Who are we?

The British Embassy in Chisinau is part of a worldwide network, representing British political, defence, economic and consular interests overseas and is now looking to recruit a Project and Policy Officer.

Main purpose of the job:

The jobholder will be part of the embassy’s programme team and will work collaboratively with colleagues across the embassy, and within the wider Eastern Neighbourhood regional team (who cover Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia), to identify, design and deliver projects which are agile, strategic, innovate & catalytic, and which deliver against the UK’s development approach to meet its policy objectives. 

Whilst the primary purpose of this position is to develop and manage the delivery of projects, we are looking for a candidate who is able to blend strong programme management skills with policy delivery, has interest in developing their knowledge of the policy areas which underpin their projects, and who would be able to represent the UK in delivering policy and programme objectives. 

The jobholder will also be the Embassy’s Risk Champion.

Roles and responsibilities:

Project Design & Policy Awareness:

The Embassy blends policy and programming and so the jobholder will be expected to develop a thorough understanding of policy related issues to the thematic areas associated with their projects, enabling them to assess opportunities and explain the rationale for interventions, and contribute to policy analysis and development. 

Working with colleagues across the Embassy (Policy, Programme, Comms and Defence Section), and in collaboration with the Regional Programme Hub and Advisors, the jobholder will develop new project interventions that are strategic and adaptive, and in line with the UK’s development approach and policy objectives.

Project Delivery:

The job-holder will deliver best practice in project management by ensuring their projects follow the FCDO programme management guidance and UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) rules, deliver value for money, and there is a robust approach to risk management, and ensuring gender and conflict sensitivity.  
The jobholder will be the embassy’s primary point of contact for the implementers of their projects and will work with them to ensure delivery is in line with agreed objectives and work plans.  They will need to ensure a good oversight of risk management, gender and social inclusion requirements, value-for-money and financial compliance.

The jobholder will work closely with the Eastern Neighbourhood’s Programme Hub, which is based in Tbilisi.  This team will support the Project and Policy Officer in the day-to-day management of their projects, such as in ensuring compliance and quality control, and providing support on monitoring and evaluation, finance and procurement.  

Stakeholder Engagement:

The jobholder will need to make connections and build a network with key counterparts and other donors to support the effective delivery and sustainability of UK objectives and to ensure UK added value is targeted where it is best leveraged.  This network will also help to facilitate evidence and analysis that can underpin programming decisions.  

Monitoring and Evaluation, and Programme Visibility:

Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) is a key part of this role. The jobholder will be expected to hold regular meetings with implementers, attend site visits, and meet with beneficiaries to provide evidence that their projects are delivering effectively. They will also be expected to feed into M&E activities (such as annual reviews), drawing in wider inputs from colleagues across post to demonstrate results, generate lessons learned, and evaluate progress.  

The jobholder will also work with the Embassy’s Communications Team to identify opportunities to promote our impact and interventions through the Embassy’s social media platforms. They will lead the set-up of visits to projects (including for official visitors), provide briefings, speeches and other comms activities.

Embassy Risk Champion:

As the Embassy’s Risk Champion, the jobholder will be responsible for ensuring a strong and proactive approach to risk management across Post. This will include, but not be limited to, disseminating updated risk guidance, facilitating risk management discussions, and ensuring compliance with FCDO risk expectations.

Essential on arrival:

• Full professional proficiency in Romanian at a minimum of C1 level according to CEFR*;
• Proficiency in English and Russian at a minimum of B2 level according to CEFR*;
• Completed bachelor’s degree (or above) in politics, public policy, international development, international relations, economics or a related field;
• A minimum three years’ experience in project or programme management in a development context, within an international non-governmental organisation, international financial institution, donor organisation or private company;
• Strong organisational and management skills;
• IT skills, including use of the MS Office suite;
• Ability to build successful working relationships with a diverse group of stakeholders in Moldova, London and the region.