These positions are located in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the regional commissions and, occasionally, other Departments in the Secretariat. Each position is usually focused on a sub-specialty such as macroeconomics, development economics, international economics (trade, finance and investment), public economics, environmental economics, gender economics or a specific economic sector or sectors. The Senior Economics Affairs Officer usually reports to a Director or a Chief of a center or branch.

Within delegated authority, the duties of a Senior Economic Affairs Officer are likely to fall mainly into one of the first three functional areas identified below but all are also likely to embrace a number of programme support responsibilities. Economic or sectoral analysis • Leads or participates in the formulation, organization and management of mandated programmes of economic analysis and the formulation of possible economic strategies, policies and actions for adoption by the international community. • Leads or participates in the identification of new or emerging development issues of potential concern to the international community, particularly those of a regional or global nature, and designs and develops programmes to address them. • Supervises a team of staff economists undertaking this work. • Commissions economic studies and analyses that cannot be undertaken internally. • Conceives, plans and manages expert group meetings, seminars and similar consultations that contribute to the finalization of the work unit’s outputs. • Finalizes reports on development for issuance by the United Nations. • Prepares speeches for senior staff and makes presentations on economic issues for specialist or non-specialist audiences. • Leads team members efforts to collect and analyze data and provides insight to identify trends or patterns for data-driven planning, decision-making, presentation and reporting. Ensures that everyone can discover, access, integrate and share the data they need. Intergovernmental support • Provides direct substantive support on development issues to intergovernmental bodies (such as the General Assembly, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the Economic and Social Council, the Trade and Development Board, the regional commissions and the subsidiary bodies of each) by offering strategic advice, giving technical guidance and assisting in developing a consensus. • Manages the work unit’s contribution to the preparation and management of meetings of intergovernmental bodies. • Represents the organizational unit at international, regional and national meetings on development issues. Technical cooperation • Develops and maintains relations with senior officials of member governments and ensures a response to requests for advice and/or assistance on economic issues and policies. • Negotiates with donor and recipient governments on technical assistance programmes and projects. • Organizes and coordinates cooperation among Member States on economic programmes or issues. • Leads or participates in technical cooperation missions. Programme support • Functions as the head of an organizational unit. • Contributes to the formulation of the medium-term plan, the programme of work and the budget of the unit and participate in the formulation of the organization's overall programme of work and other similar endeavours. • Attends to various administrative matters concerning the larger organizational unit (Section or Division). • Performs other related duties as required. • Leads team members efforts to collect and analyze data and provides insight to identify trends or patterns for data-driven planning, decision-making, presentation and reporting. Ensures that everyone can discover, access, integrate and share the data they need. • Performs other related duties as required.