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COMPLIANCE AND FACILITATION DIRECTORATE

Project Manager (Project TENTACLE) WCO Anti-money Laundering and Counter-terrorism Financing Programme

1. INTRODUCTION

The World Customs Organization (WCO) is an independent intergovernmental body, established in 1952 as the Customs Co-operation Council (CCC), whose mission is to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of Customs services across the globe. The WCO represents 183 Customs administrations that collectively process approximately 98% of world trade. As the global centre of Customs expertise, the WCO is the only international organization with competence in Customs matters.

As a forum for dialogue and exchange of experiences between national Customs delegates, the WCO offers its Members a range of Conventions and other international instruments, as well as technical assistance and training services provided either directly by the Secretariat, or with its participation. The Secretariat also actively supports its Members in their endeavours to modernize and build capacity within their national Customs administrations.

1. OVERVIEW

The WCO is creating its 8th Programme within the Compliance and Enforcement Sub-directorate, the Anti-money Laundering and Counter-terrorism Financing Programme (AML-CTF). The primary reason that most transnational criminal organizations engage in their illicit activities is to generate premium profits due to the illegal nature of their activities. Law enforcement authorities, in addition to targeting the illicit activity that is at the core of these networks, should also target the illicit profits that these organizations generate. The most damaging action against such networks, after the actual arrest and prosecution of their leadership, is the identification, seizure and confiscation of their dirty money. Without these illicit funds, Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) and terrorist organizations cannot continue their operations. They cannot pay their lower level members, purchase the equipment they need, pay bribes, etc.

The WCO realizes that Customs Services (“Customs”) play a primary role in the global effort to thwart money laundering. Customs is uniquely positioned to serve as the primary sentinel at international borders and inland ports of entry, as an important Customs mandate is to identify and prevent the movement of smuggled currency, currency equivalents, gems/precious metals and other items of monetary value across the international borders.

In support of the global law enforcement and regulatory effort to combat international money laundering, the WCO will be implementing Project TENTACLE in 2020 and 2021. Project TENTACLE is a WCO-led AML-CTF project that will target bulk currency smuggling, the smuggling of gems and precious metals, as well as identified corrupt free trade zones.

1. PROJECT BACKGROUND

The goal of Project TENTACLE is to raise the capabilities of the WCO membership to combat money laundering and terrorist financing and to target the same activities from an operational standpoint. The WCO will conduct 5 capacity building workshops in 2020 and 2021 in the regions of Latin America, Asia and Africa. Each of these capacity building workshops will be followed by regional operational efforts.

1. OBJECTIVES

The program objectives are envisioned to be achieved mainly through:

• Delivering technical assistance and capacity building;
• Conducting training workshops;
• Conducting scoping missions;
• Developing and updating training curriculum and materials including e-learning module;
• Preparing operational efforts to target the smuggling of currency/currency equivalents, gems and precious metals and basic trade-based money laundering;
• Providing experts to support Members operational efforts within their countries;
• Organizing post-operational meetings to assess the over results of the missions;
• Promotional efforts to heighten awareness of AML-CTF in the Customs arena;
• Creating a panel of WCO AML-CTF experts to provide training and subject matter expertise;
• Partnering with the primary WCO counterparts on the international stage with regard to AML-CTF, such as INTERPOL, the Egmont Group, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and others.

1. MAIN ACCOUNTABILITIES

Under the supervision of the Deputy Director (Enforcement and Compliance) of the Compliance and Facilitation Directorate of the WCO, through the respective AML-CTF Programme Manager, the Project TENTACLE Project manager has oversight responsibility to plan, direct and monitor the project, from implementation to close-down. In particular, the Project TENTACLE Project manager shall be accountable for the expected project results and perform the following highly developed project management duties:

• Implementation, management and monitoring of the programme and project plan under the WCO Strategic Plan;
• Organizing, managing and conducting diagnostic and technical assistance missions, including regional and national workshops based on Member needs;
• Liaising effectively with the beneficiary countries’ Customs administrations, participants, and key stakeholders in relation to WCO missions;
• Guiding and managing the activities of WCO experts in AML-CTF;
• Organizing and managing the capacity building workshops in support of Project TENTACLE;
• Design materials for instruction, seminars and training courses organized/supported by the WCO;
• Production and continued update of training materials and e-learning modules;
• Promoting the project, including liaising effectively with other programme/projects managers and the WCO international partners such as INTERPOL and the Egmont Group;
• Advising WCO’s management in relation to the project activities;
• Maintaining account of all expenses and accounting in support of Operation TENTACLE;
• Write briefing notes, texts for presentations/speeches given by the WCO Secretary General and other senior Secretariat staff; and
• Other project-related duties as may be assigned by the Deputy Director and the Program Manager.

1. EDUCATION

University Bachelor degree or higher in a relevant field of study, or an equivalent combination of education, skills and experience.

1. EXPERIENCE

• Significant experience in Customs law enforcement, with sound strategic and operational experience in combatting and investigating money laundering and terrorism financing in the Customs arena; and
• Extensive experience in international capacity building and training, as well as outstanding competence and experience in international project management.

1. LANGUAGES

• Strong command of English language, both written and spoken; and
• Good knowledge in French and/or Spanish, both spoken and written, would be an asset.

1. COMPETENCIES

• Strong written and oral communication skills, including an ability to engage, influence and persuade individuals at the senior level (English and/or French);
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work in a team, in an multi-cultural environment;
• Being a good moderator/facilitator, and have good networking, negotiation and presentation skills; and
• Information technology (IT) literate.

1. CONTRACT AND CONDITIONS

• Staff member under short-term contract until September 2021 (with possibility of renewal);
• Probationary period: 6 months;
• Full-time employment (37 hours and 40 minutes weekly) at the WCO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium;
• 30 days of annual paid leave;
• Salary up to 7,000 EUR/month all-inclusive (remuneration exempted from income tax in Belgium); and
• Compulsory WCO health insurance deducted from the salary (around 65 EUR/month).

This position is subject to the Manual for Short-Term Contractors. The successful applicant shall not acquire the right subsequently to occupy a permanent post within the WCO. The successful applicant will not be affiliated to any retirement fund or pension scheme taken by the WCO. 

1. APPLICATION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS

The onus is on the applicant to demonstrate how he/she meets each of the essential qualifications and requirements. Applicants are encouraged to detail concrete achievements in their CVs and/or in their cover letters as well as include references.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for an assessment which may include a written test and/or an interview. All short-listed candidates may be requested to provide copies of their original diploma, certificates and proof of relevant experience. Pre-selected candidates may also be subject to reference checks to confirm the information provided in the application.

Interested candidates should submit their application for review no later than Friday, 15 December 2019, including a CV and cover letter in English or French by e-mail to:

david.kane@wcoomd.org

Or by mail to:

World Customs Organization

COMPLIANCE AND FACILITATION

Rue du Marché, 30

B-1210 Brussels

Belgium

Interested candidates may submit a request for additional information via e-mail, providing full name and contact details.

The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to criteria of the position and the WCO applicable rules.

1. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The WCO values commitment to the principles of integrity, transparency and accountability as well as values diversity among its staff members. Applications from qualified women and men will receive equal treatment and due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting nationals from WCO Members on as wide a geographical basis as possible. Please note that the WCO Headquarters is a non-smoking environment.

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