Position Title:  Project Manager

Location: Tirana, Albania

Organization: Partners Albania for Change and Development (Partners Albania)

Background: Partners Albania is an independent Albanian organization established in 2001, working to support civil society and facilitate inter-sector cooperation in order to strengthen democratic institutions and advance economic development. Partners Albania has organized its interventions into four key programmatic areas: 1) Enabling Environment and Sustainable Development of Civil Society; 2) Participatory, Accountable and Transparent Governance; 3) Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation; 4) Philanthropic Activity and Support Infrastructure.

Since 2013, Partners Albania conducts the “Monitoring Matrix on Enabling Environment for Civil Society Development”, an annual monitoring and advocacy instrument that introduces the key essential principles and standards for a supportive and enabling legal environment for the functioning of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in the country.

In the frame of its efforts to protect and advance the enabling environment for CSOs in the country, following the developments in the legal and regulatory framework affecting the sector, Partners Albania works on the prevention of over regulations from the state to the Non-Profit Organisations (NPO) sector in the name of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing (AML/CTF). The initiatives include mapping and legal analysis, wide educational and promotional campaign, facilitation of NPO risk assessment, and advocacy efforts to ensure that civil society in Albania is effectively engaged in the debate on anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing and to counter restrictions for NPOs in the name of AML/CFT. Partners Albania is also part of a bigger discussion on these issues in the Western Balkan region and at the European level.

Responsibilities (General)

Partners Albania is seeking a Project Manager who will perform his/her roles and responsibilities under the Enabling Environment and Sustainable Development of Civil Society (EESDCS) programmatic area, with a focus on anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing, preventing and countering violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism issues.

The Project Manager, as a member of the EESDCS team, will be responsible for the preparation and management of projects and initiatives that will contribute to further development and expansion of this programmatic area.

The Project Manager should carry out the responsibilities and duties described as below independently, with minimum supervision, but also in the context of a professional team.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Monitor the legal development in the fight against money laundering and terrorism financing in the sector, preventing and countering violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism issues affecting the NPOs sector, and provide legal analysis aiming to identify the impact of these developments to the sector.
• Planning, coordination, and implementation of projects and initiatives that contribute to strengthening the role and engagement of civil society in the fight against money laundering and terrorism financing in the sector, preventing and countering violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism issues.
• Prepare written inputs that lead to the evidence-based advocacy efforts of the organization on the EESDCS programmatic area, such as policy papers, briefings, monitoring reports, legal opinions, etc.
• Provide capacity-building support for the staff of the organization and the NPO sector in the country on anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing, preventing and countering violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism-related issues.
• Facilitate cross-sector engagement between NPOs, private sector, and government stakeholders to increase understanding and information and to discuss country-specific measures on the related issues (laws, policies, regulations, etc.) in response to country commitments to meet the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) recommendations.
• Participate and coordinate with networks and coalitions of NPOs in the country and abroad to discuss and develop joint reactions to the government’s tendencies for overregulation to the NPOs sector in the name of AML/CFT issues
• Nurture collaboration and exchange with Partners Albania’s institutional partners, European networks, academic and research institutions in the related areas.
• Contribute as part of the team in sustaining and expanding the Enabling Environment and Sustainable Development of Civil Society (EESDCS) programmatic area.
• Perform other work-related duties as required.

Qualifications:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Law is required.
• At least 3 years of professional working experience in legal research and comparative studies and/or management of projects related to the anti-money laundry and countering of terrorism financing, and preventing and countering violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism, or related areas.
• Very good understanding of the national legal framework and institutional structure and authorities responsible for the supervision, monitoring, and investigation of the NPO sector.
• Understanding and knowledge of relevant aspects of anti-money laundering and countering of terrorism financing, preventing and countering violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism, relevant international and national instruments addressing the issues.
• Strong communication and networking skills.
• Good organizational and analytical skills including attention to detail and multi-tasking skills.
• Able to work in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent command of spoken and written Albanian and English.

Salary:  Commensurate with experience

Expected Start Date:  1^st September 2021

Application procedure:

Interested candidates are requested to apply by submitting: 1) a cover letter indicating your interest and motivation, 2) a relevant CV (EU format) and copies of documents supporting your academic and/or professional experience, 3) a short essay about your experience and how it relates to the position (up to 500 words), 4) Three letters of reference. Please, feel free to include any other documents that you think are relevant.

Only candidates that submit all the above-mentioned documents will be considered for review.

Please send your full application package with the heading “Application for Project Manager” to ktavani@partnersalbania.org, not later than 7th July 2021.

Partners Albania will contact only those applicants who will be invited for an interview by 12^th July. Before applying, we encourage applicants to consult Partners Albania’s webpage in order to familiarize themselves with our work.

Partners Albania embraces diversity in its hiring, welcoming individuals of all religions, ethnicity, gender, and orientation to apply.