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VACANCY AT THE INTERNATIONAL COTTON ADVISORY COMMITTEE: Executive Director

 

 

For Immediate Release
 
Date Posted: 6 February 2023
 
 
The Challenge Ahead
 
The mission of the ICAC is to serve the cotton and textile community through promotion, knowledge sharing, innovation, partnerships and providing a forum for discussion of cotton issues of international significance. The Committee achieves its mission by providing transparency to the world cotton market by serving as a clearinghouse for technical information on cotton production and consumption and by serving as a forum for discussion of cotton issues of international significance.

The role of the ICAC is to raise awareness of emerging issues, provide information relevant to the solving of problems and to foster cooperation in the achievement of common objectives. As the only intergovernmental commodity body recognised by the United Nations that covers cotton, the ICAC serves a unique role as a catalyst for constructive change. This is reflected not only in the library of publications the ICAC Secretariat provides but also in technical assistance on the ground, including training and capacity building programmes in many countries across the globe.
 
Since its founding in 1939, the ICAC has continually reinvented itself to ensure it is providing the greatest possible value to its member governments as well as to the cotton community. That evolution has continued in recent years with multiple new additions to the Secretariat to provide new capabilities as well as a continuing focus on harnessing innovation and hands-on knowledge transfer to change the lives of millions of the most vulnerable people in the world.
 
There have been eight Executive Directors of the ICAC since 1946. The challenges for the ninth will be to provide strategic leadership and management acumen to enhance the effectiveness and thus the relevance of the organisation.
 
Job Description
 
The Executive Director must drive the ICAC forward by providing both strategic leadership and competent management to ensure that:

  • The statistical and analytical reports of the organisation are timely, accurate, relevant and accessible, and increasingly serve as tools of industry and government decision-making.
  • The work of the Technical Information Sections, both for production and for textiles, fosters improvements in cotton science through increased collaboration among researchers combined with timely dissemination of research results.
  • Membership in ICAC increases to include all major countries involved in cotton production, consumption, and trade.
  • Governments increasingly look to ICAC as the forum for discussion and as a clearinghouse for best practices in programmes involving cotton production, processing, trade and consumption.

 
Specific Tasks
 
The Executive Director serves as:

  • Treasurer of the ICAC.
  • Secretary General of the Advisory Committee.
  • Secretary of the Standing Committee and its subordinate bodies.
  • Custodian of all records of the ICAC.
  • Responsible for arrangements with host governments for Plenary Meetings.
  • Responsible for preparation and supervision of the budget of the Secretariat.

 
The Executive Director has:

  • Full responsibility for the work programme of the Secretariat.
  • Responsibility for the preparation of the agenda, timetables, technical documents, proceedings, notices, and minutes of meetings.
  • Responsibility for matters of protocol and for communication with governments, other international bodies, and with national bodies interested in the work of the ICAC.
  • Responsibility for other duties as assigned by the Advisory Committee or by the Standing Committee.

 
The Executive Director reports to the Chair of the Standing Committee in Washington and works closely with all members of the Standing Committee and with officials from Member governments. The Executive Director represents the ICAC before other global organisations and before international and national commodity and cotton industry companies and
organisations.
 
The Executive Director must have:

  • Ten years of professional experience, including at least five years working in an agricultural commodity industry, preferably cotton, or in the cotton textile industry.
  • Experience in agricultural commodities, including policy matters related to production, processing, trade, marketing, research and economic analysis. Experience in the cotton sector will be considered an advantage.
  • Executive managerial experience — demonstrated success in managing staff, programmes and finances.
  • As Treasurer for the organisation, the finance experience should include developing and enforcing strong internal controls and financial management policies. Ensuring accurate and complete financial reporting and proper maintenance of financial records and all related information pertaining to cash inflows and outflows.
  • International exposure – previous work dealing with governments and international organisations.
  • Excellent leadership skills to maximise results from a cohesive, multicultural, and multidisciplinary team.
  • A master’s degree or equivalent (a degree in economics, science, engineering, commerce, business administration would be preferred).
  • Strong analytical skills; the ability to communicate complex technical issues.
  • Full command of the English language, including proven ability in written and oral communication; proficiency in one or more of the other official languages of the ICAC (Arabic, French, Russian and Spanish) is desirable.
  • A demonstrated history of ethical and professional conduct befitting the leadership of an international organisation.
  • The ICAC Secretariat is committed to fostering a diverse workforce, inclusive of gender balance and geographical diversity. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.
  • Citizenship of an ICAC Member at the time of appointment (see Member list here).

 
Conditions of Employment
 
The contract of the Executive Director is governed by the Staff Regulations of the ICAC. The initial contract term for the position of Executive Director will start as soon as possible, and run for four years. The initial contract may be renewed upon satisfactory performance. This position requires ability to execute significant amounts of domestic and international travel.  Per staff regulations the ICAC’s normal retirement age is 65.
 
The salary for the position is that of UN grade D-1, Step III, with dependents, adjusted for Washington, DC. Contributions to a staff retirement plan are determined as under the UN system. Other employment benefits include a contributory life and health insurance plan and provisions for annual and sick leave.
 
Instructions to Apply

Curriculum Vitae or formal resume should be sent to: EDApplication@ICAC.org.

All candidates shall provide contact information for at least three references. References will be contacted only in the case of short-listed candidates. Short-listed candidates will be asked to submit a 1-2 page vision statement on the future of the ICAC and be interviewed using digital video conference software. The highest ranked candidates may be invited to a second-round interview before a final selection is made.
 
The closing date for applications is 15 March 2023.
 
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About the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC)
Formed in 1939, the ICAC is an association of cotton producing, consuming and trading countries. It acts as a catalyst for change by helping member countries maintain a healthy world cotton economy; provides transparency to the world cotton market by serving as a clearinghouse for technical information on cotton production; and serves as a forum for discussing cotton issues of international significance. In addition, members can take advantage of the ICAC’s global network of cotton researchers, whose expertise covers the supply chain from farm to textile manufacturing, and have free access to its cutting-edge technologies like the voice-based app and virtual technology cotton training programme. Committed to ensuring cotton’s continued sustainability, the ICAC is the only intergovernmental commodity body covering cotton that is recognised by the United Nations. For more information, please visit www.icac.org, Twitter or LinkedIn.