OFFICE( 21)/9 
21-0955 
 
 
 
The recruitment policy of the WTO is to seek to attract and retain staff members  
offering the highest standards of competence, efficiency and integrity.  
As an Equal Opportunities Employer, the WTO gives full regard to merit and diversity.  
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Vacancy Notice No.:  EXT/F/ 21-6 Issued on:  8 February  2021 
 
Title:  Secretary  Application Deadline:  8 March  2021 
 
Grade:  4 
 Division:  Rules  
Contract Type:  Fixed -term 
 
Starting Salary:  CHF 65,729 net per annum  
(approximate)  
 Duration:  Two years with the possibility of 
extension  
 
Other 
Conditions:  In accordance with WTO Staff Regulations and Staff Rules and WTO Pension Plan 
Regulations.  
The World Trade Organization offers an attractive compensation package including 
an annual net salary (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions 
and health insurance), dependency benefits, pension plan, health insurance 
scheme,  separation gr ant, and 30 days annual leave. Benefits for internationally 
recruited staff may include travel and removal expenses on appointment and 
separation, installation grant, education grant, rental subsidy, and home leave.  
Additional information on the compensation package is provided on the 
WTO website:  
http://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/vacan_e/comp_package_e.pdf . 
 
 
The Secretariat of the WTO is seeking to fill two positions of Secretary in the Rules 
Division . 
 
The Rules Division ensures the smooth functioning of all WTO bodies serviced by the division. This 
includes facilitating new and on -going negotiations and cons ultations, monitoring and actively 
assisting in the implementation of WTO agreements in the areas of anti -dumping, subsidies and 
countervailing measures, safeguards, trade -related investment measures, state -trading and civil 
aircraft. It also includes prov iding all necessary implementation assistance, counselling and expert 
advice to WTO members concerning the above agreements, providing secretaries and legal officers 
to WTO dispute settlement panels involving these agreements and participating in the WTO t echnical 
assistance programme.  
 
General Functions  
 
Under the supervision of the Administrative Assistant, and working in direct contact with the 
Committee Secretaries and other professional staff of the Division, the incumbents will have the 
following resp onsibilities:  
 
1. Process the large volume of sensitive, complex and lengthy notifications and other documents 
submitted by WTO Members to the Committees and other WTO bodies within the Rules Division's 
competence, in English and French. The documents incl ude inter alia  notifications of trade remedies 
legislation, of subsidies, and of trade remedy actions, and comprise text, charts, graphics, and 
tables. This work involves extensive formatting and proofreading, at a high level of accuracy under 
considerable  pressure and with limited supervision. The incumbents thus must have or acquire within 
a short period a thorough knowledge of the Rules Division's procedures, documents and systems. 
Both incumbents will work in close relations with the Language and Docume ntation Services Division 
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(LDSD) to ensure the accurate and timely circulation of the Members' notifications and other 
documents, as well as internal documents produced by the Division.  
 
2. Ensure the timely preparation and smooth running of the meetings o f the Committees and 
other WTO bodies within the Division's competence, by compiling documentation, providing technical 
and logistical support to the Committee Secretaries, servicing the meeting rooms, and liaising with 
the supporting Divisions such as the  Information Technology Solutions Division (ITSD), 
Administration and General Services Division (AGSD), and Information and External Relations 
Division (IERD), as well as outside providers to ensure the smooth technical functioning of the 
meetings, includi ng where virtual technology is used. Being familiar and curious about the on -going 
evolution of conferencing tools is crucial, including proficiency in and comfort with hosting remote 
meetings on different platforms (such as Microsoft Teams, WebEx, and Int erprefy).  
 
3. Assist the paralegal and other senior secretaries with formatting highly confidential and 
sensitive panel reports according to the Editorial Guide for WTO Panel Reports (2018), as required. 
Assist professionals with their filing and archiving , as required.  
 
4. Draft correspondence and send official communications to WTO Members and Observers as 
required. Maintain up -to-date contact lists for all bodies within the Division's competence.  
 
