Project Officer in the Environment & Climate, Agriculture, Private Sector and Trade Section.

The European Union Delegation to the Republic of Zambia & COMESA, Lusaka is looking for:

Project Officer in the Environment & Climate, Agriculture, Private Sector and Trade Section.

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 organizations. 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 Zambia, Lusaka works in close coordination with the Embassies and Consulates of the 27 EU Member States. We are a fully-fledged diplomatic mission and represent the European Union in dealings with the Zambian government in areas that are part of the EU’s remit.

We offer

The post of Project Officer (Local Agent Group 1) in the Environment & Climate, Agriculture, Private Sector and Trade Section. The team consists of 8 people, and there are occasional atypical working hours. 
Under this post, the recruited person will be attributed to functions depending on the needs of the Delegation, and on the changes of these needs. The successful candidate will serve under the supervision and responsibility of the Head of Environment & Climate, Agriculture, Private Sector, and Trade Section, providing support, expertise and assistance in the relevant field.

The following main tasks and duties are currently required: 

1. Delegation’s project cycle management (Function type: Process/Programme/Project Management)

• Contribute to the project cycle management (PCM) of EU funded regional and bilateral programmes and projects.

• Programme, design/appraisal (identification and formulation) of EU funded bilateral and regional programmes/projects, in close cooperation with the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ), RECs (notably COMESA), DG INTPA, EU Delegations in the ESA-IO region and other relevant stakeholders, and in line with the EU Multi-annual Indicative Programmes (MIPs) for Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and Zambia.

• Manage all aspects of the procurement processes (for example drafting Terms of Reference for tender and/or calls for proposals (CfP), launching tenders/CfP, drafting contracts, etc.).

• Manage the implementation of EU funded regional and bilateral programmes/projects. This includes attendance at management and steering committee meetings and the day-to-day supervision of EU’s implementing partners.

• Monitor project implementation by implementing partners, ensure correct application of administrative, contractual and financial procedures, particularly in terms of procurement rules. This includes field missions to monitor activities, meeting with local partners and subsequent reporting of observed facts and related conclusions. 

• Contribute to the evaluation and monitoring of EU funded programmes/projects, including the preparation, contracting and supervision of the mid-term and final evaluation exercises.

• Ensure the quality of the data encoded in the EU’s internal Management Information Systems (i.e. CRIS/OPSYS) and the management of the PCM with and through these IT platforms and their potential successors.

• Maintain contacts with relevant cooperating partners that are active in the private sector, investments and trade portfolio.

• Communicate and maintain regular contacts with HQ in Brussels (i.e. DG INTPA) and other EU Delegations in the SADC and COMESA regions.

• Handle any other activities assigned by the Team Leader / Head of Sector, compatible with the officer’s experience and background in the framework of the project management cycle.            

2. Sector analysis, strategy formulation and programming (Function type: Policy Analysis)

• Promote the alignment of policies with the EU’s Global Gateway strategy and EU political priorities.

• Participate in policy dialogue with GRZ and COMESA, as well as with regional/international organisations’ and other cooperating partners.

• Monitor progress of the implementation of national and regional policies and consistency and convergence with the Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) and Indian Ocean (IO) regional policies and programmes.

• Monitor and report regularly and timely on issues related to the private sector, investments, and trade portfolio. 

3. Preparation of sectoral information for headquarters (Function type: Internal Communication)

• Analyse, study and report on dossiers and files, related to the private sector, investments, and trade portfolio.

• Contribute to regular/internal (annual) reporting to the European Commission Directorate-General for International Partnership (DG INTPA) and the European External Action Service (EEAS).

• Provide timely information and follow-up on ad-hoc requests of the Team Leader / Head of Sector.

4. Representation, negotiation, participation (Function type: Representation, negotiation, participation)

• Prepare the hierarchy for (e.g. through briefings) and accompany them to programme/project related meetings and policy dialogues. Represent the EU in such meetings when requested by Team Leader / Head of Sector.

• Maintain contacts with partners of relevant national and regional institutions, EU member state representatives, cooperating partners, Non-State Actors and Civil Society Organisations (CSO), private sector, etc.

• Maintain communication channels and dialogues with private sector entities, which have invested or intend to invest in Zambia on in the region.

• Prepare and facilitate missions from Headquarters (when/as necessary).

5. Programme and project communication (Function type: External communication)

• Draft conclusions and recommendations of workshops, meetings, seminars and conferences, in consultation with the Team Leader / Head of Sector and the Head of Cooperation.

• Assist in the preparation of the section’s regular reporting, including providing input for the annual report, project fiches, EAMR, AMR and any other reporting activities as requested by the Team Leader / Head of Sector and the Head of Cooperation.

• Contribute to the EU Delegation’s communication and visibility activities/strategy.

The base salary will depend on relevant and verified employment experience, typically starting from ZMW 57,350. There is a competitive benefits package, subject to certain conditions, including personal leave days and public holidays, health insurance and a retirement savings plan. 

The expected start date will be 1 April 2026. 

Minimum requirements / eligibility criteria (necessary for the application to be considered)

• Minimum of a University degree in Economics, Finance, Trade, Business Administration, Development Studies or any other field relevant to the tasks to be performed.

• Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in either programme, project or investment management, in the areas of private sector, investments, and trade. The required five years of experience must be acquired after obtaining the relevant diploma.

• Very good computer skills (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, Zoom, Webex, and MS Teams).

Assets / selection criteria 

• Master’s degree in economics, finance, trade, business administration, development studies or any other field relevant to the tasks to be performed will be considered an asset.

• Any other specific knowledge or experience working with the private sector, trade, finance, investments or other fields relevant to the post.

• Experience in bilateral development cooperation.

• Experience in regional cooperation and/or investment management in the COMESA or SADC regions

• Experience in programme/project/investment management preferably with a focus on planning, preparation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of projects, as well as policy analysis.

• Experience in Project Cycle Management and contractual procedures of EU external action and cooperation.

• Interest in EU policies, the political priorities of the European Commission and in EU’s international partnerships.

• Familiarity with international organisations’ activities, such as the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and a keen interest and knowledge in international relations, development, private sector, investments and trade.

How to apply

Please submit your application, consisting of a cover letter and Europass format CV   - via the                                       eeasjobs-210@eeas.europa.eu 

no later than 31/03/2026 at 17:00hrs Zambian time. Only complete applications received on time via the above-mentioned mailbox will be considered. 

The successful candidate will be subject to both a medical check and a background check.

The process

After the deadline for applications, the eligible applications will be admitted to the selection process by the Committee set up for this purpose. 

Depending on the number of applications received, successive phases of Selection may include shortlisting of candidates-based assessment of the information provided in the cover letter, CV, practical testing and interviews. 2 or 3 of the best candidates will be invited to the final interview.

Only candidates admitted to each successive selection phase will be contacted individually. The Delegation will use the same means of publication as for this job advertisement to inform the remaining candidates once the recruitment procedure has been completed and whether a candidate has been recruited or not.

The Delegation will not supply additional information or discuss the selection procedure. During the selection process, please do not contact the members of the Selection Committee, but address your questions and comments to the Delegation’s Administration.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES: 

The European Union is committed to an equal opportunities policy for all its employees and applicants for employment. As an employer, the EU is committed to promoting gender equality and preventing discrimination on any grounds. It actively welcomes applications from all qualified candidates from diverse backgrounds. We aim at a service which is truly representative of society, where each staff member feels respected, is able to give their best and can develop their full potential.

Addendum: Job description