Belgrade
No. of Posts: 1
Deadline for application: 5 July 2023
Project: “EU Regional Action for Education: Increased education opportunities for Roma students and Roma youth in Western Balkans and Turkey”, Phase II
Roma Education Fund (REF) is seeking a Project Officer for Early Childhood Development and Primary Education to join the project team in the implementation of the “EU Regional Action for Education: Increased education opportunities for Roma students and Roma youth in Western Balkans and Turkey” project funded by European Union and implemented by REF.
Background & Project:
The project “EU Regional Action for Roma Education: Increased Education Support and Opportunities for Roma Students in the Western Balkans and Turkey (RARE), phase II” constitutes a second phase of the already-implemented project during 2018-2021 by REF. During the first phase of the project, the education services provided through the seven project countries (Albania – ALB; Bosnia and Herzegovina – BIH; Kosovo – KOS; Montenegro – MNE; North Macedonia – MAC; Serbia – SER; Turkey – TUR) amounted to involving more than 4500 Roma children and youth (from all educational levels) in education activities. The present project continues the gains and results of the initial project, while, at the same time, creating a well-founded base for children and youth inclusion and participation in education.
The overall objective of the project is to reduce the Roma/non-Roma gap in participation to and completion of quality education, to improve Roma transition between education and employment in the Western Balkans and Turkey. The specific objectives of the action are:
- To improve the educational outcomes at all educational levels, with a special focus on reducing the wide gap between male and female education levels;
- To improve the transition of Roma students between education and employment with a special focus on reducing the wide gap between male and female education levels;
- To achieve durable, systematic policies for inclusive education within the education system.
The project is expected to run until December 2026. The project envisages activities in the fields of: Early Childhood Development and primary school education (ECD and PRI); Secondary Education (SEC), and Tertiary Education (TER). The Project Officer is expected to be involved in activities related to ECD and PRI, including administration of grantees implementing initiatives in the respective field.
Outline of the Position:
This is a project-based position open for the duration of the project implementation (until December 2026). The selected candidate will sign a fixed-term contract, following a probation period. The incumbent will be based in Belgrade, Serbia. The Project Officer will work as part of the project team in close cooperation with the Project Manager, Project Officer for Secondary and Tertiary Education, Grant Officer, Project Assistants and Financial Coordinator, as well as with other members of the team.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Under the supervision of the Project Manager, Project Officer will coordinate the overall activities related to the Early Childhood Development and Primary educational levels, providing support for the grantees, liaising with the management of the grantees, contributing to the implementation of the activities (for ECD and PRI). Specifically, responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following tasks:
- Preparation, planning and delegation of actions to ensure timely execution of the project in cooperation with the Project Manager;
- Cooperation with other project staff and REF Financial and Administrative Department regarding administrative and operational issues on a daily basis;
- Coordinate all plans and actions with the Project Manager to ensure that the management and execution of project activities enables progress towards the essential results of the project;
- Cooperation with all project and REF Financial and Administrative Department staff to ensure a joint knowledge sharing of contractual obligations and procedural rules, on a daily basis;
- Maintaining close communication with the implementing partners, country facilitators, funding authorities, project staff, Finance and Administrative staff on administrative and operational issues, and other stakeholders on a day-to-day basis;
- Keeping track of all information related to the project implementation, documenting all decisions taken in relation to the project and usage of project resources, lessons learned and best practices, and other work-related information and share knowledge within the project team, REF and implementing partners;
- Advance and on-going assessment of risks and implications associated with specific rules or contractual provisions for project implementation, including specific delays;
- Informing the Project Manager of potential reallocations, if necessary;
- Preparation of necessary documents/decisions based on this assessment to avoid delay/negative impact as much as possible;
- Implementation of corrective actions to prevent delays/misunderstandings, including keeping its main project staff, partners and funding authorities informed of the impact on the achievement of project results;
- Coordinate all actions with the Project Manager to ensure that project management enables progress towards the essential results of the project;
- Supervise and verify the achievement of results identified in implementing partner agreements and provide technical assistance during implementation to ensure fulfillment of contractually agreed terms;
- Conducting regular monitoring visits and preparing monitoring reports;
- Documenting all decisions made regarding the use of project resources;
- Active participation and providing support in education and employment policy making, advocacy and implementation of other employment-related planned project activities;
- Preparation and submission of interim, final and other reports to project’s Funding Authority as required;
- Preparation of calls for project proposals and other grant awarding related documentation and procedures, together with corresponding budgets for sub-grantees;
- Is responsible for reporting of own activities, including all related aspects related to own reporting;
- Performs other tasks and duties assigned to by the Director/s or Project Manager, in accordance with the specificity of the position held.
Necessary Qualifications and Skills:
- Higher education (academic qualifications BA or MA degree) in the fields such as social and human sciences, political sciences, sociology, social assistance, psychology, communication sciences, law, or related fields etc. (In the case of other fields, professional experience will be taken into account).
- Work experience: 5-7 years experience in project management/coordination of activities/involvement in project implementation.
- Experience in working with/for Roma communities and/or involvement in international projects settings.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in diverse Roma communities.
- Understanding of and passion for promoting the access of Roma children and youth to quality education.
- Knowledge of contemporary education trends, approaches, and methods.
Other Skills:
- Excellent command of English language is required,
- Communication ability (spoken and/or written) in at least two languages spoken in the project countries represents an asset, preference for candidates who are fluent in Romani language,
- Computer literacy in Microsoft programs and internet browsing,
- Previous experience in the work on projects, significant experience in project monitoring and evaluation (M&E) tools,
- Experience working with a wide range of government and non-governmental stakeholders,
- Experience in managing projects related to the civil society, education or employment,
- Experience in building the capacity of civil society organizations on central and/or local level,
- Experience in grant schemes and coordinating awareness and/or visibility activities (campaigns, events, websites, trainings, etc.)
- Ability to organize and coordinate complex projects with hundreds of persons involved;
- Very good communication skills, ability to organize, plan and prioritize.
- Sensitivity to cultural communication differences and ability to establish and maintain communication with representatives on a multi-stakeholder level;
- Ability and willingness to work with the people of different nationalities, cultural and religious backgrounds and diverse views while maintaining impartiality and objectivity;
- Demonstrated gender awareness and sensitivity, as well as the ability to integrate a gender perspective into tasks and activities;
- Knowledge and experience in project funded by European Union is preferable;
Interested candidates are invited to submit their updated resumes and a cover letter (highlighting, in one-page maximum, their relevant experience and linking it to the requirements for the positions) by 5 July 2023, 12 p.m., to rareproposals@romaeducationfund.org, noting in the subject line “Project Officer for Early Childhood Development and Primary Education”.
Due to a high number of applications, unfortunately, REF is not in the position to be able to respond to every applicant individually. Please not that only short-listed candidates will be contacted for the first interview.
