The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has released a call for applications for its next Secretary-General. ISO president Dr. Zhang Xiaogang issued a letter this week to the organization's member bodies detailing the candidate recruitment process for the open position. The ISO Council intends to announce a new Secretary-General during the first quarter of 2016.
As the national member body to ISO, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has been asked to publicize this opportunity and invite qualified candidates to submit their application materials before September 30, 2015.
The Secretary-General is responsible for the effective operation of the ISO system according to its statutes and rules of procedure. His/her responsibilities include not only the monitoring and support of some 3,000 ISO committees and working groups, but also the management of the Geneva-based ISO Central Secretariat (ISO/CS).
As the chief executive officer of the organization, the Secretary-General is responsible for the preparation and execution of yearly budgets and medium-term financial orientations approved by the ISO Council, and for supporting a long-range Strategic Plan. The Secretary-General position is not a political appointment; it is appointed by the ISO Council for a five-year term of office that is eligible for one further term at the Council's option.
According to the stated selection criteria, preference will be given to candidates who demonstrate a positive record of top-level management in an organization or company and have extensive experience with IT tools, international relations, and standards and/or conformity assessment.
The official call for applications, recruitment procedures, job specifications, and selection criteria may be downloaded here. An updated document providing further clarification may be downloaded here.