Senior Programme Officer grant management (. management of EU/IFI/other bilateral funds).

Background:

As part of the new European Economic Area (EEA) Agreement, signed on 30 July, Romania and Norway have entered into their largest ever cooperation agreement. Thefinancial contribution from EEA and Norway Grants has been distributed to 23 different sector programmes in overall objectives of EEA and Norway Grants areto contribute to the reduction of economic and social disparities in the European Economic Area and to strengthen the bilateral relations between the donor state and Romania.

Out of these funds, a total of 24 mill. EUR has been allocated to the programme Green Industry Innovation and 15 mill. EUR has been allocated to the programme Maritime Sector. In addition approx. 1,1 mill. EUR is allocated for Decent Work and Tripartite Dialogue. These three funds are administered by Innovation Norway, a public entity under the Norwegian Ministry of Trade and Industry. Eligibility deadline for the programmes is 30 April 2016.

For the administration and follow-up of the three programmes, Innovation Norway is looking for one Senior ProgrammeOfficerto strengthen theInnovation Norway set up at the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Bucharest.

Job description:

The Senior ProgrammeOfficer will carry out a wide variety of tasks related to the life time of the three programmesandkeep an overview of all activities in the office. He/she will advise, guide and assist Innovation Norway in the fulfillment of the tasks and responsibilities necessary to secure a successful implementation of the mentioned programmes.

Tasks will vary depending on the programming phase:

• Preparatory phase: provide input for design and development of programme strategies and other administrative documents related to the two programme areas Green Industry Innovation and Maritime Sector.


• Launching/assessment phase: prepare call for proposals;support the launchingof theprogrammes; assist in the provision of information to the public about calls for proposals, programmes, and their priorities;assessproject applications;prepare appraisal documents and grant agreements with project promoters.


• Monitoring phase: monitor the implementation of projects;review andassesementof progress reports and payment claims/eligibility of expenses (desk review and on-the-spot checks); reporting on monitoring findings;compiling statistics and reports related to monitoring of project implementation and results achieved.


• In all phases: liaison with government counterparts and Embassy; organise meetings/seminars; publicity activities and presentations to ensure the dissemination and promotion of programmes and project results.

Required qualifications:

The candidate should:

• Hold a master degree, or similar, in a relevant field (. economics, management, international relations, law, engineering etc.).


• Have at least six years work experience in the field of grant management (. management of EU/IFI/other bilateral funds).


• Previous experience as an assessor of grant schemes and basic knowledge about the state aid rules and the public procurement rules in Romania.


• Be flexible and have a solution-oriented, analytical mind, with an eye for details and the big picture alike.


• Ability to work under pressure and manage his/her responsibilities within tight deadlines and have good cross-cultural communication skills.


• Capacity to work in a team as well as independently.


• Have good reporting skills and be an advance user of English. Romanian as a mother tongue.


• Be available for travel throughout Romania and international travels at demand.


• IT skills.

How to apply:

Applications must include a CV in English and a covering letter explaining suitability for, and interest in, the job. All applications will be treated in strict confidentiality. Applications should be sent by e-mail, in word format, – no later than 4 May 2012.

Interviews will be held within 2 weeks of the closing date for applications. Candidates who are not invited for an interview should assume their application to be unsuccessful.

Starting date: As soon as possible.

Contact person:

Ms. Anne Lise Rognlidalen, Country Director – Romania and Bulgaria, Innovation Norway, Akersgt., Oslo, tel