Programme Manager - Accessibility and inclusiveness of the Youth for Democracy programme

The team within which you will work, the Youth Department, is part of the Directorate for Democracy within the Directorate General of Democracy and Human Dignity (“DGII”) of the Council of Europe.  The Department elaborates guidelines, programmes and legal instruments for the development of coherent and effective youth policies at local, national and European levels.  It provides funding and educational support for international youth activities aiming to promote youth citizenship, youth mobility and the values of human rights, democracy and cultural pluralism.  It seeks to bring together and disseminate expertise and knowledge about the life situations, aspirations and ways of expression of young Europeans.

The Youth Department is looking for a secondment of a Programme Manager to its dynamic team working for youth programmes and policies that are conducive to the participation and inclusion of young people in all their diversity. To this end, it seeks an experienced professional in youth work and youth policy, ideally connected or able to connect with the youth civil society environment, to provide advice on institutional, political and educational matters in relation to accessibility and inclusiveness of the Youth for Democracy programme, as it applies to young people in all their diversity, and specifically to young people living with disabilities.

As a Programme Manager in charge of accessibility and inclusiveness of the Youth for Democracy programme, you will be:

• Leading the implementation of the accessibility agenda of the Youth for Democracy programme, in close cooperation with the management of the European Youth Centre (Strasbourg and Budapest) and with members of its Statutory Bodies;
• Planning, preparing & implementing and advising on multi-annual projects in the Youth for Democracy programme and cooperating with other Council of Europe sectors, governmental and non-governmental partners and donors, notably in relation to the specific issues of accessibility and inclusiveness of youth policies and programmes for young people in all their diversity, in particular young people with disabilities;
• Planning, implementing, ensuring administrative follow-up, monitoring, reporting and evaluation of activities and/or co-operation activities, including those carried out through voluntary contributions by member States, and providing advice to colleagues in charge of activities with an accessibility or inclusiveness dimension; 
• Maintaining working contacts with national and international, governmental and non-governmental bodies and organisations active in the youth field, including by representing the Council of Europe in conferences and seminars, and carrying out official journeys in member States; 
• Contributing to the implementation of the overall remit of the Youth Department and collaborating with other Council of Europe committees, bodies and divisions active in promoting youth participation, accessibility and inclusiveness of youth policies and youth work to young people in all their diversity;
• Contributing to the implementation of the co-managed programme of youth sector activities, notably those under the priority on peaceful and inclusive societies which covers issues of disability access, inclusiveness and participation of and minority youth, including intersectional aspects (such as LGBTI+, national and linguistic minorities, Roma). 

• Managerial - Vision and Strategic Insight
• Operational - Planning and work organisation
• Operational - Analysis and problem solving
• Interpersonal - Teamwork and co-operation
• Interpersonal - Relationship building

• Professional and technical expertise:

  • Ability to plan complex projects, draft documents and deliver presentations in areas related to youth, diversity and inclusion, accessibility and/or minority participation and empowerment;

  • Sound background in accessibility and inclusiveness related issues, advocacy or work in public administration, non-governmental organisations, international organisations, youth networks and organisations or other relevant structures; 

  • Experience in the field of youth policies, youth work or education at national, regional or international levels, including intersectional policies;

  • Good understanding of citizenship and human rights education, non-formal education and youth participation principles and approaches.

• Operational - Results orientation
• Interpersonal - Negotiating

• Professional and technical expertise:

  • strong academic background and/or a further degree in a relevant subject, such as accessibility, inclusion, disability and/or minority studies (including diversity, equity and inclusion studies, youth, social and care work etc.) ; 

  • specific and/or working knowledge of key international human rights frameworks such as the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and/or international best practice in anti-discrimination policy/legislation.

This vacancy is for a secondment, ruled by Article 23 of Committee of Ministers’ Resolution CM/Res(2012)2. You can consult the conditions of secondment to the Council of Europe (days of leave, allowances etc.) on the webpage What we offer.

This secondment foresees the relocation allowance and the travel expenses from the Organisation as indicated in Article 23 of the Resolution. 

For more information on how we recruit, you can consult the page Our recruitment process of our Career's website. The deadline for applications is indicated in the General information section of this vacancy notice (see above) and is fixed at 23:59:59 (CET/CEST). Only applicants who meet the conditions of the Committee of Ministers’ Resolution CM/Res(2012)2) and who best meet the abovementioned criteria will be considered for selection and for the next stage.

As an equal opportunity employer, the Council of Europe welcomes applications from all suitably qualified people, irrespective of sex, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic or social origin, disability, religion or belief. Under its equal opportunity policy, the Council of Europe is aiming to achieve gender parity in staff employed in each category and grade. At the time of appointment, preference between suitable people shall be given to the person of the gender which is under-represented in the relevant grades within the category to which the vacancy belongs.

Applicants with specific needs are encouraged to request reasonable accommodations at any stage during the recruitment process. Please contact us at [email protected], we will ensure that your request is handled.

The information published on the CoE’s careers website regarding working conditions is correct at the time of publication of the vacancy notice. Any changes to these conditions during the recruitment process will be updated on our Portal and will apply at the time of the job offer. Our career's website is not intended to be exhaustive and may not address all questions you would have. Should you have remaining questions, please contact us at [email protected].