Senior Project Officer

The  facilitates the implementation of the Council of Europe's mission in Ukraine on human rights protection, democracy support and the rule of law. We co-ordinate and implement co-operation projects and programmes aimed at supporting Ukraine in fulfilling its statutory and specific obligations as a member state of the Council of Europe.

You will be part of the team implementing the Project “Supporting democratic post-war elections in Ukraine – Phase II”  within the Secretariat of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. This project aims at ensuring that post-war national and local elections and referenda in Ukraine are democratic and held in line with international and European electoral standards and good practices.

As a Senior Project Officer, you will: 

• plan, manage, implement and follow up on project activities in accordance with the project workplan, Council of Europe procedures and project management methodology, in close co-ordination with the Project Manager in Kyiv and the Parliamentary and Electoral Cooperation Division at headquarters (HQ); monitor project progress and results against the workplan and expected results, ensure the quality and relevance of project outputs, identify risks and implementation challenges and propose adjustments as necessary;
• establish and develop effective working relationships with project partners, stakeholders and consultants, and liaise with them regarding the implementation of project activities;
• contribute to the efficient functioning of the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine and co-ordinate with other projects implemented by the Office, ensuring that project activities are aligned with the broader framework of the Office’s activities;
• advise and brief Office management, the Project Manager and management at HQ on project implementation, results, risks and other relevant issues, and assist in the event of an evaluation or audit of the project;
• draft and contribute to project-related reports, including activity and progress reports, mission reports, information notes, briefings and other contributions, within set deadlines;
• contribute to the visibility of the project by drafting web news items and press releases, disseminating information and providing input on publications, in line with the project’s communication and visibility plan;
• co-ordinate and contribute to the financial management of the project and ensure close budgetary follow-up of project expenditure, in accordance with applicable regulations, procedures and donor requirements;
• participate in the selection of local service providers and negotiate contracts in consultation with the Project Manager;
• follow relevant legal, policy and institutional developments at national level, assess their implications for project implementation and identify further needs, risks and opportunities for intervention;
• contribute to the development of new project proposals and activities;
• ensure continuity of project implementation during the Project Manager’s absences, in close co-ordination with HQ.

You must: 

• have a completed full course of general secondary education and hold appropriate professional qualifications for the role; 
• have a minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience in the areas of elections, parliamentary co-operation, democratic governance, of which at least 2 years’ experience in project management and/or implementation related to the delivery of international technical assistance projects;
• have an excellent knowledge of Ukrainian (first language level) and a very good knowledge of English (one of the two official languages of the Council of Europe);

You must also:

• be a citizen of the host country or one of the member states of the Council of Europe and fulfil the conditions for appointment to the civil service of that state; 
• be currently present in Ukraine;
• have discharged any obligation concerning national service (military, civil or comparable); 
• not be the parent, child, stepchild or grandchild of a serving staff member of the Council of Europe; 
• be under the age of 65 years. 

 Your application must demonstrate to what extent you have the competencies listed below. To help you doing so, feel free to consult our .

• Operational - Planning and work organisation
• Operational - Analysis and problem solving
• Operational - Drafting skills
• Interpersonal - Teamwork and co-operation
• Interpersonal - Relationship building

• Professional and technical expertise:
  • proven and relevant experience in project management and implementation of technical co-operation or policy-oriented projects;
  • good knowledge of the relevant Council of Europe and other international standards in the field of elections;
  • strong understanding of the Ukrainian electoral landscape and stakeholders, as well as broader political context in Ukraine;
  • experience working with national authorities and international organisations;
  • solid computer skills.

• Interpersonal - Resilience
• Interpersonal - Adaptability
• Interpersonal - Initiative

• Professional and technical expertise:
  • higher education degree in law, political sciences, public administration, international relations, or related field;
  • working experience with electoral authorities and/or in the area of international co-operation on electoral matters.

This job vacancy is for a local external recruitment based on fixed-term contracts. Employment is limited to 31 December of the current year and may be extended. You can consult the conditions of employment (salaries, allowances, pension scheme, social insurance, etc.) on the webpage .

For more information on how we recruit, you can consult the page . This recruitment is carried out in accordance with on locally recruited staff members in Duty Stations outside of France. The deadline for applications is indicated in the General information section of this vacancy notice (see above) and is fixed at 23:59:59 (CET/CEST). When applying, make sure your motivation shows how your competencies make your profile the best for the role.

As an equal opportunity employer, the Council of Europe welcomes applications from all suitably qualified people, irrespective of sex, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic or social origin, disability, religion or belief. Under its equal opportunity policy, the Council of Europe is aiming to achieve gender parity in staff employed in each category and grade. At the time of appointment, preference between suitable people shall be given to the person of the gender which is under-represented in the relevant grades within the category to which the vacancy belongs.

Applicants with specific needs are encouraged to request reasonable accommodations at any stage during the recruitment process. Please contact us at , we will ensure that your request is handled.

The information published on the CoE’s careers website regarding working conditions is correct at the time of publication of the vacancy notice. Any changes to these conditions during the recruitment process will be updated on our Portal and will apply at the time of the job offer. Our career's website is not intended to be exhaustive and may not address all questions you would have. Should you have remaining questions, please contact us at .