Policy Officer

**Salary**: 51350€ Annual Gross salary (paid in 13 months instalments of 3950€)

Contract type: Ongoing

Hours**:35 hours per week, Monday - Friday

**About the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade**

The role of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is to advance the interests of Australia and Australians internationally. This involves strengthening Australia’s security, enhancing Australia’s prosperity, delivering an effective and a quality overseas aid program and helping Australian travellers and Australians overseas.

The department provides foreign, trade and development policy advice to the Australian Government. It works with other Australian government agencies to coordinate Australia’s global, regional and bilateral interests.

**About the position**

The policy officer will advance DFAT’s interests with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and with its member states in coordination with other Australian Government agencies based in the Paris Delegation and in Canberra.

The officer will provide policy, research and other support to Australia’s OECD delegation. The officer will report to the DFAT First Secretary in their duties.

**The responsibilities of the position include**:

- Act as post focal point on a range of issues in the OECD Delegation related to the OECD Council, Executive Committee, External Relations Committee, Budget Committee Trade Committee and its subsidiary bodies and other OECD work streams as required.
- Represent Australia at meetings in the OECD and other organisations including the Paris Club. Reporting on outcomes from these meetings.
- Provide research and policy analysis to members of the OECD Delegations and DFAT officials.
- Develop briefing for HOM OECD, OECD delegation officers and DFAT officials.
- Undertake travel to attend meetings and workshops hosted by OECD and other multilateral and bilateral organisations within Europe.
- Anticipate future opportunities or potential problems around policy issues and raise awareness accordingly, manage problems as they arise.
- Provide support for high level visits.
- Other duties as required.

**General Requirements**
- Understanding of economic and political issues in foreign affairs and trade.
- Understanding of the OECD’s policy work and demonstrated ability to provide advice to support DFAT’s objectives in the OECD.
- Superior communication skills, including written and oral communication in English, with demonstrated ability to represent Australia and its policy interests in international and multilateral forums and other meetings and with high-level stakeholders.
- Skills and experience undertaking research and analysis.
- Ability to identify issues, risks, opportunities and reporting needs and to provide strategic policy advice.
- Capacity to plan and set priorities, and work with limited supervision.
- Judgement, flexibility, collegiality and responsiveness.
- Excellent English. Working level French desirable.

**SELECTION CRITERIA**

The word limit is strictly **250 words per response**. The panel will not assess responses that exceed the word limit.
- High-level understanding of Australia’s interests in the OECD
- Ability to undertake comprehensive research and provide analysis on ontrade, economic and geopolitical issues affecting Australia’s interests in the OECD.
- Planning and organisational skills, working with limited supervision under pressure to meet multiple objectives in a busy workplace while maintaining excellent attention to detail and a high degree of accuracy.
- Well-developed written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills, with the confidence to network and develop and nurture relationships across a broad range of stakeholders.

Applications are sought from persons interested in employment at the Australian Embassy in Paris. The successful applicant will be engaged on a local contract of employment