Background

Trade and Markets East Africa (TradeMark East Africa - TMEA) is an East African not-for profit Company Limited by Guarantee established in 2010 to support the growth of trade - both regional and international - in East Africa. TradeMark East Africa (TMEA) is focused on ensuring gains from trade result in tangible gains for East Africans.

Roles and Responsibilities

RECs Programme Management & Operations

• Support the Director, Trade & Customs to formulate and implement RECs components in the TMA Trade and Investment Environment strategy as per the prevailing Theory of Change.
• Support the Director, Trade & Customs to formulate and manage TMA’s RECs programming at continental, regional and national levels.
• Support the Director, Trade & Customs, in providing technical management in the implementation of TMA’s RECs projects and interventions.
• Support the Director, Trade & Customs in managing the Innovations and Ideation of the next generation concepts in regional integration, incubating them, and translating them to implementable and practical solutions in addressing trade regulatory and policy challenges in the trade and business environment.
• Support the Director, Trade and Customs managing development of trade policy instruments at the regional level and their domestication at regional level.
• Support the Director, Trade & Customs in engagements with regional and international bodies involved in trade agreements, such as the AU, AfCFTA Secretariat, WTO, WCO, Regional Economic Communities (RECs) Secretariats.
• Support TMA’s research work related to trade policy and regional integration programming – providing insights to the results and impact of TMA programming in trade facilitation.
• Directly manage assigned regional integration projects programme delivery by ensuring good practice Project Cycle Management (PCM) in terms of project design, procurement, contract management, outcome/output-based planning, reporting and financial management, and results-oriented monitoring, learning and evaluation.
• Lead, manage and mentor junior trade policy team members, Trade & Customs team members, and other members of the Trade Environment Department on regional integration matters.
• In line with TMA strategy, support the Director, Trade & Customs to manage the operational/implementation technical inputs and quality assurance on TMA’s work on regional integration in general and with specific focus on Trade Agreements; FTAs, Customs Union and Common Markets negotiation and implementation; Trade in Services among others.
• Work closely with the Director, Trade & Customs, TMA Regional by managing the support and operations of trade policy programmes to enhance implementation of regionally or globally agreed trade agreements.
• Manage the development of a regional integration programming sustainability strategy and an implementation plan detailing how current and future trade policy interventions will be sustained by trade policy implementing agencies.
• Manage the exploration of potential new areas of engagement around regional integration that are in line with the TMA’s Strategic plan.
• Support the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) on negotiations and implementation of trade agreements.
• Support the RECs on development and implementation of trade policy instruments.
• Support the RECs and Countries in undertaking trade policy studies and reviews.

Knowledge Management and lesson Learning

• Support the Director, Trade & Customs to manage regional integration capacity development activities at regional and national level (e.g., managing Communities of Practice, training, coaching, information sessions), with partner organisations and for TMA staff.
• Manage the work with country and regional teams to provide technical advice and input on regional integration, internally and/or with partners.
• Support the Director, Trade & Customs to manage a regular programme of topical seminars and talks for TMA staff on research findings, from key informants on regional integration and other trade related issues.
• Support the Director, Trade & Customs to manage any training programs designed for trade negotiators, private sector, and civil society stakeholders to better participate and execute agreements related to trade facilitation.
• Contribute to research and knowledge materials including flagship publications, policy and research studies, economic research papers and briefs related to trade policy.
• Through training and capacity building programmes, improve and deepen TMA staff and partner organisations’ understanding of regional integration and trade related policy issues.
• Manage teams in regular informal and formal reflection, knowledge sharing and learning events.

Strategy and Results

• Support the Director, Trade & Customs in working with Knowledge & Results and the Research Directors to carry out trade data analysis to assess the impact of TMA support towards enhancing trade policy in the regions of TMA’s operations.
• Use trade data and policy analysis to identify and draw linkages between trade policy and infrastructure development programs with a view to informing operational options, enhancing effectiveness of TMA interventions and/or informing strategic decisions.

