ATTENTION!!!

AU Values

• Respect for Diversity and TeamWork             • Think Africa Above all                     
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• Efficiency and Professionalism                 • Information and Knowledge Sharing

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Organization Information

Reports to: Head of the Non-Tariff Measures Division
Directorate/Department: Directorate of Trade in Goods and Competition
Number of Direct Reports: 0
Number of Indirect Reports: 0
Job Grade: P4
Contract Type: Fixed Term
Location: Accra, Ghana

Purpose of Job

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), signed by 54 of the 55 African countries, seeks to achieve the objective of a continental single market. As of December 2024, 48 State Parties have ratified the Agreement. This landmark agreement offers significant promise for the continent’s transformation and   will open up new economies of scale and create stronger foundations for economic diversification. The AfCFTA is expected to boost intra-African trade, to promote structural transformation and to generate significant employment opportunities in Africa, especially for women and young people. Despite the high political momentum and the strong economic rationale, realising the AfCFTA will require strengthening institutional capacities to complete negotiations and to implement the Agreement, with the active involvement of the private sector and effective cooperation between stakeholders at continental, regional and national level. 

With significant milestones on negotiations capped by the conclusion of Phase II more focus, is now towards domestication of the protocols by State Parties. Apart from that, trade facilitation, and the transition towards meaningful trade among State Parties has now become an important subject, as we advance implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement. In this context, apart from tariff liberation, non-tariff barriers (NTBs) to trade will remain an important subject, if meaningful trade has to take-off under the AfCFTA. 

Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) are restrictions that result from prohibitions, conditions, or specific market requirements that negatively affect the import or export of goods. They raise the cost of trade, and come in the form of unjustified or improper application of Non-Tariff Measures (NTMs) such as sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures and other technical barriers to Trade (TBT). They usually come in the form of different measures taken by governments and authorities in the form of laws, regulations, policies, conditions, restrictions or specific requirements, including measures that seek to protect the domestic industries from foreign competition. The significance of this subject under   AfCFTA agenda is a critical variable, and covered under Annex 5 on Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs), Annex 6 on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) and Annex 7 on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) to the AfCFTA Protocol on Tarde in Goods. 

Thus, elimination of Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs), and investment in processes at MS level towards enhancing regulatory transparency will be important towards enhancing implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement, and directly benefit private sector development, and especially SMEs. Given this context, and informed by the priorities of AfCFTA Agreement implementation,  the AfCFTA Secretariat requires, within the Directorate of Trade in Goods and Competition, a Principal Officer  Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs), to provide technical support to the Directorate, to enhance capacity across implementation of the AfCFTA Protocol on Trade in Goods, Annex 5 on Non-Tariff Barriers, and Annex 6 on Technical Barriers to Trade.  
 

Main Functions

The Principal Officer Non-Tariff Barriers will work under the direct supervision of the Head of the Non-Tariff Measures Division, and provide support to the Directorate of Trade in Goods and Competition, in the day-to-day implementation of Annex 5 on Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs), and implementation of Annex 6 on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBTs).

The Staff will be integrated into the Directorate’s work flow, delivering targeted technical inputs on a need driven basis, informed by an agreed Work Plan developed in close collaboration with the Directorate.

Specific Responsibilities

In order to achieve the above-mentioned objective, the Staff will perform the following key tasks: 
•    Provide a lead in supporting the Directorate to implement the Work programme of the Sub-Committee on Non-Tariff Barriers;
•    Support to the Directorate, to enhance capacity across State Parties in implementation of the AfCFTA Protocol on Trade in Goods, Annex 5 on Non-Tariff Barriers, and Annex 6 on Technical Barriers to Trade.  
•    Provide technical assistance to the AfCFTA Secretariat towards hosting and facilitation of meetings of the Sub-Committee on NTBs bi-annually; 
•    Provide technical support towards the implementation of the Work Programme of the Sub-Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade;   
•    Facilitate awareness raising and capacity building for National Monitoring Committees and National focal points on the use of the AfCFTA NTB Online Mechanism. 
•    Coordinate awareness raising and capacity building on the general categories of potential sources of NTBs for the private sector, especially Small and Medium Enterprises.
•    Implement guidelines for collection of Non-Tariffs Measures data to enhance regulatory transparency and compliance in the AfCFTA.
•    Support and coordinate State Party collection of Non-Tariff Measures data.
•    Facilitate National Policy dialogues and interactions between State Parties on the resolution and progressive elimination of NTBs. 
•    Facilitate implementation of a framework for collaboration between the Secretariat and the RECs in the area of Non-Tariff Barriers.
•    Coordinate implementation and maintenance of the AfCFTA NTB Online Mechanism and.
•    Organise four awareness raising and capacity building workshops for both public and private sector entities on the effective use of the AfCFTA NTBs online Mechanisms at continental level.
•    Coordinate the implementation of the AfCFTA NTB Mobile Reporting Application at regional and national level.
•    The technical support will include implementation of the Work Programme of the Sub-Committee on Non-Tariff Barriers through coordination of the activities.

