National Project Officer

Contract duration: 1 year-possibility of extension

Under article 4.2, paragraph (e) of the Staff Regulations, the filling of vacancies in technical cooperation projects does not fall under Annex I of the Staff Regulations and is made by direct selection by the Director-General.

The following are eligible to apply:

• ILO Internal candidates in accordance with paragraphs 31 and 32 of Annex I of the Staff Regulations.
• External candidates
  *

*The recruitment process for National Officer positions is subject to specific local recruitment and eligibility criteria.

The ILO values diversity among its staff and welcomes applications from qualified female candidates. We also encourage applicants with disabilities. If you are unable to complete our online application form due to a disability, please send an email to .

Technical cooperation appointments are not expected to lead to a career in the ILO and they do not carry any expectation of renewal or conversion to any other type of appointment in the Organization. A one-year fixed-term contract will be given. Extensions of technical cooperation contracts are subject to various elements including the following: availability of funds, continuing need of the functions and satisfactory conduct and performance.

*Conditions of employment for external candidates: In conformity with existing ILO practice, the appointment of an external candidate will normally be made at the first step of this grade.

Introduction

The EU’s Opportunity-Driven VET (OP-VET) Action contributes to the goals of the AU Agenda 2063 on Education and Skills revolution as well as Education and Skills Priority of the Global Gateway. The Action is designed to strengthen the VET offer across Africa by aligning it with real employment opportunities generated by Global Gateway investments on the continent.

The ILO has been a long-standing strategic partner of the African Union Commission, African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), and the Regional Economic Communities (RECs). ILO works closely with these institutions across a wide range of areas, including skills development and the promotion of lifelong learning in Africa. To further strengthen coordination and impact, the ILO has established Africa’s Skills Hub, hosted within its Regional Office in Abidjan. The Hub serves as a dedicated platform to coordinate regional skills development work and to provide technical support to the African Union, AUDA-NEPAD, and RECs, fostering coherence, knowledge sharing, and scalability across countries. Through this partnership, the ILO works closely with AUDA-NEPAD, as the technical arm of the African Union. In this capacity, the ILO contributes to the advancement and operationalization of major continental frameworks, including the development and implementation of the Africa Continental TVET Strategy (CTVET Strategy), the Africa Occupational Standard Development Framework (AOSDF), and the joint ILO–AU Youth Employment Strategy for Africa (YES-AFRICA).

Introduction continues

To strengthen coherence and coordination across the Action, a Programme Coordination Desk will be established under the leadership of AUDA-NEPAD. The Desk facilitates coordination across OP-VET Pillars 1–5, supports information exchange among implementing partners, monitors implementation and follow-up, and promotes alignment between programme interventions and relevant African Union policy frameworks.

The National Project Officer will contribute to the effective functioning of the Coordination Desk and support coordination between AUDA-NEPAD, the ILO, implementing partners, RECs, AU Member States and other relevant stakeholders. While the position is based within AUDA-NEPAD premises, it forms part of the ILO Decent Work Technical Support Team for Eastern and Southern Africa in Pretoria. The DWTs provide high quality, timely and integrated technical support to the country offices in the design, implementation and monitoring of Decent Work Country Programmes (DWCP). This support considers the profound transformations in the world of work and is driven by human-centred approach as set forth in the ILO Centenary Declaration for the future of work.

Reporting lines

Under the direct supervision of the ILO Technical Specialist recruited under the Programme, the National Project Officer will support the day-to-day activities of the Programme Coordination Desk and receive guidance from the Senior Regional Skills Specialist for Africa, based in Abidjan. The incumbent will work under the overall supervision of the Director of the Country Office and Decent Work Team in Pretoria and work closely with ILO Skills Specialists and Technical Officers involved in OP-VET, as well as relevant programme personnel across the five OP-VET Pillars. The incumbent will also liaise with AUDA-NEPAD, R