Under the authority of the Head of the Council of Europe Office and the direct supervision of the Project Manager, the Project Officer will carry out substantial administrative tasks and contribute to the implementation of the Project “Promoting Local Democracy in Ukraine”, which is part of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine 2015-2017. He/she will work in close co-operation with the Co-operation Activities Unit of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, as well as with other colleagues in charge of local governance projects in Ukraine.

Employment is offered for the duration of project which is expected to end on 31 December 2017.

The Project Officer performs the following duties in accordance with the Council of Europe’s procedures, guidelines and priorities, with a concern for quality, efficiency, accuracy and confidentiality:
- develops the project work plan and calendar of activities in co-operation with colleagues from the Council of Europe Office in Kyiv, as well as other relevant Council of Europe sectors;
- assists in planning, organising, implementing and follow up on project activities, under the guidance of the Project Manager, and in close co-operation with national partners and stakeholders, in accordance with the work plan and its calendar of activities;
- assists with the regular evaluation of the project to identify appropriate adjustments;
- asissts in the organisation of expert meetings, workshops, conferences, official journeys and other events;
- liaises with colleagues in the Council of Europe Office in Kyiv, the Congress Secretariat and the Directorate General for Democracy so as to ensure a regular information flow on activities organised and on progress in project implementation;
- assists and advises Congress members and experts; guides their work; encourages progress, and facilitates consultations and exchanges to find common solutions;
- establishes and maintains contacts with the beneficiaries, stakeholders and partners as well as with experts;
- prepares the contracts with suppliers and consultants;
- prepares and ensures close budgetary follow-up of all project expenditures;
- contributes to project reporting, both narrative and financial; drafts relevant documents, reports and minutes when required;
- contributes to the proper filing, in electronic and paper form, of correspondence, and narrative and financial documents;
- contributes to raising the visibility of the project and dissemination of information (studies, publications, presentations);
- performs any other task related to the implementation of the project as requested by representatives of the relevant services in Headquarters or the Head of Office;
- contributes to the efficient functioning of the Office, in collaboration with the Head of Office, the Deputy Head of Office and the direct project management;
- undertakes official journeys in connection with the project’s activities.

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

Additional info about programme/project

This local recruitment procedure is open to applicants already present in Ukraine.

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

Qualifications:
Completed full course of general secondary education and appropriate professional qualifications.

Experience:
At least three years of relevant professional experience in contributing to the implementation of technical co-operation or policy oriented projects or programmes at national and/or international level.
Language requirements:
› Excellent knowledge of Ukrainian (mother-tongue level);
› Very good knowledge of English.
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
- Experience working with government, regional and local authorities, civil society and international organisations, and on programmes to advance democratic processes in particular at the local and regional levels;
- Knowledge of the Council of Europe and the standards of the Congress of Regional and Local Authorities in the field of local democracy;
- Good knowledge of the overall political situation and especially the local and regional political landscapes;
- Awareneness of existing programmes aimed at promoting local democracy in Ukraine, in particular concerning decentralisation;
- Administrative experience (target-setting and planning, administration, work organisation, reporting and finance);
- Knowledge of specific project management tools and methodology would be an advantage.
› Vision and Strategic Insight
› Planning and work organisation
› Analysis and problem solving
› Creativity and innovation
› Drafting skills
› Results orientation
› Teamwork and co-operation

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 10 December 2015 (midnight Central European 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.