The European Union Delegation to India and Bhutan in Delhi is looking for:
Trade Affairs Officer - Economic & Commercial Matters
in the Trade & Economic Affairs section.
We are
The European Union (EU) is an economic and political partnership between 27 European countries. It plays an important role in international affairs through diplomacy, trade, development aid and working with global organizations. Abroad, the EU is represented through more than 140 diplomatic representations, known also as EU Delegations, which have a similar function to those of an embassy.The EU Delegation to India and Bhutan in Delhi works in close coordination with the Embassies and Consulates of the 27 EU Member States. We are a fully-fledged diplomatic mission and represent the European Union in dealings with the Indian and Bhutanese governments in areas that are part of the EU’s remit.
We offer
The post of Trade Affairs Officer (Local Agent Group 1) in the Delegation’s Trade and Economic Affairs Section. The team consists of nine people and there are occasional atypical working hours.Under this post, the recruited person will be attributed functions depending on the needs of the Delegation, and on the changes of these needs. The successful candidate
will serve under the supervision and responsibility
of the Head of Trade and Economic Affairs Section, providing support, expertise and assistance on trade and economic matters.The recruited person will be joining the Trade and Economic Affairs team of the Delegation of the European Union to India. A key EU objective in its trade relations with India is to work towards a sound, transparent, open, non-discriminatory and predictable regulatory and business environment for European companies trading with or investing in India, including the protection of their investments and intellectual property. The aim is to contribute to unlocking the untapped potential of two-way trade and investment between the EU and India. EU and India are now engaged in bilateral negotiations on trade, investment protection and geographical indications. The EU and India have also recently established a Trade and Technology Council (TTC) to tackle challenges at the nexus of trade, trusted technology and security, and deepen cooperation in these fields.As part of the trade and economic affairs team, the recruited person will be responsible for providing high quality analysis and intelligence on India’s trade policy developments to support the ongoing trade and investment negotiations and to support overall EU trade objectives in India. This role will require you to engage and develop good working relationships with various stakeholders both within and outside the government.
Monitoring, Reporting & Analysis
More specifically recruited person will be responsible for:
- Regularly monitor and report on key trade, investment and economic policy developments to headquarters. This will include analysis and reporting on thematic and sectoral issues (from an international trade perspective), such as WTO, agriculture and food safety, labour, environment, energy macro-economy, IPR, regional trade policy, trade in goods and services.
- Monitor and report on issues that have an impact on the ongoing EU-India negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement, an agreement on geographical indications (GI) and an investment protection agreement (IPA) and on the trade work stream of the EU India TTC.
- Prepare weekly press/media reviews concerning local coverage of trade and economic issues of importance to Headquarters.
- Monitor and report on market access issues of EU companies present in India
- Prepare statistical updates on EU–India trade and investment trends
Stakeholder Engagement
- Build and maintain excellent working relations with the relevant government authorities (such as Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Agriculture and other relevant sectoral ministries), industry associations, private sector representatives, think tanks and academia.
- Leveraging these networks to gather intelligence
- Facilitate and support the ongoing EU-India negotiating rounds on Free Trade Agreement, Geographical Indications and Investment Protection Agreement and work under the TTC.
- Facilitate and participate in government– to-government meetings, bilateral meetings as well as in conferences and seminars pertaining to trade and economic matters
Overall Support To The EU Delegation
- Prepare and assist in mission/visits from Headquarters and in particular, provide assistance to EU FTA, GI and IPA negotiators as required.
- Take the lead in organising roundtables/ seminars on issues relating to EU-India relations, including identification of the right interlocutors.
- Organise and co-ordinate monthly meeting with EU Member State economic and commercial counsellors.
- Prepare or contribute to preparation of briefings, speeches, statements as and when requested by the Head of the Delegation and relevant officials
- Contribute to the Delegation's various reports as regards trade and economic matters.
- Contribute to the Delegation's Press and Information activities and products with respect to trade and investment issues, such as preparation of annual brochures.
- Provide technical support to the project management team on the preparation of proposals as well as implementation of trade related projects.
The base salary will depend on relevant and verified employment experience, typically starting from INR 194,014/- per month. There is a competitive benefits package, subject to certain conditions, including personal leave days and public holidays, health insurances and a retirement savings plan.The expected start date will be September 2023.
Minimum requirements / eligibility criteria (necessary for the application to be considered)
- At least 3 years of relevant work experience in public policy or other relevant areas in an international environment
- A University degree in economics, political science, international relations, business or related field
- Fluency in written (C2) and spoken (C2) English a must
- Fluency in spoken (C1) and written (B2 minimum) Hindi
- Knowledge of Microsoft Office
- Right to residence and work in India
Assets / selection criteria (basis for awarding points to select the best applicant)
- A Master’s degree in economics, political science, international relations, business or related field would be desirable
- A strong overall understanding of India’s trade and investment policy environment and the government policymaking process (including the structure and organisation of government ministries and departments).
- Knowledge of agriculture, food safety, labour and environment (from a trade perspective) would be desirable but not a prerequisite.
- A broad understanding of EU-India trade and economic relations
- Excellent analytical drafting skills given the nature of work which has a high degree of analysis and reporting
- Prior experience of engaging with various stakeholders including, government authorities, think tanks, industry associations.
The successful candidate will be subject to a medical check.
The process
After the deadline for applications, the
eligible
applications will be submitted to the Selection Committee set up for this purpose.Depending on the number of applications received, successive phases of Selection may include shortlisting of candidates based on assessment of the information provided in the cover letter, CV; practical testing and interviews.Only candidates admitted to each successive selection phase will be contacted individually. The Delegation will use the same means of publication as for this job advertisement to inform the remaining candidates once the recruitment procedure has been completed and that a candidate has (or has not) been recruited.The Delegation will not supply additional information or discuss the selection procedure. During the selection process, please do not contact the members of the Selection Committee, but address your questions and comments to the Delegation’s Administration.
