Programme Officer At European Institute of Peace

The European Institute of Peace (EIP) is looking for exceptional individuals who share our vision for a world where people live in safety and peace because conflicts and grievances are resolved through inclusive dialogue and lasting political agreements.

We provide practical experience, technical expertise, and policy advice on conflict resolution. We use a variety of tools to help us do this, including analysis, mapping and design of peace processes and agreements, facilitating policy discussions, and proposing practical engagement, for example through inclusive dialogue and mediation support.

Based in Brussels and active in over a dozen countries, the European Institute of Peace is an independent organisation working collaboratively with European decision-makers, the parties to the conflict, and those who represent people suffering from insecurity or at risk of violence, as well as the conflict prevention, resolution and mediation community.

Our innovative approach to peace enables us to be agile, creative, and effective in everything we do, and these are key qualities we look for in our team members. See www.eip.org for more information

We are looking for a Programme Officer to be part of the Engagement Dialogue and Process Design unit (EDP).

Duties and responsibilities

Programmatic support

• Contribute to the design, development and implementation of high-quality projects and/or programmes, mainly, but not exclusively, of the Institute’s Latin America programme, to prevent or resolve conflicts with an emphasis on peace process support initiatives which play to Europe’s strengths and aligned with EIP’s Vision, Mission, and Goals;
• Support day-to-day implementation of assigned projects, large and small events planning and management, travel preparation and follow-up, preparing for and ensuring action on meetings at various levels, including protocol for high-level engagements.
• Contribute to the planning and execution of, relevant policy discussions, leading to the development of strong policy recommendations and process design options;
• Contribute to the development of concrete and realistic strategies for field-based engagement in order to develop strong networks, and to work closely with local actors, conflict parties, and other relevant groups to inform and contribute to the achievement of project objectives;
• Take initiative, identify opportunities, plan and participate in scoping missions or other project development activities as necessary and subsequently support the development of strategies for new EIP interventions;
• Support relationships building with relevant EU institutions, cabinets and decision-making bodies, European Governments, and NGO counterparts in Europe to identify political priorities, strategic interests and scope for political collaboration, through research preparation and overall engagement support;
• Aligned with the team’s engagement strategy, support liaison with the key stakeholders including relevant governments, non-governmental actors, civil society, local partners and international actors in the region to ensure smooth collaboration and partnerships;
• Actively take initiative and contribute to the development and maintenance of effective liaison, strong relations and engagement with donors;
• Contribute to fundraising, identify potential donors, monitor calls for proposals and donor policy priorities and changes, in order to seize opportunities and secure additional funding to be able to expand the scope of the Institute’s work and consolidate existing funding initiatives;
• Monitor developments in the relevant conflict contexts and develop knowledge, expertise and key relationships, feeding into the analysis developed by the unit and ensure overall adherence to the Institute’s analytical framework;
• Develop and coordinate briefing materials for internal and external audiences and events, including preparation of speeches for senior leadership, with input from colleagues.

Administrative & managerial support

• Under the supervision the Team Coordinator, support operational compliance and sound financial management of on-going projects/programmes/envelope, including support on monitoring and forecasting expenditure, overseeing financial reporting (preparation and contribution to drafting of annual activity-based project budgets as well as monthly and quarterly financial reports and preparation and sending of new funding requests);
• Ensure compliance with internal policies and guidelines, as well as strict compliance with donor rules and regulations in the delivery, the monitoring of programme implementation, expenditures and the reporting, while strictly respecting deadlines;
• In collaboration with team, coordinate the drafting of internal and external reports, concept notes and project proposals, including budgets and plans;

Internal coordination & team management support

• Support sound programme implementation by providing support in team coordination, facilitating internal and external communication flows, and fostering positive team dynamics and appropriate conduct;
• Take part in and help coordinate regular conversations between EDP colleagues and other units, fostering smooth collaboration and coordination between units. Systematically engage colleagues outside the teams to ensure coordination on new and ongoing project activities;
• Any other responsibilities agreed upon with Supervisor.

Profile

• University degree in political science, conflict resolution, international relations, or related field;
• Minimum 5 years of experience, 2 of which spent in the field of conflict resolution, post-conflict stabilisation, diplomacy, humanitarian activities or similar;
• Knowledge of the political and economic situation of Latin America, of the conflict contexts within the countries of the region, and of the geopolitical developments that are taking place in the region as a whole;
• Experience working on gender sensitive approaches to peacebuilding is an asset.
• Excellent knowledge of project cycle management, including budget management experience, essential;
• Experience in working in multicultural teams in the context of complex programmes or projects, experience in working with/in regional teams or remotely is an asset;
• Understanding of EU policies, the functions of and workings of the EU institutions;
• Very good communication and people skills;
• Ability to work well under pressure and comply with tight deadlines;
• Meticulous attention to detail and ability to multitask effectively;
• Ability to work independently and as part of a small team;
• Perfect command of English and Spanish is necessary, and good command of another European language is an asset.

The Institute offers

• Employment contract (open ended Belgian contract);
• Salary based on 13.92 months and commensurate to the position and experience;
• Benefits package which includes luncheon vouchers, hospital insurance, maternity and parental benefits, pension plan, and contribution to transportation;
• 40h/week including 12 RTT days per year;
• Orange SIM card;
• Contribution to teleworking allowance: €15.

Start date: 01/07/2022.

The successful candidate will need to reside in or relocate to Belgium when the employment contract starts.