**Context**
International IDEA has a mandate to support democracy worldwide. Since its establishment in 1995, the Institute has sought to fulfill this mandate by incrementally expanding its geographic footprint. Increasing demand for the Institute´s support in countries across Europe, coupled with key developments that have highlighted the weakness of democratic institutions in some European countries, has motivated the Institute to establish a Regional Europe Office (REP).
The REP has a strategic objective to support democracy in Europe, with an emphasis on Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans. In Albania, International IDEA aims to support public institutions and civil society in enhancing the resilience and quality of democratic institutions and processes. Key areas of our engagement relate to parliamentary strengthening, electoral processes and political finance, and promoting the expertise and capacity of civil society organizations and media to participate in decision-making processes, making them more responsive to the demands of the EU accession agenda.
The Project Manager leads the implementation of International IDEA’s EU-supported parliamentary support project in Albania, strengthening the capacities of the Assembly, civil society, and media. The role is responsible for ensuring high-quality project delivery, alignment with International IDEA and EU priorities, and effective coordination with partners. The Project Manager oversees all aspects of the project, including planning, implementation, quality assurance, monitoring and evaluation, and reporting. The role also contributes to programme development and fundraising, working closely with International IDEA’s Regional Europe Office staff.
**Duties And Responsibilities**
- Leads the Project’s design, implementation and delivery of activities and outputs applying high-quality thematic expertise in electoral administration, electoral risk-management, oversight of political and campaign finance and civic education for democratic elections;
- Manages the assigned Project throughout the Project life cycle, from strategic planning and Project design, implementation of activities and delivery of Project outputs to the fullest extent;
- Represents International IDEA at various forums, delivering thematic presentations, and participating in high-level discussions, ensuring International IDEA’s visibility;
- Collaborates with colleagues in Brussels and HQ to identify needs, develop project concepts, and lead fundraising efforts with donors based in Tirana, Albania;
- Maintains and develops partnerships with key stakeholders in Albania, including the Assembly, media, civil society, the Delegation of the EU to Albania, foreign and national assistance providers, the European Parliament, and parliaments of EU Member States;
- Understands and manages the budget of their project(s); is accountable for the Project’s finances and grant management, and ensures that financial planning supports the delivery of the Project’s results and demonstrates value for money;
- Directly manages and leads the coordinated efforts of a team of staff of the Project, as well as of international and national consultants;
- Manages and provides direction, support, and feedback to Project partners on aspects of programming, ensuring that effective capacity building is provided to the Project’s target groups throughout its lifecycle;
- Manages the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) component of the Project, supporting their adherence with the donor and International IDEA’s M&E results framework;
- Oversees the Project risk assessment and management, actively manages risks and regularly updates the risk management strategy in line with International IDEA’s policies and procedures;
- Oversees team members in documenting lessons learned, stories, case studies and evidence related to the delivery of the Project’s results, linking to broader policy engagement, communication, publicity, and visibility efforts both locally and internationally.
**General Profile**
- Acts with integrity and impartiality, and has no active affiliation in any political party, and/or civic or public organizations of political nature and aspirations that have a bearing on the project;
- Has contributed to publications on the relevant subject; is recognized as a knowledge resource in their broad professional community;
- Works with minimum supervision and in collaboration with other programmes and teams within the Institute, the project donors, and external partners and stakeholders;
- Has the intellectual leadership to integrate innovation into their field of expertise;
- Fosters team-based activities; collaborates with other offices and programmes of the Institute;
- Is expected to travel regularly to any geographical area involved in the implementation of the Project’s activities;
- Follows and adheres to internal procedures to ensure high standards of performance and compliance with Institutional and project guidelines;
- Acts in accordance with International IDEA’s core values; Respect, Integrity and Professionalism;
- Integrates a rights-based approach, as well as a gender and diversity perspective, in all project activities.
**Reporting line**
- Programme Manager, Western Balkans
**Education And Experience**
- Advanced university degree in social science, political science, international law, international development or other relevant discipline;
- Minimum of seven (7) years of relevant experience in the implementation of programmes in the field of democracy support in Albania and/or EU accession countries;
- Proven experience in parliamentary and civil society support, including in strengthening the transparency and oversight role of parliaments, strengthening parliamentary diplomacy and an enabling environment for civil society and media in the legislative process are essential;
- A minimum of three (3) years’ experience in leading sizable projects and managing project teams;
- Proven network of contacts in the fields of civil society, independent media and think-tanks working in Albania and the Western Balkans region;
- Excellent understanding of programming, monitoring and evaluation approaches and procedures is essential;
- Demonstrated experience in report writing and reporting under a results-based management (RBM) system;
- Experience with EU-funded projects and requirements, as well as familiarity with their processes and systems is preferred.
**Terms Of Contract**
- This post is advertised subject to the confirmation of funding.
- International Post
- Fixed term appointment until 31 January 2029
- Remuneration - EUR 6 018 NET per month + benefits
**Applying For This Position**
- Applications should be submitted no later than 23:59 (CET) 01 February 2026.
- Please note that all applications must be made in English.
**Selection Process**
- Evaluation of qualified candidates will include a written test assessment and up to two (2) interviews.
- Candidates selected to proceed to the next stage of the process will be contacted once all applications have been carefully reviewed.
- All candidates will be notified of the status of their application via email once the process has been finalized
***International IDEA is an equal opportunity employer which seeks to further diversify its staff in terms of gender, culture and nationality***
The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) is an intergovernmental organization that supports sustainable democracy worldwide.
