Project Officer – FCR

Job Description

CARICOM seeks a Project Officer - FCR for the Foreign and Community Relations Directorate, a key role dedicated to enhancing Member States' foreign policy coordination and promoting unity. Your expertise will support strategic advice, research, and multisectoral approaches to bolster the region's international standing and internal harmony.

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The Foreign and Community Relations Directorate (FCR) is charged with facilitating the coordination of CARICOM Member States’ foreign policies and promoting   harmonious relations within the Community.  In so doing, the Directorate manages the Secretariat’s interventions by providing – strategic advice to the Secretary-General and CARICOM Member States to articulate, defend and secure the region’s foreign policy interests and strengthen the Community.

FCR plays a leading role in coordination of engagements between Member States, with Third States and with other regional and international organizations of the multilateral system.  This requires coordination of technical, senior officials and high-level meetings in various fora.

Under the direction of the Programme Manager, Community Relations, the incumbent is responsible for assisting in the strengthening of relations among Member States and Associate Members of the Community. The Project Officer, Community Relations is required to conduct research and analysis of international, regional and Member State’s political and socio-economic developments which could have an impact on the Community.

The Project Officer, Community Relations will work in support of a multisectoral approach to Community Relations and assist with consultation and coordination within the Secretariat through all the Directorates, within the Community and the Community’s engagement other multilateral engagements.

This position is deemed to be performing effectively, efficiently, and with relevance when:

• Research papers and analytical briefs on the Community’s relations with Third States and International Organisations and on topical international relations issues for presentation to the Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR) and in preparation for Community bilateral meetings are well prepared in a timely manner.
• Opportunities for engaging with and supporting Member States are identified.
• Political, economic and social developments in member states, the relations and partnerships with hemispheric and international organisations are monitored and timely reports on the implications of such developments are prepared.
• Correspondence, messages, speeches, statements, reports, position papers, etc. are prepared with appropriate thoroughness and timeliness.
• Agreed Individual Objectives in keeping with the Directorate’s and Secretariat’s Objectives are met.
• The tasks assigned are achieved within the limits of the specified budget.
• Representation duties are satisfactorily carried out.

Responsibility

• ASSISTSvwith the preparation for the meetings of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR);
• ASSISTS with the coordination and functioning of various CARICOM Election Observation Missions;
• ASSISTS with the support to CARICOM Good Offices Missions, in particular support to Haiti;
• REPRESENTS the Secretariat at workshops, seminars and conferences;
• ASSESSES and PREPARESbriefs on relations between selected third countries and Member States of the Community, and on topical international relations issues;
• ANALYSES and REPORTS on developments in select regional, hemispheric and international organisations;
• DRAFTS correspondence – statements, messages and speeches as required;
• ASSISTS with the development of a work programme and budget;
• PREPARES biannual monitoring reviews;
• PREPARES various reports in keeping with the CARICOM Secretariat standards; and
• MONITORS developments in, and relations among CARICOM Member States to assist in Executive decision making.

Experience and Qualifications

Candidates must possess a Bachelor of Arts or Social Sciences Degree in Political Science, International Relations, Economics or the equivalent, plus at least five (5) years relevant experience or three (3) years with a Master’s Degree working in one or more of the following:

• Regional and international organisations
• A Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• A Ministry of Trade and International Business
• Embassies or High Commissions
• A major multinational/regional corporation

In addition, the candidate should possess specialized training and good working knowledge in:

• A foreign language that the Secretariat may require (knowledge of French and/or Spanish or Dutch would be a significant asset.)
• Diplomacy
• Negotiations
• Communication
• Regional Integration

Benefits and Others

This is an S1 post. The salary scale for the position is EC$6,291.00 to EC$7,998.00 per month.

EDUCATION GRANT

The Officer shall be eligible for the payment of an education grant in respect of children (including step-children and legally-adopted children) who require reasonable education facilities that are not available at the assigned duty station or whose education the Officer would not want to disrupt in relocating to take up this appointment.

The grant shall apply to children under the age of twenty-three (23) years and shall not exceed seventy-five per cent (75%) of the cost of tuition (including textbooks), room and board up to a maximum total of EC$16,200.00 per year per child for a maximum of two (2) children at any one time. The grant is payable for a maximum of five (5) years.

SETTLEMENT GRANT

On assumption of duty in Guyana, the Officer shall be paid a settlement grant in respect of the staff member, his or her spouse and each eligible child or other approved dependent.  The number of dependents eligible for Settlement Grant shall not exceed six (6) persons.

RECRUITMENT AND APPOINTMENT

Appointment may be on permanent establishment or on secondment from a Public Service or a statutory body of a Member State or approved regional organisation. It will be subject to such staff rules and policies, rules, regulations, orders and instructions as exist and as may be introduced from time to time with respect to service with the Caribbean Community Secretariat.

An Officer recruited from outside the assigned duty station, on first appointment, will be provided economy class air passages by the most direct route for the Officer, spouse and children (provided they are below the age of eighteen (18) years, unmarried and dependent on the Officer) and for such other dependents not exceeding two as may be approved by the    Secretary-General, provided that the number of children and other dependents does not exceed six (6) in all.

In addition to passages, the Officer will be granted the following transportation allowances:

1. Ocean freight charges, including insurance, for shipping personal and household effects to Guyana, not exceeding 45.3 cubic meters, plus a motor car (if the Officer already owns one);
2. The cost of transporting baggage, personal and household effects from the home of the Officer to the place of embarkation and from the port of disembarkation to the place of residence in Guyana; and
3. The cost of packing and crating personal and household effects.

LEAVE

The officer will be eligible for the grant of vacation leave at the rate of twenty (20) working days a year and a leave grant after every twelve (12) months of service in respect of the officer, spouse and up to two (2) dependent children.

PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES

The officer will be granted the privileges and immunities extended to officials of the Caribbean Community in accordance with Article 8 of the Community’s Headquarters Agreement with the Government of Guyana.

GROUP HEALTH AND LIFE AND ACCIDENT INSURANCE

Subject to your acceptance by the Secretariat’s insurance carrier, the Officer will be required to participate in the Secretariat’s group health, life and accident insurance schemes. With respect to the health insurance, the Officer will contribute fifty per cent (50%) of the premium.  The life and accident insurance scheme is non-contributory.

SUPERANNUATION

An Officer appointed to this post will be required to participate in the Secretariat’s Defined Contribution Pension Plan and contribute 7 per cent of basic salary per month, while the Secretariat will contribute 13 percent of the Officer’s basic salary to the pension plan. Where the appointment is on secondment, the Secretariat will pay to the Officer’s substantive employer, over the period of secondment, a contribution not exceeding twenty-five per cent (25%) of the pensionable salary normally payable to the Officer by that employer so as to maintain the pensionable status of the Officer in the substantive employment.

APPLICATIONS

Applications in English Language with full curriculum vitae details, including the email addresses of three (3) referees (at least two of whom must be familiar with the applicant’s work), should be addressed to:

Adviser
Human Resource Management
Caribbean Community Secretariat
Turkeyen,
Greater Georgetown,
Guyana

And sent via email to assistance@caricom.org – The title of the vacancy "Project Officer - FCR" should be clearly identified in the subject line of the email.

The deadline for the submission of applications is 19 April 2024.