We are

The European Union (EU) is an economic and political partnership between 27 European countries. It plays an important role in international affairs through diplomacy, trade, development aid and working with global organisations. Abroad, the EU is represented through more than 140 diplomatic representations, known also as EU Delegations, which have a similar function to those of an embassy.

The EU Delegation to North Macedonia is one of those 140 delegations. The Delegation of the European Union is the liaison between the national authorities and EU institutions. Since the decision taken by the European Council to recognise the country as a candidate for EU membership, the work of the Delegation of the European Union has focused increasingly on monitoring and reporting on compliance with the political and economic criteria for membership of the EU, and alignment of legislation with EU legislation as well as capacity to implement and enforce it.

One of Delegation's key tasks is to inform the authorities, institutions, media and citizens of the Republic of North Macedonia about the pre-accession process and about the EU institutions and policies. It also maintains regular contacts with academic institutions, business community and representatives of the civil society.

We offer

We offer a position of Programme Officer-EU Policies in Operation Section I.

The jobholder will work under the supervision and responsibility of the Head of Section.

The selected candidate will be offered a fix term employment contract for limited period until 31 December 2022 with possibility of extension of additional 6 months.

Place of employment: Skopje.

Working time: 37.5 working hours/week.

Functions and duties

Overall purpose: ensure effective and efficient implementation of financial assistance ensuring maximum impact to support the EU membership preparation. Perform timely monitoring, analysis, advice and reporting in the specific areas assigned to the jobholder (judiciary and anti-corruption).

The successful candidate will perform the following tasks:

Function type: POLICY ANALYSIS & REPORTING  Function name: Sector analysis, strategy formulation and programming
Duties:

• Support policy dialogue with all relevant ministries, agencies, donors and other relevant stakeholders in all areas of concern
• Monitor and report on sectoral developments and issues to Team Leader
• Contribute regularly and timely to the Delegation's reporting to HQ on sectoral issues, as well as to any specific requests

Function type: PROGRAM/PROCESS/PROJECT MANAGEMENT  Function name: Project cycle management
Duties:

• Initiate and process all aspects of the procurement process, e.g. drafting Terms of Reference, launching tenders, evaluating the bids, preparing the contracting file
• Encode contracts and give an operational visa
• Ensure the follow-up of the implementation of projects, including with the beneficiary institutions, and the performance of project teams
• Monitoring ongoing projects, attend management and monitoring meeting, elaborate progress report on projects and propose action if and when needed
• Provide 'Certified correct' for payments
• Ensure the monitoring of projects’ sustainability (including closed projects)
• Maintain contacts with other donors active in the country

Function type: EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION  Function name: Communication related to programme & projects
Duties:

• Produce and disseminate the results of projects at workshops, seminars, conferences and other public events contributing to the achievement of the Delegation’s objectives for the visibility of EC activities in the country
• Extract and disseminate “best practice” and facilitate exchange of experiences
• Prepare  of briefings and speeches

Function type: INTERNAL COMMUNICATION  Function name: any other business
Duties:

• Carry out tasks linked to the job description as instructed by his/her superior(s).
• Coordination of horizontal matters

The tasks listed above are indicative and may change in accordance with the Delegation’s service needs and internal organisation.

Eligibility criteria:

Candidates for this position should enjoy full rights as Macedonian citizen and also:

Education    

• Formal education that corresponds to completed university studies of at least three years duration attested by a diploma, in law, political sciences or social sciences.
• University level education of legal duration of at least 3 years – 5 years is considered as an advantage.

Experience      

• At least 5 years experience pertinent to the duties to be carried out and gained after university studies, and 7 as an advantage.

Language

• Native command of Macedonian and excellent written and spoken English language.        
• Knowledge of an additional EU language is an asset

Other skills and competences

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Stress resistance

Knowledge:    

• Knowledge of project management
• Understanding the EU integration process
• Knowledge and understanding of the following fields: justice and anti-corruption policies
• Excellent IT skills (Microsoft Office, communication software, etc.)

Skills:

Communication skills

• Very good drafting skills;
• Very good analytical/reporting capabilities;
• Capacity to communicate clearly at all levels;
• Good capacity to maintain communication and information flow within and outside the section.

Interpersonal skills

• Capacity to work as a team player;
• Ability to deal with tact in delicate circumstances.

Organisational skills

• Methodical and structured approach to tasks;
• Very good coordination skills;
• Good capacity to organise oneself to deliver results in a timely manner;
• Capacity to work under pressure and respond quickly to demands.

Personal qualities

• Responsibility and discretion as a requirement;
• Flexibility;
• Commitment to quality and accuracy;
• Sense of initiative;
• Commitment to public service and team spirit.

Selection criteria:

• Experience in effective communication both orally and in writing, ability to interpret regulations and guidelines and to act on and provide advice in accordance with the appropriate instructions;
• Knowledge for the tasks closely related to those described above under “Functions and duties”;
• Experience in working in a team in multi-disciplinary environment and be a flexible team player;
• Strong drafting and analytical skills and/or implementing policies, procedures, guidelines, templates, etc;
• Excellent communication skills both in Macedonian and English;
• Capacity to perform with accuracy and in a flexible manner a diversity of tasks in a complex institutional environment;

How to apply

Interested candidates should send a motivation letter and CV in Europass format in English only to the following functional email address: delegation-north-macedonia-recruitments@eeas.europa.eu

Subject line should state: Name Surname Temporary (interim) worker - Programme Officer

Candidates shall draft their CV following the European CV form, which is available at the following internet address: https://europa.eu/europass/en/create-europass-cv .

*Other forms of CV will not be accepted.

The Delegation will not supply additional information or discuss the selection procedure by telephone. Please address any queries concerning this procedure via e-mail to delegation-north-macedonia-recruitments@eeas.europa.eu. Successful reception of your application will be confirmed via e-mail only.

corrigendum: Deadline for sending applications is 19th 22nd August 2022 at 16.00h Skopje local time.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted by e-mail and will be invited for an interview and possibly a written test. Interviews will be held in Skopje, at the EU Delegation premises or via video-conferencing on Webex depending on Covid-19 situation.

The candidates who have not been short-listed will be informed on the decision.