Director of the Customs and Tax Union, Ecowas Commission at Deloitte

The incumbent will be responsible for the direction and management of technical activities related to the consolidation of the ECOWAS customs union and the harmonization of domestic taxes within the Community.

Role and Responsibilities

• Leading regional reforms in taxation and customs;
• Monitor the implementation of the Common External Tariff (CET) and related disputes;
• Supporting Member States in their tax transition;
• Establish a comprehensive regional framework to facilitate dialogue between different stakeholders;
• Represent the Commission in relevant political dialogues at regional and international levels;
• To monitor international commitments in the areas of taxation and customs;
• Monitor the progress of the implementation of the common market in the areas of taxation and customs;
• Establish the dispute settlement mechanism relating to the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS);
• Develop programs aimed at ensuring the harmonization of customs regulations and domestic taxes, as well as the management of the ECOWAS tax transition program in member states;
• Develop and disseminate the ECOWAS regional compliance program relating to customs tariffs and community agreements on internal taxes in member states;
• Develop and maintain standard operating procedures covering compliance with customs tariffs and taxes, in accordance with the ECOWAS regional compliance program;
• Develop customs policies, formulate opinions and recommendations in accordance with ECOWAS regional rules and regulations;
• Develop policies aimed at ensuring more favorable conditions for economic operators, in accordance with the ECOWAS trade facilitation program;
• To initiate and recommend policies aimed at increasing public revenue and reducing the risks of fraud and smuggling in Member States;
• To perform any other tasks that may be assigned to him by his hierarchical superior.

Qualifications

• Hold a Master's degree or any other equivalent degree in Social Sciences, Business Administration, International Relations, International Diplomacy, Public Administration, Law or Political Science, issued by a recognized university.
• Demonstrate twelve (12) years of experience with progressively increasing responsibility in the application of the principles of economic and social development, generally acquired in the context of the development and management of programs within an international organization, preferably in the context of West Africa; demonstrate practical experience in the fields of regional integration, trade, infrastructure and natural resource management is an asset;
• Demonstrate a thorough knowledge of economic and social policymaking in key areas such as regional integration, trade, investment, infrastructure development, land policy, agricultural development and industrialization;
• Demonstrate proven knowledge of regional cross-border cooperation in West Africa, migration dynamics in the region, and the ECOWAS Protocol relating to the free movement of persons, the right of residence and establishment, and related decisions, particularly regarding border delimitation and demarcation;
• Demonstrate knowledge of ECOWAS regional rules and regulations regarding customs tariff classification of goods, origin of goods, and compliance policies relating to customs tariffs and taxes. 