5. Carry out various other administrative duties as assigned by the Administrative Assistant and 
other more senior staff.  
 
6. Keep skills up -to-date and remain abreast of new office procedures, software, and 
communications platforms. Participate in meetings and processes in coordination with the supporting 
Divisions, including LDSD and ITSD, aiming for the improvement of internal softwares and 
procedures.  
 
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS  
 
Education:  
 
Completed secondary education or equivalent technical , secretarial  or commercial school. Training 
in office management, secretarial skills or a similar field would be an advantage. Further education 
and/or experience in editing would be an asset, as would familiarity with legal documents.  
 
Knowledge and Skills:  
 
Technica l Knowledge and Skills:  
 
Knowledge of the operation of the bodies serviced by the WTO Rules Division, of the substantive 
work of the Division and of the operation of the Dispute Settlement System;  
Extensive ex perience in and a bility to format and edit comp lex, lengthy documents and text 
according to strict guidelines;   
Excellent knowledge of and skills in Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams) and 
other softwares such as for co -authoring; knowledge of and skills in document management softw are 
and/or platforms would be a  distinct advantage ; 
Good knowledge of administrative and secretarial processes, and good skills in these areas;  
Experience in organizing  and servicing meetings or event s; 
Familiarity with use, as host, of virtual meeting pla tforms.  
 
Behavioural Skills:  
 
Excellent organizational skills;  
Highly developed tact and discretion.  
 
Proven ability to:  
Pay close attention to detail;  
Handle a large volume of work accurately, under pressure and within short deadlines;  
Adhere to set rules of conduct, so as to ensure confidentiality, impartiality and an absence of conflicts 
of interest;  
Work in a team, as well as independently;  
Build and maintain relationships with colleagues in a diverse international setting;  OFFICE( 21)/9 
 
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Take appr opriate initiative within established limits.  
 
Work Experience:  
 
Three to four years' relevant work experience, including substantial work as a secretary, preferably 
in an international organization, government ministry, law firm, corporate legal office, o r a national 
or international judicial institution or quasi -judicial agency.  
 
Languages:  
 
Proficiency (equivalent of level C2 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for 
Languages (CEFR) ) in French or English, and at least working level (equivalent of level B2) in the 
other language, is required. Knowledge of Spanish would be an asset.  
 
The language skills of shortlisted candidates will be assessed as part of the selection process.  
 
Additional Information:  
 
These are full-time posit ions, for which daily presence on duty  during normal working hours 
(approx.  8:30 AM to 5:30 PM) is required.   
 
Only applications from nationals of WTO Members will be accepted.   
 
For WTO staff members on fixed -term or regular contracts, only those who have spent minimum 
two years on their current post are normally considered eligible to apply, as per administrative 
memorandum 976 para graph  46. 
 
The WTO may use various communication technologies such as video or teleconference for the 
assessment and eval uation of candidates. The recruitment process may also involve the use of 
various forms of testing, assessment centres, interviews and reference checks.  
 
Candidates not selected whose performance in the selection process nevertheless shows them to be 
suitable for a similar position may be kept on a roster for up to 24 months, and may subsequently 
be called upon as and when the need arises for additional resources.  
______________________________________________________________________  
APPLICANTS MAY BE REQUIRED TO SIT A WRITTEN EXAMINATION  
______________________________________________________________________  
APPLICANTS WILL BE CONTACTED DIRECTLY IF SELECTED FOR AN I NTERVIEW  
______________________________________________________________________  
Please note that all candidates must complete an online application form.  
To apply, please visit the WTO's E -Recruitment website at: https://erecruitment.wto.org.  
 
The system p rovides instructions for online application procedures.  
 
All applicants are encouraged to apply online as soon as possible after the vacancy has  
been posted and well before the closing date – Geneva (Switzerland) time –  
stated in the vacancy announcement.  
 
PLEASE NOTE THAT APPLICATIONS RECEIVED AFTER THE  
CLOSING DATE WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED  
 
The WTO is a non -smoking environment.