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Project Officer at our headquarters in Amsterdam

About AWEPA
The Association of European Parliamentarians with Africa (AWEPA) works in cooperation with African Parliaments to strengthen parliamentary democracy in Africa, keep Africa high on the political agenda in Europe, and facilitate African-European Parliamentary dialogue. AWEPA does this by supporting national and regional parliaments and local authorities by organising training and workshops, conferences, seminars and exchange visits.

Purpose of the position
The Project Officer will contribute to the planning, implementation and evaluation of activities for selected multi-annual parliamentary capacity building programmes. The position involves day-to-day coordination of projects and activities, liaising with partners, reporting, budgeting and financial monitoring in support of the implementation of activities in Africa and occasionally, Europe.

Place in the Organisation
The Project Officer will be a member of the Project Team at the AWEPA headquarters in Amsterdam. The post holder reports directly to the Director Research and Evaluation and acts in close collaboration with relevant programme managers.

Description of Responsibilities
• Assist in the overall implementation of parliamentary capacity building programmes;
• Ensure programme goals are achieved and all operational protocols are adhered to;
• Provide input to annual work plans and initiate planning of various programme activities in coordination with African partners, including their design and implementation;
• Draft and update activity budgets, monitor finances, and facilitate financial reporting for individual activities;
• Assist in drafting narrative donor reports in compliance with AWEPA’s Project Cycle Management methodology;
• Monitor and evaluate the progress and outcomes of programme activities;
• Maintain effective relationships with AWEPA’s partners and donors;
• Liaise with AWEPA offices and support them in implementation and budget management, where relevant;
• Take minutes and draft activity reports;
• Write website articles and short publications about programme activities as required; and,
• Act as the liaison in the Amsterdam office for specific activities.
Required knowledge and skills
Qualifications
• Master’s degree in political/social science, international development, international relations, law or other relevant subject;
• Native French and near-native English language abilities;
• Excellent writing and reporting skills in both French and English;
• Interest in politics and development in relation to Africa; and
• Firm understanding and interest in the workings of legislatures, especially those in Africa and Europe.
Experience
• Two years of relevant working experience in an international environment;
• Experience with writing program proposals, applications and tenders;
• Some experience with project cycle management including monitoring and evaluation;
• Some experience of capacity building programmes;
• Experience working under own initiative with a diverse collection of stakeholders;
• Experience working within a political environment (desirable); and
• Experience working and/or living abroad (desirable).
Skills
• Demonstrated capacity for excellent organization and coordination skills;
• Very good drafting, research and communications skills;
• Good financial and planning skills;
• IT skills, including MS Excel;
• Ability to work independently, with attention to detail;
• Strong proactive attitude and sense of responsibility;
• Ability to access, use, and analyse ODA statistics (desirable); and
• Flexibility is a key word for this position.
Other
• Ability to work under pressure and prioritise effectively;
• Respect for diversity, ability to work successfully in a multi-cultural environment;
• Ability to travel extensively to Africa and elsewhere with short notice under sometimes difficult conditions; and
• Must be in sympathy with the aims of AWEPA.
What can AWEPA offer you?
A challenging job at a non-governmental organisation operating in an international environment. The employment period will initially be for six months with the intention to offer an extension. The Project Officer will work on a full-time basis (40 hours) and is based in Amsterdam. The salary will be set in accordance to relevant experience and background.
Application Procedure
Please send your cover letter and CV in English to Ms. Martien Meenhorst,recruitment@awepa.org.  The closing date for applications is 8 August 2014. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.
Please beware that due to European Union immigration restrictions we can only consider applicants that are nationals of a European Union member State or applicants who already have a valid work and residence permit for the Netherlands.
For more information about AWEPA, please visit our website at www.awepa.org.