| Position | Trade and Industrial Policy Advisor |
| Place of Assignment | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia |
| Salary Band | GIZ Salary Band 4 |
| Initial contract period | 01 October 2026 – 31 December 2027 (with a possibility of extension) |
| Application Deadline | 15 July 2026 |
Background
The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is a global service provider in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development dedicated to shaping a future worth living around the world. As a public-benefit federal enterprise, GIZ supports the German Government – in particular the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) – and many public and private sector clients in achieving their objectives in international cooperation in around 120 countries.
Since 2004, GIZ has been a reliable and trusted partner of the African Union (AU) to enhance inclusive growth and sustainable development on the African continent in line with the AU’s Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want. With more than 250 staff, GIZ African Union cooperates with the AU Commission, as well as the AU’s specialised institutions and agencies, such as the Development Agency AUDA-NEPAD, at continental, regional and national level in more than 40 member states. Key areas of engagement include Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention, Governance, Sustainable Economic Growth, Health and Social Development, as well as Just Transition.
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is one of the African Union’s (AU) flagship projects for implementation of its 2063 Agenda, which is supported by the action plan on Boost-ing Intra-African Trade (BIAT). AfCFTA is viewed as a means for achieving the overarching BI-AT goals. It is expected that, with the introduction of the free trade zone, intra- African trade will be 15% to 25% higher in 2040 (UNECA). The AfCFTA agreement is signed by 54 of the 55 Afri-can Union Member States (MS) and became effective under international law in May 2019. Since that time, 49 countries have deposited their instruments of ratification with the AU (so called “AfCFTA States Parties”; as of April 2026). The full implementation of the AfCFTA will lead to a continental single market of more than 1.4 billion people with an aggregate GDP ex-ceeding USD 2 trillion.
The GIZ implemented project “Support to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) II” cofinanced by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the European Union, seeks to improve framework conditions for the realisation of the AfCFTA and supports the outstanding negotiations and the implementation of the AfCFTA. For this, the programme supports the African Union Commission (AUC), specifically the Department for Economic Development, Tourism, Trade, Industry, Minerals (ETTIM) and the AfCFTA Secre-tariat at the continental level in the coordination of AfCFTA implementation. On the regional lev-el, the programme cooperates with Regional Economic Communities (RECs), specifically EAC (East African Community), ECOWAS (Economic Community for West African States) and SADC (South African Development Community), plus additional RECs based on request. The programme also supports Member States (Ethiopia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Malawi, Rwan-da, Tunisia, Zambia, plus additional Member States based on request) by working with national institutions, like trade ministries and customs, to implement the agreement. Lastly, the pro-gramme works closely with private sector and civil society actors to increase trade volume un-der the AfCFTA. Together with the named partners, the programme covers interventions across the various technical areas of the AfCFTA.
In Addis Ababa, the programme cooperates closely with the Department for Economic Devel-opment, Tourism, Trade, Industry, Minerals (ETTIM) of the African Union Commission (AUC) on AfCFTA-related topics, in particular with regard to AUC’s role in strengthening and monitoring the enabling environment for production of goods and services for African markets.
Core Tasks
- Support the ETTIM Department of the AUC in organising technical workshops in the areas of regional integration and industrialisation, including workshop logistics, with support from administrative assistant and GIZ AU events and travel team
- Conceptualise terms of reference and perform technically backstopping (e.g. supervision of studies, training concepts, expert reports and publications) for short term expert assignments on trade, monitoring regional integration, regional value chains and industrial policy, in close coordination with AUC ETTIM staff
- Coordinate administrative processes around short-term expert assignments to support the AUC, in liaison with the GIZ contracts and procurement departments as well as an external consultancy firm providing a short-term expert pool
- Support and deputize for the GIZ component lead in liaising with AUC on strategic and operational planning of joint activities
- Provide timely documentation of activities conducted with the AUC to M&E advisors of the BMZ and EU-funded project
- Contribute to communication products (e.g. social media coverage of events) around activities with the AUC, under guidance from and in cooperation with communications experts in the GIZ AU team.
- Prepare technical briefs and talking points on the above-mentioned topics
- Ensure all deliverables (studies, policy notes, MoUs/drafts, meeting minutes, stakeholder inputs, training materials) are stored in GIZ’s prescribed systems.
Where appropriate and reasonable, the position holder is willing to perform tasks outside the scope of the job description
Your Profile
Required Criteria
- University degree (Masters or higher) in economics, international relations, development studies or related subjects
- 3 years of work experience on the topic of industrial policy in a think tank, in a government institution, in a regional or international organization or in a development cooperation agency
- 3 years of work experience on the topic of trade and regional economic integration
- 2 years of work experience in organising events
- 6 years of experience working or studying in an AU member state
- Fluency in English (C2)
- Excellent writing and presentation skills
- Excellent intercultural skills
Desirable Criteria
- University degree with specialization on industrial policy
- 3 years of work experience with the African Union Commission or with an African regional economic community
- 2 years of work experience in managing short-term expert assignments
- Fluency in French (C1)
GIZ is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from individuals regardless of gender, disability, race, ethnicity, religion, age, or any other protected characteristic. We embrace diversity and believe that inclusivity in the workplace is essential to our success and we are committed to creating a work environment where all employees are valued and respected.