Position: Project Officer in the Joint Technical Secretariat (hereinafter “the JTS”) for the IPA Cross-border Cooperation Programme Serbia - Republic of Macedonia 2016-2020 (hereinafter “the Programme”)

Location: Joint Technical Secretariat in Leskovac

Overall objective

In accordance with the Commission Implementing Decision C (2016) 8258 of 6 December 2016 adopting the CBC programme Serbia – Republic of Macedonia 2016-2020, the first technical assistance allocation under the Programme will be made available via direct award of a service contract concluded between the Delegation of European Union (hereinafter “the EUD”) to the Republic of Serbia and the Ministry of European Integration of the Republic of Serbia (hereinafter “the MEI“). This service contract and all subsequent ones will provide support to the work of the Operating Structures (hereinafter “the OSs”) in both participating countries and of the Joint Monitoring Committee (hereinafter “the JMC”) in ensuring efficient set - up, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the Programme. This will be achieved through the establishment and operation of a JTS whose main office is located in Leskovac (Republic of Serbia) and its Antenna in Kumanovo (Republic of Macedonia). The JTS will be in charge of the day-to-day management of the Programme and will be reporting to the OSs and JMC.

In line with the Terms of Reference for technical assistance under the Programme for the 2016 and 2017 allocations, the Project Officer shall discharge his/her duties for a maximum of 350 working days until the end of the contract duration and shall be responsible for all matters related to management and implementation of the aforementioned service contract, including the following:

• Ensuring that secretarial services are provided to the Programme's key stakeholders;
• Organizing and implementing activities under the service contract, ensuring a timely delivery of outputs and their suitable quality including the preparation of reports in relation to the service contract and to the Programme monitoring;
• Maintaining smooth and regular communication with all relevant stakeholders (i.e. potential applicants, beneficiaries, the OSs, the JMC, the EUD and other Programme key stakeholders);
• Providing support to OSs in amending Programme documents or procedures.

Formally, the Project Officer will be reporting to a Head of the JTS located in Leskovac and a Programme coordinator located in MEI through monthly reports and timesheets. The position includes travelling, mainly throughout the Programme area for the following reasons:

• Monitoring of CBC projects that will be implemented under the Programme;
• Attending the coordination meetings between the two OSs, with the DEU, and the JMC meetings, as well as any other Programme related meetings/events.

Responsibilities and tasks

The responsibilities and tasks of the Project Officer are connected to the JTS areas of activities as follows:

Managing technical assistance

• Participates in preparation of reports;
• Assists the Head of JTS in preparation of a procurement documentation for services to be contracted under the TA Service Contract;
• Assists the Head of JTS in management of the results of procurement procedure and preparation of executions of contracts, including checks on invoices and related technical documentation;
• Prepares the requests for payment related to the TA Service contract;
• Ensures internal follow-up of TA budget (incidental expenditures and fees) usage;
• Prepares the requests for use of incidentals, including market research and tender procedures, and contract amendments.

Calls for Proposals

• Drafts a timetable for each Call for Proposals;
• Organizes partner search forums if deemed appropriate;
• Assists and gives support to CFCU for Calls for Proposals and all related documentation, if required;
• Ensures publication of Calls for Proposals in all appropriate media;
• Organizes workshops for potential applicants;
• Assists and gives support to CFCU in preparation of answers on queries for Calls for Proposals from interested applicants by the relevant deadlines, if required;
• Assists with the receipt, registration and storage of proposals received upon direct written request of the EUD;
• Provides support in budgetary clearing of selected projects, if required;
• Provides support in drafting lists of grant awarded for publication, if required;
• Records statistical information on each Call for Proposals.

Project monitoring

• Supports drafting an Implementation Package for beneficiaries;
• Supports       organization of Implementation Seminars for beneficiaries;
• Opens and maintains files for each contract;
• Maintains a help-line for beneficiaries;
• Drafts an indicative monitoring visit schedule;
• Conducts monitoring visits, drafts monitoring visit reports and follow up;
• Keeps relevant up-to-date project information in electronic form.

Programme monitoring

• Participates in drafting the JTS Annual Work Plans;
• Drafts Annual Implementation Reports (or any other ad-hoc documents for the JMC’s consideration and the Final Implementation Report;
• Provides support when evaluation of the Programme is conducted;
• Drafts and/or amends the Programme documents and relevant procedures as required;
• Provides the secretarial function of the JMC;
• Provides any relevant information to the OSs in the participating countries as required.

Publicity, visibility and information

• Participates in drafting of the Annual communication action plans;
• Assists with the maintenance and the regular update of the Programme website;
• Participates in organization of events as indicated in the JTS Annual Work Plans;;
• Assists with preparation and production of printed materials as indicated in the JTS work plans

Other

• Contributes to identify and prepare projects selected outside Call for Proposals (i.e. strategic projects) as required by the OSs;
• Immediately reports on any signal of irregularity identified;
• Files all documents appropriately, either in physical or electronic form, or both;
• Facilitates any monitoring or audit missions related to service contract;
• Provides support to the organization of the TA service contract Project Steering Committees;
• Carries out other tasks, as required.

Professional requirements

The Project Officer must fulfill the following conditions and have the following qualifications and experience:

Qualification and skills

• University degree or alternatively 6 years of professional experience following secondary education;
• Fluency in both written and spoken English and knowledge of at least one of the local languages of the beneficiary countries;
• Good communication skills;
• Computer literacy;

General professional experience

• Minimum 4 years, preferably 6 years of general professional experience.

Specific professional experience

• Minimum 3, preferably 5 years of experience in programmes/projects funded by the EU or other donors, preferably in grant schemes;      

Minimum 2 years of experience in matters related to Cross-border Cooperation, preferably in the IPA II beneficiaries will be considered as an asset.

Applications must be submitted to e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Only the applications that arrive by the deadline,on Wednsday, 22.08.2018 until 15:30 will be considered timely.

Application with accompanying motivation letter and biography in one of the languages of the participating countries in the Programe or English language, among other things, must include: name and surname of the candidate, date and place of birth, residence address, education details, length of work experience with short job descriptions on which the candidate worked until the filing of the application and the responsibility for those tasks, information on possible professional development and data on possible special areas of knowledge.

Only candidates who meet the required conditions will be invited to the interview in the following week after expiration of the deadline for filing the application, so they are requested to be available for the interview that will take place in Belgrade.