Key Competencies Regarding ECOWAS

• Possess a strong leadership experience in establishing strategic partnerships, collaborating and seeking consensus with multiple internal or external stakeholders on complex issues, within a multidisciplinary governmental or international organization.
• Having a good understanding of the mandate, plan/strategic priorities of ECOWAS as well as the economic, political and social state/trends of member states, with regard to their own field of action.
• Demonstrate consistency in actions, have the ability to respect values, methods, confidentiality, ethics, measures, principles, expectations and results; be able to demonstrate a deep commitment to doing what is right for the right cause, regardless of the circumstances.
• Having the ability to establish and maintain good working relationships with heads of institutions, elected representatives and statutory officials in order to facilitate compliance with regulations, encourage commitment, resolve conflicts and obtain the necessary support for change.
• Ensure strict adherence to the hierarchy.
• Being able to promote a culture that leads employees to feel personally responsible for results.
• To have the capacity to provide leadership, management and technical supervision of all activities related to projects and program results, in accordance with ECOWAS legal and administrative practices and standards.
• Be willing to conduct periodic staff performance evaluations in accordance with the ECOWAS performance management system, mentor, motivate and foster the commitment of staff, and develop their ability to work in a team.
• Being able to oversee project management, internal controls, financial resource management and to approach problems in a confident and competent manner while making impartial and non-partisan decisions. 
• Demonstrate initiative and ingenuity to meet all stakeholder needs, manage multiple assigned tasks, and achieve positive results.
• Being able to create synergy with customer groups and other stakeholders to achieve objectives in defining and monitoring service standards and indicators.
• Knowing how to get others to promote or adopt good practices in customer service.
• To be able to identify and improve services and interactions with customers through appropriate networks and to create new methods to respond to them in a responsible and transparent manner.  
• Having a good understanding of the regulatory environment for combating discrimination/human rights violations, as well as the ability to promote strategies aimed at fostering an inclusive workplace and a healthy organization that respects cultural diversity and gender balance and is free from harassment and discrimination.
• To have a good understanding of diverse cultural viewpoints, particularly those of West African nationals, to be sensitive to differences between groups, to gender issues and to contribute to advocating for and/or developing gender-sensitive and culturally sensitive policies.
• Be willing to foster a diverse and inclusive interactive work environment that can bring together different ideas and experiences to solve problems, develop projects and programs, and improve outcomes.
• To be able to integrate a gender-sensitive perspective and ensure the equitable participation of women and men in all areas of work.
• Being able to demonstrate objectivity in conflict management despite cultural differences, positions and gender differences, and encouraging staff to overcome prejudices and cultural and gender differences. 
• To have a perfect understanding of the organizational structure, culture and dynamics of the ECOWAS workplace.
• Having the ability to apply knowledge of the legal framework, strategic priorities and operational standards of ECOWAS to develop/update policies and programmes and/or implement policies and programmes in a sustainable and effective manner.
• To have a keen sense of commercial, social and political issues, and to demonstrate a strong commitment to the vision and mandate of ECOWAS.
• Having the capacity to judge and make decisions on issues relating to the development of policies and strategies essential to the fulfillment of the ECOWAS mandate and the improvement of results for Member States.
• Ability to write and analyze reports and identify potential obstacles or challenges; ability to develop solutions or propose new alternatives to overcome obstacles and achieve strategic/operational priorities.
• Ability to predict and interpret the effects and impacts of environmental changes (social, economic and political) and to formulate recommendations.
• Ability to identify/understand strengths and weaknesses, stimulate creativity, reduce resistance to change and improve the achievement of strategic objectives.
• Ability to make sound decisions regarding the management of human, financial and material resources. 
• Having a good ability to listen to and understand the points of view of others, in order to inform statements, decisions or recommendations.
• Being able to establish external relationships and collaborative networks to support the achievement of strategic and operational objectives; having the ability to identify key issues and involve key stakeholders through well-designed communication and management plans. 
• Having the ability to communicate clearly and convincingly, to make compelling presentations that can foster the emergence of new knowledge, ideas and perspectives and a better understanding of issues and challenges.
• Demonstrate active listening skills to encourage better communication among team members, show attention to them and make them feel valued; foster employee engagement within different institutions and agencies.
• Possess excellent negotiation and conflict management skills; have the ability to build and maintain cordial, collaborative relationships.
• Have a perfect command of information and communication technologies (ICT).
• Fluency in written and spoken language is required in one of the three official languages ​​of ECOWAS (English, French, and Portuguese). Working knowledge of one of the other two languages ​​would be an additional asset. 
• Possess excellent planning skills, have the ability to set clear expectations, conduct consistent and effective monitoring of performance management practices, and ensure that objectives are met and standards are respected.
• Being able to set objectives, achieve expected results and manage change; knowing how to demonstrate resilience, composure and positivity in an uncertain and hostile environment.
• Ability to foster the development of organizational and individual talent throughout the implementation of strategic, operational, program, project and individual plans.
• Ability to implement plans, mobilize and engage staff, identify key success factors, mitigate risks, monitor indicators and feedback, take corrective action and build sustainability capacity.
• Ability to establish rigorous monitoring and evaluation practices and to learn from failures and mistakes to ensure continuous improvement.

Additional information

• CATEGORY:  D1
• ANNUAL SALARY:  UAC 81,435.54 / USD 128,488.99
• AGE LIMIT:  Must be under 50 years of age.
• Assessment method : The assessment of qualified candidates will include a written exercise and a competency-based interview.