Expected Outputs

•    The Sub-Committees on NTBs meets at least twice a year or as deemed necessary.;
•    Required institutional framework for resolution of NTBs at national and continental level established and capacitated.
•    Appreciation, knowledge and technical competence on the implementation of the provisions of Annex 5 on NTBs by the relevant national institutions expected to resolve and eliminate NTBs;
•    Enhanced private sector knowledge and understanding of what NTBs, their to identification, including report of the same; 
•    Enhanced cooperation, knowledge and experience sharing on the resolution of NTBs between the AfCFTA Secretariat and the REC Secretariats;
•    Effective facilitation of resolution of NTBs and quick turn-around time on reported NTBs;
•    The AfCFTA NTB Online Mechanism and the AfCFTA NTB Mobile Reporting Application widely used to report NTBs;
 

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Academic Requirements and Relevant Experience

•    The Candidate should possess a Bachelor’s degree in international Trade, Project Management, Quality Management or any Trade Policy related subject and should have a minimum of 12 years of experience in their relevant areas of expertise. 

or 
•    A Master's degree in international Trade, Project Management, Quality Management or any Trade Policy related subject a minimum of 10 years of experience in their relevant areas of expertise. 
•    The Candidate must have extensive experience in the area of Quality Infrastructure development, standards, quality, and conformity assessment, non-tariff measures, non-tariff barriers, and training/ capacity building skills.
•    Demonstrate experience in managing complex, large-scale, and multi-year technical assistance projects in Africa;
•    Regional and continental experience in Africa, African Regional Economic Communities, and other African countries;

Required Skills

•    Ability to work in a multicultural environment; 
•    Ability to work independently to meet critical and competing deadlines (multi-tasking), to produce high quality work in short timeframes;
•    Ability to analyse and research information
•    Excellent interpersonal/teamwork skills;
•    Must be computer literate with a working knowledge of common computer applications and systems; 
•    Excellent drafting, reporting, communication and presentation skills;
•    Strong program/project management skills;
•    Strong analytical skills;
•    Excellent planning and organising skills;
•    Ability to liaise with a diverse range of people and stakeholders; and
•    Proficiency in one of the African Union working languages (Arabic, English, French, Portuguese, Spanish or Swahili). Knowledge of one more or several other working languages would be an added advantage.

Leadership Competencies

Core Competencies

Functional Competencies

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 TENURE OF APPOINTMENT:

The Appointment will be made on a fixed term contract for a period of one (1)/ two (2) year, of which the first six (6) months will be considered as a probationary period. Thereafter, the contract may be renewed up to two times based on positive performance assessment and subject to the availability of funds. 

GENDER MAINSTREAMING:

The AU is an equal opportunity employer and qualified women are strongly encouraged to apply.

LANGUAGES:
Proficiency in one of the AU working languages (Arabic, English, French, Kiswahili, Portuguese, and Spanish) is mandatory and fluency in another AU language is an added advantage

REMUNERATION:

The salary attached to the position is an annual lump-sum of US$ 115,147.00 (P4 Step 5) inclusive of all allowances for internationally recruited staff, and US$ 98,199.34   inclusive of all allowances for locally recruited staff of the AfCFTA Secretariat.

Applications must be submitted no later than February 7, 2025 11h59 p.m. UTC.

-Only candidates who meet all job requirements and are selected for interviews will be contacted. 
-Consideration will be given only to those candidates who have submitted a fully completed online application with a curriculum vitae (CV), an African passport, and the required academic qualifications, such as Diplomas, Bachelor's degrees, Master's degrees and any relevant certificate in line with the area of expertise.
-Candidates from less represented countries within the African Union are strongly encouraged to apply for positions that fit their profiles. These countries include Algeria, Angola, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Comoros, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Namibia, Niger, Sahrawi D.R., Sao Tome and Principe., Seychelles, Somalia and Tunisia.

Requisition ID: 2582