Vacancy Notice N° o30/2017
Senior Project Officer (Grade B5)
Directorate of Programme Co-ordination
Council of Europe Office in Yerevan


Closing date: 31 July 2017
Location : Yerevan

Job mission

Under the authority of the Head of Office, and the supervision of the Project Manager, the Senior Project Officer will assist with the implementation of the Programme “Consolidating institutional frameworks for local governance” carried out within the framework of the implementation of the Action Plan between the Council of Europe and Armenia.

The Senior Project Officer will work in close co-operation with the Project Manager in the Centre of Expertise for Local Government Reform, Good Governance Division, DG II – Democracy.

Employment is limited to the duration of the Project which is expected to end on 30 June 2018.

Key activities

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:

  • drafts documents relevant to legislative expertise on specific (draft) legislation as requested and assists expert teams thereto, drafts meeting minutes and lists of decisions;
  • organises and participates in meetings, seminars, conferences, etc. related to the activities of the Project;
  • organises the logistical, administrative and substance-related organisation, implementation and follow-up of Project 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 Armenian and English); ensures quality and consistency of the documents prepared;
  • 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, providing administrative and technical support in the organisation of relevant activities;
  • provides content-related and organisational assistance to the Programme Manager and manages the short-term consultants carrying out assignments and missions in the field;
  • contributes to raising the visibility of the Programme by preparing contributions for the Project page on the Office website and by disseminating information to the concerned stakeholders;
  • provides regular updates to headquarters on the legal, policy and factual developments relevant to the Project;
  • 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 local authorities, and other partners relevant to the implementation of Project activities;
  • undertakes official journeys in connection with the activities described above;
  • oversees the 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 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 at the Council of Europe Office in Yerevan.

Eligibility Requirements

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

 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 public management, political studies, law, international relations or public administration related fields would be an advantage.

Experience:

  • At least five years of professional experience relating to the implementation of technical cooperation programmes in the field of local governance, public administration reform, good governance, rule of law or related fields.
  • Experience working with government institutions on central and local level, civil society, and/or international organisations.

 Language requirements:

  • Very good knowledge of one of the official languages (English or French).
  • Excellent knowledge of Armenian (mother tongue level).

 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.

Employee Core Values

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

Competencies

Essential:

  • Professional and technical expertise:

- Proven experience of carrying out corresponding duties of project management and project implementation in the framework of international or European technical co-operation programmes, in particular, in the fields of rule of law, good governance and human rights;
- Administrative experience (target-setting and planning, administration, work organisation, reporting and finance);
- Knowledge of the main challenges in local self-government and public administration reform;
- Knowledge of policies and best practices in the sector of local self-government and public administration reform;
- Knowledge of relevant Council of Europe and European standards;
- Knowledge of specific project management tools (Project Management Methodology, logframes, risk monitoring, etc.) would be an advantage;
- Sound computer skills of standard tools in office applications (word processing, presentation software, outlook, internet/intranet publications.

  • Planning and work organisation
  • Results orientation
  • Concern for quality
  • Drafting skills
  • Initiative
  • Teamwork and co-operation
  • Communication

Desirable:

  • Analysis and problem solving
  • Adaptability
  • Service orientation

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

Additional information

Applications

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 31 July 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 Organisation

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.