Programme Manager, Customs Cooperation

About the role

The Programme Manager supports the Head of the EPA Facility and Customs in coordinating the implementation of an EU-funded EPA facility and Customs Cooperation aimed at enabling sustainable and inclusive trade and investment in Africa. The role aligns trade facilitation practices with the organization's strategy and provides technical and operational support to SADC EPA members and other countries in trade facilitation and customs matters.

Key responsibilities

• Manage the customs cooperation component of the EPA facility and Customs Cooperation, covering project cycle management, procurement, contract management, reporting and financial management, and results-based monitoring and evaluation.
• Support the Head of EPA Facility and Customs in delivering trade facilitation and customs arrangements from agreements such as the WTO TFA, AfCFTA and the EAC Single Customs Territory.
• Support domestication of customs management regulations and tariff schedules, and harmonization and simplification of customs processes, including HS transposition, rules of origin, common external tariffs and customs valuations.
• Lead capacity development, including Communities of Practice, training, seminars and workshops for staff, trade negotiators, the private sector and civil society.
• Contribute to research, policy analysis and knowledge products, and support trade data analysis to assess the impact of trade facilitation work.
• Manage partnerships with governments, international and regional organizations and civil society, and support contributions to Aid for Trade and other trade-related discussions.

Required profile

• Undergraduate degree in Commerce, Economics, International Trade Policy, International Customs Law and Administration, or equivalent experience; or a Master's degree in those fields with equivalent experience.
• At least seven years of supervisory or managerial experience in trade policy, customs or trade facilitation.
• Significant experience with regional economic communities and customs administrations, and in an international multicultural environment.
• Good understanding of multilateral trading systems, regional integration and the customs context in East, West and Southern Africa and the AfCFTA.