Senior Project Officer

The Council of Europe Office in Tunis facilitates and co-ordinates the Council of Europe Policy with the MENA region, including the Neighbourhood Partnership with Tunisia. We co-ordinate and implement co-operation projects and programs on human rights protection, democracy support and the rule of law. 

You will be part of the team implementing the Project "Improving Economic Governance by Fighting Corruption in Tunisia" within the Council of Europe’s Economic Crime and Cooperation Division. 

This 36-month project, which started in July 2024, is a joint endeavour between the European Union and the Council of Europe, working with public officials and elected representatives from both chambers of Parliament, to make available to them the tools and expertise that have proven effective in preventing and combating corruption, as well as in implementing integrity standards and policies.

As a Senior Project Officer you will be required to perform the following tasks in accordance with the Council of Europe’s procedures, guidelines and priorities with a concern for quality, efficiency, accuracy and confidentiality. You will: 

• plan, organise, co-ordinate, implement and follow up on project activities in accordance with the project workplan and calendar of activities, in close co-ordination with the project team in Tunis and in headquarters (HQ) and in cooperation with local partners and stakeholders; report problems encountered; suggest priorities and adjustments as necessary;
• establish and develop effective contacts and liaise with local stakeholders, and with project consultants as regards the implementation of project activities;
• remain abreast of political developments to inform project activities and reporting, and to identify possible adjustments that the project may require, potential risks, and possible opportunities for enhanced project impact;
• inform regularly and advise the project team, the Council of Europe Office in Tunis and the management in HQ about the implementation of the project and other project-related issues;
• ensure quality and relevance of project outputs, suggest adjustments as necessary; 
• draft and provide elements to all project-related reports (activity and progress reports, activity reports, training evaluations, information notes, briefings, contributions, etc.) within set deadlines; 
• contribute to raising the visibility of the project by drafting web news items, press releases, and other visibility materials, by disseminating information and by providing advice and input on publications, in line with the Project’s Communication and Visibility Plan;
• co-ordinate and contribute to financial, administrative and technical implementation of the project and ensure close budgetary follow-up of all project expenditures, in accordance with regulations, procedures and donor requirements; 
• monitor the efficient and effective delivery of project activities, by providing support to experts and participants; and liaising with suppliers and other stakeholders for the provision of their services and inputs; 
• provide linguistic support, mainly from/to Arabic during meetings, in proofreading documents, and other as required;
• undertake official journeys in connection with project activities;
• promote the values of the Council of Europe, both internally and externally;
• perform any other task related to the implementation of the project as requested.

You must: 

• have a completed full course of general secondary education and appropriate professional qualifications;
• have at least four years of relevant professional experience in management of technical assistance and co-operation in the field of rule of law, good governance and human rights at international or national levels;
• have an excellent knowledge of Arabic (first language level) and a very good knowledge of one of the Council of Europe's two official languages (English or French) including written; knowledge of the other language (English or French) would be an asset;
• be a citizen of the host country or one of the 46 member States of the Council of Europe and fulfil the conditions for appointment to the civil service of that state;
• be present in Tunisia;
• have discharged any obligation concerning national service (military, civil or comparable);
• not be the parent, child, stepchild or grandchild of a serving staff member of the Council of Europe;
• be under the age of 65 years.

Your application must demonstrate to what extent you have the competencies listed below. To help you doing so, feel free to consult our competency framework.

• Operational - Planning and work organisation
• Operational - Results orientation
• Operational - Concern for quality
• Interpersonal - Relationship building
• Interpersonal - Negotiating

• Professional and technical expertise:

• strong experience in project management and project implementation in the framework of international or European technical co-operation programmes, in particular, in the fields of rule of law, good governance and human rights;

• knowledge of specific project management tools (project management methodologies, logframes, risk monitoring, etc.);

• knowledge of relevant Council of Europe and European standards;

• knowledge of policies and good practices in the sector of anti-corruption and economic crime and/or criminal justice/law;

• good computer skills of standard tools in office applications (word processing, presentation, outlook, excel, internet/intranet publications).

• Operational - Analysis and problem solving
• Interpersonal - Resilience
• Interpersonal - Initiative

• Professional and technical expertise:

• practical experience in the implementation of the Council of Europe and other international standards and monitoring mechanisms in the fight against corruption, money laundering and terrorist financing;

• higher education degree in law, economics, public administration, political science or a related field.

This job vacancy is for a local external recruitment based on temporary contracts. Employment is limited to 31 December of the current year and may be extended. You can consult the conditions of employment (salaries, allowances, pension scheme, social insurance etc.) on the webpage What we offer.

For more information on how we recruit, you can consult the page Our recruitment process. This recruitment is carried out in accordance with Rule No. 1234 laying down the conditions of recruitment and employment of locally recruited staff members working in Council of Europe Duty Stations located outside of France. 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). When applying, make sure your motivation shows how your competencies make your profile the best for the role.

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].