Communications

• In collaboration with the Communications team, provide material for publication, demonstrating results and good practice in TMA’s work especially around flagship trade policy projects.
• Provide information and data towards the preparation of reports and communication materials.

Partnerships.

• Manage strategic and general partnerships with key organizations, stakeholders and partners including regional economic communities, national Government agencies and international and regional non-governmental, private sector and civil society organisations with a focus on regional integration and trade policy dialogue, trade capacity building and sharing of knowledge and best practices.
• Support the Director, Trade & Customs to develop and maintain strong working relationships with the heads of Trade and Trade policy teams in Regional Economic Communities, particularly the EAC, COMESA, SADC, ECOWAS and AfCFTA and other multilateral trade organizations such as WTO, WCO, UNCTAD, ITC and EIF as well as non-governmental trade organisations.
• Manage TMA’s contributions and inputs to the Aid for Trade, work around post Bali WTO TFA and other trade related discussions at regional and global levels, working closely with all relevant Directors and teams across TMA.

Qualifications or Requirements

Academic qualifications

• A postgraduate or undergraduate degree in Economics, Regional integration, Development Studies, International Trade, or International Trade Law. A Master’s degree in a related field and qualifications in project planning and management will be an added advantage.
• Undergraduate degree holders will have at least seven years of relevant working experience, while postgraduate degree holders will require at least five years of relevant working experience

Technical knowledge and experience

• Experience in working with private sector and civil society to deliver trade capacity support and to support trade related advocacy.
• Good understanding of the multilateral trading systems and their implication to regional integration.
• Experience working with regional economic communities required.
• A good understanding of trade facilitation context and regional integration in East, Horn and Southern and West Africa.
• Good understanding of the dynamics of trade and various policy shifts impacting trade at national, regional and at the global levels.
• Very good understanding of the multilateral trading systems and their implication for regional integration.
• Significant knowledge of the trade and development needs of developing countries.
• Good understanding of trade policy, trade facilitation, infrastructure and transport/logistics.
• Good understanding of Customs and its related trade and transport interfaces.

