JOB DESCRIPTION
SECO/VIETRADE Programme: Decentralized trade support services for strengthening
the international competitiveness of Vietnamese SMEs
SENIOR TECHNICAL ADVISER (STA)
BACKGROUND
The Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (VIETRADE) is the government agency
responsible for the development of industry and trade through trade and investment
promotion. VIETRADE is starting implementation of the main phase of a technical
cooperation programme "Decentralized Trade Support Services for Strengthening the
International Competitiveness of Vietnamese Small and Medium-sized Enterprises",
in 39 selected provinces of Northern, Central and Southern Vietnam. This program is
financed by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).
To assist VIETRADE in implementing the main phase of the Program, a qualified
Senior Adviser is required to fill the post of Senior Technical Adviser (STA) at
VIETRADE. The STA's main function will be to provide highly professional technical
(substantive) support to the Program Management Unit (PMU), to build up trade
promotion servicing capacities of local institutions and to coach provincial SMEs in
the development of their exports. The duty station will be Hanoi, with quarterly travels
to provinces. The STA should have a minimum of 15 years of practical operational
experience in trade promotion at institutional level, and export development at
enterprise level.
The Senior Technical Adviser (International) will work on a full-time yearly basis
during the Programme main phase (2015-2017) due to start in April 2015.
MAIN FUNCTIONS
The STA’s main function will be to support the National Programme Director and
Deputy National Programme Director (NPD and DNPD) in implementing Programme
activities, in close collaboration with the two National Programme Coordinators (in
Hanoi) and the three Regional Coordinators (in the three Programme regions –
North, Centre and Southwest).
The STA is expected to have two main advisory functions:
-
one on technical guidance to Program implementation and the regular
provision of trade promotion and export development advice;
the other on capacity building of counterpart personnel (at national and
provincial levels) to support the ultimate goal of sustainability in trade support
services to SMEs.
1. He/she should provide professional trade promotion advice and all necessary
expertise, guidance and support in implementing programme activities; bring
in experiences and best practices in trade promotion and export development
from his/her own experience and from international sources, to Vietrade,
provincial Trade Promotion Organizations (TPOs), Trade Support Institutions
(TSIs) and SMEs; regularly advise VIETRADE, the Government and SECO on
key trade promotion and export development issues relating to the
Programme, and how to tackle them; prepare briefs for key events and/or help
formulate positions related to trade promotion and export development.
2. To play the lead role in providing, supporting and co-ordinating all technical
inputs for capacity building of VIETRADE and the regional networks through
the various stages of the Programme main phase.
He/she will have no function in Programme management or coordination, which are
entirely exercised by the PMU, under the National Execution modality.
SPECIFIC DUTIES

Provide technical advice in identifying emerging trade promotion issues
and in implementing yearly work plans for the Programme main phase;

Provide technical support and guidance to the NPD, DNPD and PMU on
the sequencing and consolidation of technical inputs and on eventual
revision of work plans;

Provide technical inputs for preparing terms of reference for consultants
and for the various Programme activities;

Contribute his/her trade promotion knowledge and expertise to the work
of Regional Trade Support Networks, TPOs, TSIs, Technical Working
Groups and SMEs, in such technical areas as: export development
planning, export market development, export marketing strategies, value
chain strategies, joint export marketing schemes, product development
and adaptation, packaging, quality control, international and private
standards and norms, export incentives and financing, export
contracting, INCOTERMS, trade information and market intelligence,
trade fair and trade mission planning and follow up, human resource
development, etc etc;

More specifically, support implementation by the PMU of the following
activities:
+training on market research, trade information, export marketing, export
development, trade promotion
+developing exports of lychees, green tea, pepper, tuna fish, pangasius
fish,
fresh
fruits,
handicrafts,
logistics
services,
tourism
+facilitating the establishment of the Export Development Group and
Trade Policy dialogues
–
+strengthening and promoting branding initiatives by VIETRADE
+developing a training course portfolio (e-learning) –
+developing 10 trade promotion and export competitiveness courses at
VIETRADE +strengthening the business advisory capacities of PROMOCEN
-

Participate in the briefing and supervision of consultants and, jointly with
the NPD, DNPD and PMU, support their work and relationships with other
institutions and projects;

Provide guidance on Programme monitoring as well as in preparing
reports focusing on results, lessons learned and best practices for the
future;

Assist in preparing background notes and synthesis reports for
submission to the meetings of the regional Programme Consultative
Committees (PCCs) and the National Steering Committee (NSC);
participate in all important Programme events at regional and national
levels and contribute his/her technical knowledge and expertise;

Contribute to the external evaluations of the Programme planned to be
conducted at mid-term and at the end of the Program;

Undertake any other technical support activities that would become
necessary during Program implementation, particularly in support of the
three Regional Networks.
QUALIFICATIONS
Advanced University degree in international business or similar subject; a minimum of
15 years of practical operational experience in trade promotion and export
development at institutional and entreprise levels, with special consideration towards
SMEs; preference will be given to candidates with solid experience of trade promotion
in developing countries; experience of technical cooperation with developing countries
would be an asset; good report writing skills; ability to work with different cultures and
to express oneself clearly and concisely is important
LANGUAGES
Excellent written and spoken English