Senior Project Officer

The assists the authorities in fulfilling their membership commitments and obligations, supports legislative and other reforms, provides expertise in the Organisation’s fields of competence, develops effective training programmes or implements activities such as thematic campaigns.

You will be part of the team implementing the Action “Strengthening hate crime monitoring, equality data systems and victim protection in Albania”¹, which is part of the European Union/Council of Europe Joint Programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye” (Horizontal facility - Phase IV).

This 36-month project, which is expected to start in January 2027, aims at supporting the beneficiaries in Albania in their efforts to comply with Council of Europe standards and European Union acquis in the field of combating hate crime and improving the data collection on equality, as well as related protection systems.

¹Subject to the signature of the contract with the European Union and the actual implementation period of the project.

As a Senior Project Officer you will:

• plan, organise, co-ordinate, implement and follow up on project activities in accordance with the project workplan, Council of Europe procedures and Project Management Methodology (PMM), in close co-ordination with the Project Manager at headquarters (HQ); monitor project progress against the workplan and expected results, ensure the quality and relevance of project outputs, identify risks and implementation challenges and propose adjustments as necessary;
• prepare financial work plans, monitor project expenditure and ensure the implementation of project-related procurement procedures, including the verification of purchase files, contracts, deliverables and payment documents, in accordance with applicable regulations and procedures and in consultation with HQ;
• conceptualise and organise project activities, including seminars, workshops, conferences and expert meetings, and contribute to relevant regional initiatives on anti-discrimination, combating racism and hatred, and promoting diversity, ensuring the engagement of local stakeholders and appropriate follow-up;
• supervise and co-ordinate the work of the project assistant based in Tirana and of international and national short-term consultants, including monitoring progress and ensuring the quality and timely delivery of their work;
• establish and maintain effective working relationships with project partners, national and international stakeholders, including relevant authorities, international organisations and non-governmental organisations, and liaise with them regarding the implementation of project activities;
• contribute to the efficient functioning of the Council of Europe Office in Tirana 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;
• regularly inform and brief Office management, the Programme Manager and management at HQ on project implementation, progress, results and other relevant issues, and assist in the preparation of internal and external evaluations and audits;
• draft and contribute to project-related documents, including progress and annual reports, mission reports, terms of reference, briefings, speaking notes, speeches and other relevant documentation, ensuring compliance with Council of Europe quality and style requirements;
• contribute to the visibility of the project by drafting web news items and press releases, organising visibility activities, disseminating information and providing input on publications;
• monitor relevant legal, policy and institutional developments at national level, assess their implications for project implementation and identify further needs and opportunities for intervention;
• contribute to the development of new project proposals and activities.

You must:

• hold a completed full course of general secondary education and appropriate professional qualifications;
• have a minimum of five years of relevant professional experience at a national or international level in the field of anti-discrimination, combating hate crime/speech and/or promotion of diversity and equality and experience in providing technical assistance on issues related to human rights;
• have an excellent knowledge of Albanian (first language level) and a very good knowledge of English (one of the Council of Europe's two official languages).

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 Albania;
• 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 - Creativity and innovation
• Interpersonal - Teamwork and co-operation
• Interpersonal - Communication

• Professional and technical expertise:
  • good knowledge of Council of Europe and other international standards in the fields of anti-discrimination, combating hate crimes/speech, promotion of diversity and equality;
  • sound knowledge of the political and human rights situation in the country, including the human rights situation of LGBTI, national minorities, Roma and other groups at risk of discrimination;
  • experience using standard tools in office applications (word processing, presentations, outlook, spreadsheet, databases, internet publications).

• Operational - Results orientation
• Interpersonal - Resilience
• Interpersonal - Initiative

• Professional and technical expertise
  • higher education degree in law, international co-operation, human rights, political science or in a related field;
  • knowledge of the Council of Europe Project Management Methodology and corresponding IT tool.

This job vacancy is for a local external recruitment based on fixed-term contracts. Employment is limited to 31 December 2027 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 .