International IDEA has a mandate to support democracy worldwide. Since its establishment in 1995, the Institute has sought to fulfill this mandate by incrementally expanding its geographic footprint. Increasing demand for the Institute´s support in countries across Europe, coupled with key developments that have highlighted the weakness of democratic institutions in some European countries, has motivated the Institute to establish a Regional Europe Office (REP).
The REP has a strategic objective to support democracy in Europe, with an emphasis on Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans. In Albania, International IDEA aims to support public institutions and civil society in enhancing the resilience and quality of democratic institutions and processes. Key areas of our engagement relate to parliamentary strengthening, electoral processes and political finance, and promoting the expertise and capacity of civil society organizations and media to participate in decision-making processes, making them more responsive to the demands of the EU accession agenda.
The Project Manager leads the implementation of International IDEA’s EU-supported parliamentary support project in Albania, strengthening the capacities of the Assembly, civil society, and media. The role is responsible for ensuring high-quality project delivery, alignment with International IDEA and EU priorities, and effective coordination with partners. The Project Manager oversees all aspects of the project, including planning, implementation, quality assurance, monitoring and evaluation, and reporting. The role also contributes to programme development and fundraising, working closely with International IDEA’s Regional Europe Office staff.
**Duties And Responsibilities**
- Leads the Project’s design, implementation and delivery of activities and outputs applying high-quality thematic expertise in electoral administration, electoral risk-management, oversight of political and campaign finance and civic education for democratic elections;
- Manages the assigned Project throughout the Project life cycle, from strategic planning and Project design, implementation of activities and delivery of Project outputs to the fullest extent;
- Represents International IDEA at various forums, delivering thematic presentations, and participating in high-level discussions, ensuring International IDEA’s visibility;
- Collaborates with colleagues in Brussels and HQ to identify needs, develop project concepts, and lead fundraising efforts with donors based in Tirana, Albania;
- Maintains and develops partnerships with key stakeholders in Albania, including the Assembly, media, civil society, the Delegation of the EU to Albania, foreign and national assistance providers, the European Parliament, and parliaments of EU Member States;
- Understands and manages the budget of their project(s); is accountable for the Project’s finances and grant management, and ensures that financial planning supports the delivery of the Project’s results and demonstrates value for money;
- Directly manages and leads the coordinated efforts of a team of staff of the Project, as well as of international and national consultants;
- Manages and provides direction, support, and feedback to Project partners on aspects of programming, ensuring that effective capacity building is provided to the Project’s target groups throughout its lifecycle;
- Manages the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) component of the Project, supporting their adherence with the donor and International IDEA’s M&E results framework;
- Oversees the Project risk assessment and management, actively manages risks and regularly updates the risk management strategy in line with International IDEA’s policies and procedures;
- Oversees team members in documenting lessons learned, stories, case studies and evidence related to the delivery of the Project’s results, linking to broader policy engagement, communication, publicity, and visibility efforts both locally and internationally.
**General Profile**
- Acts with integrity and impartiality, and has no active affiliation in any political party, and/or civic or public organizations of political nature and aspirations that have a bearing on the project;
- Has contributed to publications on the relevant subject; is recognized as a knowledge resource in their broad professional community;
- Works with minimum supervision and in collaboration with other programmes and teams within the Institute, the project donors, and external partners and stakeholders;
- Has the intellectual leadership to integrate innovation into their field of expertise;
- Fosters team-based activities; collaborates with other offices and programmes of the Institute;
- Is expected to travel regularly to any geographical area involved in the implementation of the Project’s activities;
- Follows and adheres to internal procedures to ensure high standards of performance and compliance with Institutional and project guidelines;
- Acts in accordance with International IDEA’s core values; Respect, Integrity and Professionalism;
- Integrates a rights-based approach, as well as a gender and diversity perspective, in all project activities.
**Reporting line**
- Programme Manager, Western Balkans
**Education And Experience**
- Advanced university degree in social science, political science, international law, international development or other relevant discipline;
- Minimum of seven (7) years of relevant experience in the implementation of programmes in the field of democracy support in Albania and/or EU accession countries;
- Proven experience in parliamentary and civil society support, including in strengthening the transparency and oversight role of parliaments, strengthening parliamentary diplomacy and an enabling environment for civil society and media in the legislative process are essential;
- A minimum of three (3) years’ experience in leading sizable projects and managing project teams;
- Proven network of contacts in the fields of civil society, independent media and think-tanks working in Albania and the Western Balkans region;
- Excellent understanding of programming, monitoring and evaluation approaches and procedures is essential;
- Demonstrated experience in report writing and reporting under a results-based management (RBM) system;
- Experience with EU-funded projects and requirements, as well as familiarity with their processes and systems is preferred.
**Terms Of Contract**
- This post is advertised subject to the confirmation of funding.
- International Post
- Fixed term appointment until 31 January 2029
- Remuneration - EUR 6 018 NET per month + benefits
**Applying For This Position**
- Applications should be submitted no later than 23:59 (CET) 01 February 2026.
- Please note that all applications must be made in English.
**Selection Process**
- Evaluation of qualified candidates will include a written test assessment and up to two (2) interviews.
- Candidates selected to proceed to the next stage of the process will be contacted once all applications have been carefully reviewed.
- All candidates will be notified of the status of their application via email once the process has been finalized
***International IDEA is an equal opportunity employer which seeks to further diversify its staff in terms of gender, culture and nationality***
The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) is an intergovernmental organization that supports sustainable democracy worldwide.
