cover letters, electronically, quoting the reference GIZ_AfCFTA_TPA in the subject line to: [email protected] by 17:00 hrs on Monday, 28th November 2022. GIZ will only review applications which meet the following criteria:
- Cover letters must be sent in MS Word format, with using font type Arial, size 11. In the first paragraph, please outline your motivation for applying for the position. In the second paragraph, outline your experience with accounting and administration.
- CVs must not exceed three (3) pages and must be submitted in PDF.
- Certificates, qualifications, etc. must not be attached to the application.
- Traceable references of previous engagements must be provided.
Please note that only applicants selected for interview will be contacted. GIZ is committed to be an equal opportunities employer, therefore, women and people with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.