Context

 The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) is an intergovernmental organization composed of 35 member states that supports democracy worldwide. Headquartered in Stockholm and with field offices in 18 countries, it promotes sustainable democratic change by providing comparative knowledge, assisting in democratic reform, and influencing policies and politics. The Institute’s key impact areas are: electoral processes, digitalization and democracy, constitution-building, democracy assessments, as well as political participation and representation. International IDEA supports democratic change through its convening potential at the country, expert, and international levels. It works in the spirit of peer dialogue, nurturing an open and pluralistic understanding of democracy that is respectful of the national context.

Based in Brussels, International IDEA’s Regional Europe Programme (REP) implements democracy assistance projects in young democracies across Europe and liaises with European Union institutions and Member States. With the support of its field offices in Albania, Moldova and Ukraine, the Institute supports extensively the integrity of elections in EU enlargement countries, helping national institutions to address emerging issues of digitalization and democracy, cybersecurity, foreign interference and malign information, online campaigning and impact of AI, and liaising them with EU institutions.

International IDEA expands its engagement through the second phase of the project “Closing the Digital Gap on Elections in EU Accession”. Building on the Institute’s networks among electoral authorities across the EU candidate and potential candidate countries and EU policymakers in Brussels, the project seeks to foster dialogue and exchanges between stakeholders across the Western Balkans and Eastern Europe — including electoral authorities, policymakers, experts and civil society actors—and relevant EU institutions. It does so through a combination of consultative mapping exercises, research, peer exchanges, capacity-building activities, and policy dialogues in Brussels and across the EU enlargement region.

The Project Coordinator will be responsible for implementing project activities, in close cooperation with the Associate Project Officer and the Brussels – based Programme Manager. They will coordinate and support the planning, design, implementation, communication, and reporting of relevant project activities. The Project Coordinator also represents International IDEA in meetings and events as delegated.

Duties and Responsibilities

  1.  Coordinates the implementation of project initiatives and activities, ensuring alignment with agreed objectives;

  2. Actively contributes to project planning and decision-making through substantive inputs in meetings and technical discussions.;

  3. Delivers thematic interventions at conferences and events. Represents the project in external engagements, as delegated by the line manager;

  4. Manages the organization of events, managing substantive content development, logistical planning, and administrative processes to ensure high-quality delivery;

  5. Contributes to the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) component of the project, ensuring compliance with International IDEA’s results framework and contributing to evidence-based reporting and learning;

  6. Monitors project expenditure, and supports grant management processes, ensuring compliance with donor requirements and internal policies;

  7. Develops and maintains relevant professional contacts with the respective electoral authorities, civil society, and other key stakeholders invested in strengthening election standards across EU enlargement countries;

  8. Manages the engagement of consultants , develops contractual documentation, and tracks the quality of deliverables, in line with International IDEA’s policies and procedures;

  9. Conducts ongoing analysis of trends and developments in digitalisation and democracy within EU candidate and potential candidate countries, producing insights to inform project design and implementation;

  10. Collaborates closely with relevant International IDEA colleagues in Brussels and Stockholm as well as with the donor.

General Profile

  •  Combines in-depth knowledge of democratic development, acquired through excellent skills including project management skills, communication skills and relevant experience in their field;

  • Will contribute significantly to assigned projects all along the project life cycle, i.e. from project design and funding to project assessment; will lead meetings and discussions, supervise publications and review input from external providers;

  • Has contributed to publications on the relevant subject; is recognized as a knowledge resource in their broad professional community;

  • Can work with minimal guidance and supervision;

  • Adds value to team-based activities in their team; collaborates with other entities of the Institute;

  • Acts as a model or mentor for less experienced colleagues;

  • Can be expected to travel regionally to any geographical area involved in their project;

  • Follows internal procedures to ensure high standards of performance and compliance with Institutional guidelines;

  • Acts in accordance with International IDEA’ s core values; Respect, Integrity and Professionalism;

  • Integrates gender equality, diversity, and social inclusion (GEDSI) considerations into all tasks and activities, in alignment with the Institute’s Core Values and commitment to the GEDSI policy. 

Reporting line

  •  Programme Manager, Western Balkans

Education and Experience

  •  University degree in political science, law, international relations, public administration or other related disciplines;

  • Minimum of five (5) years of relevant experience in the implementation of projects in the field of democracy and governance support;

  • Knowledge of democratic development and democracy assistance in at least one of the countries of the Western Balkans;

  • Knowledge on digitalization policies, the EU digital acquis (Digital Services Act, Artificial Intelligence Act, the European Media Freedom Act, and Network and Information Service Directive). and its impact on democracy and electoral processes.

  • Experience in one of the following areas: electoral assistance, political participation and representation);

  • Good knowledge of the political context in the EU candidate and potential candidate countries, in particular of electoral cycles;

  • Knowledge of issues related to digitalization and democracy, electoral integrity, online campaigning, information integrity, cybersecurity, AI, or related fields;

  • Experience with liaising with government and independent institutions, parliament, political parties, civil society and diplomatic missions;

  • Experience organizing and coordinating international conferences, workshops, training activities, or multi-stakeholder events;

  • Experience mainstreaming gender in project activities.

  • Fluency in written and oral Albanian and English required.

Terms of Contract:

  • Local Post.

  • Fixed term appointment for two (2) years (Renewable until April 2029, depending on performance.)

  • Remuneration -ALL 391 417 per month

Please note as this is a local post, International IDEA will bear no costs relating to the relocation of the selected candidate to the duty station. This position is open to those legally authorized to live and work in Albania for the duration of the contract. International IDEA is not able to support work permit applications. 

Use of AI in Recruitment
International IDEA places strong emphasis on human input in recruitment. Candidates must disclose any use of AI tools. All application materials, written assessments, and interview responses (as applicable) must be entirely human-generated and reflect the candidate’s own knowledge, skills, and experience. The use of AI to generate content or misrepresent qualifications is not permitted. AI‑powered assistive technologies (such as screen readers or speech‑to‑text tools) may be used for accessibility purposes to ensure equal access to the recruitment process.

Applying for this position:

  • Applications should be submitted online no later than 23:59 (CEST) 19 July 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.

Due to the anticipated volume of applications, International IDEA will review applications on a rolling basis, and the vacancy may close earlier than the advertised deadline. Applicants are therefore encouraged to apply early.

International IDEA is an equal-opportunity employer which seeks to further diversify its staff in terms of gender, culture and nationality.

At Impactpool we do our best to provide you the most accurate info, but closing dates may be wrong on our site. Please check on the recruiting organization's page for the exact info. Candidates are responsible for complying with deadlines and are encouraged to submit applications well ahead.
Before applying, please make sure that you have read the requirements for the position and that you qualify. Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.