• Support the Director, Trade & Customs to formulate and implement RECs components in the TMA Trade and Investment Environment strategy as per the prevailing Theory of Change.
• Support the Director, Trade & Customs to formulate and manage TMA’s RECs programming at continental, regional and national levels.
• Support the Director, Trade & Customs, in providing technical management in the implementation of TMA’s RECs projects and interventions.
• Support the Director, Trade & Customs in managing the Innovations and Ideation of the next generation concepts in regional integration, incubating them, and translating them to implementable and practical solutions in addressing trade regulatory and policy challenges in the trade and business environment.
• Support the Director, Trade and Customs managing development of trade policy instruments at the regional level and their domestication at regional level.
• Support the Director, Trade & Customs in engagements with regional and international bodies involved in trade agreements, such as the AU, AfCFTA Secretariat, WTO, WCO, Regional Economic Communities (RECs) Secretariats.
• Support TMA’s research work related to trade policy and regional integration programming – providing insights to the results and impact of TMA programming in trade facilitation.
• Directly manage assigned regional integration projects programme delivery by ensuring good practice Project Cycle Management (PCM) in terms of project design, procurement, contract management, outcome/output-based planning, reporting and financial management, and results-oriented monitoring, learning and evaluation.
• Lead, manage and mentor junior trade policy team members, Trade & Customs team members, and other members of the Trade Environment Department on regional integration matters.
• In line with TMA strategy, support the Director, Trade & Customs to manage the operational/implementation technical inputs and quality assurance on TMA’s work on regional integration in general and with specific focus on Trade Agreements; FTAs, Customs Union and Common Markets negotiation and implementation; Trade in Services among others.
• Work closely with the Director, Trade & Customs, TMA Regional by managing the support and operations of trade policy programmes to enhance implementation of regionally or globally agreed trade agreements.
• Manage the development of a regional integration programming sustainability strategy and an implementation plan detailing how current and future trade policy interventions will be sustained by trade policy implementing agencies.
• Manage the exploration of potential new areas of engagement around regional integration that are in line with the TMA’s Strategic plan.
• Support the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) on negotiations and implementation of trade agreements.
• Support the RECs on development and implementation of trade policy instruments.
• Support the RECs and Countries in undertaking trade policy studies and reviews.
• Support the Director, Trade & Customs to manage regional integration capacity development activities at regional and national level (e.g., managing Communities of Practice, training, coaching, information sessions), with partner organisations and for TMA staff.
• Manage the work with country and regional teams to provide technical advice and input on regional integration, internally and/or with partners.
• Support the Director, Trade & Customs to manage a regular programme of topical seminars and talks for TMA staff on research findings, from key informants on regional integration and other trade related issues.
• Support the Director, Trade & Customs to manage any training programs designed for trade negotiators, private sector, and civil society stakeholders to better participate and execute agreements related to trade facilitation.
• Contribute to research and knowledge materials including flagship publications, policy and research studies, economic research papers and briefs related to trade policy.
• Through training and capacity building programmes, improve and deepen TMA staff and partner organisations’ understanding of regional integration and trade related policy issues.
• Manage teams in regular informal and formal reflection, knowledge sharing and learning events.
• Support the Director, Trade & Customs in working with Knowledge & Results and the Research Directors to carry out trade data analysis to assess the impact of TMA support towards enhancing trade policy in the regions of TMA’s operations.
• Use trade data and policy analysis to identify and draw linkages between trade policy and infrastructure development programs with a view to informing operational options, enhancing effectiveness of TMA interventions and/or informing strategic decisions.
• In collaboration with the Communications team, provide material for publication, demonstrating results and good practice in TMA’s work especially around flagship trade policy projects.
• Provide information and data towards the preparation of reports and communication materials.
• Manage strategic and general partnerships with key organizations, stakeholders and partners including regional economic communities, national Government agencies and international and regional non-governmental, private sector and civil society organisations with a focus on regional integration and trade policy dialogue, trade capacity building and sharing of knowledge and best practices.
• Support the Director, Trade & Customs to develop and maintain strong working relationships with the heads of Trade and Trade policy teams in Regional Economic Communities, particularly the EAC, COMESA, SADC, ECOWAS and AfCFTA and other multilateral trade organizations such as WTO, WCO, UNCTAD, ITC and EIF as well as non-governmental trade organisations.
• Manage TMA’s contributions and inputs to the Aid for Trade, work around post Bali WTO TFA and other trade related discussions at regional and global levels, working closely with all relevant Directors and teams across TMA.

• Project Cycle Management (PCM)
• Project design
• Procurement
• Contract management
• Outcome/output-based planning
• Reporting
• Financial management
• Results-oriented monitoring, learning and evaluation
• Trade policy analysis
• Regional integration
• Trade facilitation
• Capacity building
• Knowledge management
• Partnership management
• Stakeholder engagement
• Multilateral trading systems
• Trade agreements
• Customs
• Logistics
• Research
• Data analysis

• A postgraduate or undergraduate degree in Economics, Regional integration, Development Studies, International Trade, or International Trade Law.
• A Master’s degree in a related field and qualifications in project planning and management will be an added advantage.
• Undergraduate degree holders will have at least seven years of relevant working experience, while postgraduate degree holders will require at least five years of relevant working experience
• Experience in working with private sector and civil society to deliver trade capacity support and to support trade related advocacy.
• Good understanding of the multilateral trading systems and their implication to regional integration.
• Experience working with regional economic communities required.
• A good understanding of trade facilitation context and regional integration in East, Horn and Southern and West Africa.
• Good understanding of the dynamics of trade and various policy shifts impacting trade at national, regional and at the global levels.
• Very good understanding of the multilateral trading systems and their implication for regional integration.
• Significant knowledge of the trade and development needs of developing countries.
• Good understanding of trade policy, trade facilitation, infrastructure and transport/logistics.
• Good understanding of Customs and its related trade and transport interfaces.