PRINCIPAL TRADE & QUALITY INFRASTRUCTURE OFFICER
VACANCY NOTICE
PRINCIPAL TRADE & QUALITY INFRASTRUCTURE OFFICER
The Government of Montserrat is inviting applications from suitably qualified persons for the post of Principal Trade and Quality Infrastructure Officer within the Ministry of Agriculture, Trade, Lands, Housing and the Environment.
Job Purpose
Under the supervision of the Permanent Secretary, to plan, manage and coordinate the Ministry's activities on trade, competition policy, standards and quality infrastructure matters.
Main Responsibilities, include:
- establish the necessary working relations with local, regional and international authorities, including civil society organizations, private sector representatives, consumer affairs and other agencies involved in trade;
- develop close working contacts with Member States’ representatives with whom Montserrat has an interest;
- participate in donor cooperation efforts, as regards regional integration in respect of trade analysis and policy development;
- explain the trade policies and positions to domestic audiences, particularly local authorities, press, civil society, business and academics;
- contribute to the preparation of negotiating positions, trade advocacy and other trade related disciplines, including but not limited to, the GATT, GATS, TRIPS and TRIMS;
- track and report on Montserrat’s trade activities and guide GoM’s response to key international negotiations and to regional integration - particular attention must be paid to EU, WTO, CARICOM and OECS positions and developments on trade;
- compile and interpret comparative data on trade between local suppliers, Montserrat, the Caribbean and the rest of the world;
- monitor the government's trade portfolio to determine and guide compliance with the GoM's Treaty obligations;
- develop and implement Quality Assurance Infrastructure, which includes Testing, Metrology, Conformity Assessment, Accreditation and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) and participate in awareness-raising activities;
- participate in the development of regional standards, regulations and practices, and foster, promote and support their adoption and implementation in Montserrat;
- monitor and report on fuel pricing mechanism established by GoM;
- oversee the implementation of the Import Licence framework, as prescribed in the External Trade Act;
- supervise the testing, measurement and metrology in general to support, services, purchasing and sales programmes and trade practices to be in compliance and conformity with relevant regulations and standards, and;
- provide monitoring data and regular progress reports to the Permanent Secretary.
Key Skills Requirements (Qualifications, Experience and Competencies):
The applicant must possess:
- a Bachelor’s degree in Economics, Trade, Finance or a similar discipline. A postgraduate degree in social sciences, inclusive of trade/trade law or business administration will be an asset;
- at least five (5) years’ experience at a management level (equivalent of R22-16), and a good understanding of the trade relations;
- strong policy formulation and implementation skills;
- excellent leadership and conflict resolution skills;
- demonstrated ability to plan, implement and monitor programmes and projects;
- excellent written communication skills, including the preparation of technical reports;
- strong oral reporting and presentation skills to select and public audiences;
- good interpersonal skills, with the ability to interact effectively with groups of diverse individuals;
- the ability to supervise, provide feedback and support a team;
- information technology skills, with a strong knowledge of Microsoft Office and the ability to manipulate presentation software and equipment, and;
- working knowledge of another regional language, in particular Spanish, will be considered an asset.
Terms of Appointment
Appointment will be made on a permanent basis.
Remuneration Package
Basic Salary
The salary scale for the post is R17-13/14-10, that is, EC$57,312-63,648/62,064-68472 per annum – taxable.
Allowance(s)
- telephone allowance of EC$720 per annum (taxable);
- a non-taxable Travel Allowance of EC$9,600.00 per annum is payable to the successful applicant, if the Officer maintains a motor vehicle in roadworthy condition.
Abbreviations
GATT - General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
GATS - General Agreement on Trade in Services
TRIPS - Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights
TRIMS - Trade-Related Investment Measures
EU – European Union
WTO - World Trade Organization
CARICOM – Caribbean Community
OECS – Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States
GoM - Government of Montserrat