Under the authority of the Head of Office, and the supervision of the Programme Manager, the Project Officer will assist with the implementation of Programme “Strengthening institutional frameworks for local governance” carried out within the framework of the European Union/Council of Europe Eastern Partnership Programmatic Co-operation Framework “Promoting democratic governance” in participating Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus. The Project Officer will work in close co-operation with the Senior Project Manager in charge of the Programme component implemented by the Centre of Expertise for Local Government Reform.

Employment is limited to the duration of the Project which is expected to end on 31 December 2017.

The incumbent performs the following key duties in accordance with the Council of Europe’s procedures, guidelines and priorities with a concern for quality, efficiency, accuracy and confidentiality:

• assists with the logistical, administrative and substance-related organisation, implementation and follow-up of Programme activities in accordance with the project work plan;
• contributes to the preparation of documents, including reports, briefings, speaking notes, notes to the file and editing of documents prepared by non-native speakers (in Moldovan/Romanian or Russian and English); ensures quality and consistency of the documents prepared;
• assists in the organisation of and participates in meetings, seminars, conferences, etc. related to the activities of the Project; drafts meeting minutes and lists of decisions;
• assists in the preparation, control and follow-up of financial documents related to the Project activities; selects local service providers, prepares draft purchase orders, contracts;
• liaises regularly with and assists in the coordination of consultants based in the countries with Project presence, providing administrative and technical support in the organisation of relevant activities;
• provides content-related and organisational assistance to the Programme Manager and Senior Project Officer and short-term consultants carrying out assignments and missions in the field; 
• contributes to raising the visibility of the Programme by overseeing and updating the Project website and by disseminating information to concerned stakeholders;
• provides regular updates to the Senior Project Officer on the legal, policy and factual developments relevant to the Programme in the EaP countries;
• reports to superiors on the results achieved, on further requirements, risks and opportunities of developments or events;
• participates in the assessment of Project activities in order to identify appropriate adjustments;
• liaises with Project stakeholders, beneficiaries, national and regional authorities, and other partners relevant to the implementation of Project activities;
• undertakes official journeys in connection with the activities described above, including but without limiting to Eastern Partnership countries;
• make practical arrangements for Programme activities and meetings related to recruitment of experts and service providers, requests, accommodation and meeting venue bookings, local transport arrangements, interpretation, others than those under the assistants’ responsibility;
• contributes to the efficient functioning of the office, in collaboration with with colleagues and the direct project management.

Please note that the incumbent may be required to perform other duties not listed in the vacancy notice.

The Programme aims inter alia to provide Council of Europe legal expertise, policy advice and support for enhancing the process of local self-government reform and strengthening the capacities of local authorities in line with European standards in the field of local self-government.

Candidates who are shortlisted will be asked to take a written test in English.

Tests and interviews will take place in Chisinau.

This local recruitment procedure is open to applicants already present in the Republic of Moldova.

Only applicants who best meet the following criteria will be considered for shortlisting.

Qualifications:

• Completed full course of general secondary education, followed by a vocational qualification corresponding to a minimum of two years studies. A university degree in law, international relations or public administration related fields would be an advantage.

Experience:

• At least three years of professional experience relating to local government, rule of law or related fields.
• Experience working with government institutions on central and local level, civil society, and/or international organisations.

Language requirements:

• Excellent knowledge of Moldovan (mother tongue level);
• Very good knowledge of one of the official languages (English);
• Good knowledge of Russian would be an advantage.

Nationality:

• Nationality of host country or one of the 47 Council of Europe member states.

Age:

• Under 65 years of age at the closing date of the vacancy notice.

Council of Europe staff members adhere to the values Professionalism, Integrity and Respect.

Essential:

• Professional and technical expertise

• Knowledge of the main challenges in local self-government;
• Administrative experience (target-setting and planning, administration, work organisation, reporting and finance).
  • Planning and work organisation
  • Results orientation
  • Concern for quality
  • Drafting skills
  • Initiative
  • Organisational and contextual awareness
  • Teamwork and co-operation

Desirable:

• Analysis and problem solving
• Adaptability
• Creativity and innovation
• Service orientation

For more information, please refer to the Competency Framework of the Council of Europe.

Applications must be made in English or French using the Council of Europe on-line application system. By connecting to our website www.coe.int/jobs you can create and submit your on-line application. Applications must be submitted at the latest 23 January 2017 (midnight Paris Time).

Applications will be examined with regard to the requirements of this vacancy and applicants will be informed in due course of the outcome of your application. This may take some time after the closing date. Preselected candidates may be invited to take written tests before an interview. Written tests may be eliminatory.

In accordance with the Staff Regulations of the Council of Europe, the compulsory retirement age is 65. We cannot therefore accept applications from persons over this age.

The conditions of recruitment and employment which apply are contained in Rule No. 1234 of 15 December 2005 laying down the conditions of recruitment and employment of locally recruited temporary staff members working in Council of Europe Duty Stations located outside of France apply (Link to Rule 1234).

The Council of Europe welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates, irrespective of gender, disability, marital or parental status, racial, ethnic or social origin, colour, religion, belief or sexual orientation.

During the different stages of the recruitment procedure, specific measures may be taken to ensure equal opportunities for candidates with disabilities.

The Council of Europe is the continent’s leading organisation in the protection of human rights, democracy and rule of law. It was founded in 1949 in order to promote greater unity between its members and now includes 47 member states, all having signed up to the European Convention on Human Rights.

By Statute, the Council of Europe has two constituent organs: the Committee of Ministers, composed of the member states’ Ministers for Foreign Affairs, and the Parliamentary Assembly, comprising delegations from the national parliaments. The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe represents the entities of local and regional self-government within the member states. The Commissioner for Human Rights is an independent and impartial institution within the Council of Europe mandated to promote the awareness of and respect for human rights in member states.

The European Court of Human Rights is the judicial body which oversees the implementation of the Convention in the member states. Individuals can bring complaints of human rights violations to the Strasbourg Court once all possibilities of appeal have been exhausted in the member state concerned.