Regional Co-ordinator

1. Introduction

The Regional Rural Development Standing Working Group (SWG), as a platform for networking and regional co-operation, has been established during the Agricultural Policy Forum 2005 (“Rural Development Opportunities for Co-operation in the SEE”) held in North Macedonia and Serbia in June 2005.

With the International Agreement in March 2009, the SWG is registered as an International Intergovernmental Organization, with its managing and coordinative body – SWG Head Office/Secretariat based in Skopje, North Macedonia. On September 7th 2009, the Law on Ratification of the SWG Agreement has been decisively completed by the Parliament of the Republic of North Macedonia.

The main SWG strategic framework is composed of the following elements:

SWG vision is to promote innovative and sustainable agriculture and rural development through regional cooperation, to improve rural livelihoods in the SEE countries.

Mission - to increase horizontal cooperation among respective countries and territories of South Eastern Europe, by coordinating regional initiatives related to agriculture and rural development and supporting the process of social and economic development of rural areas in SEE region.

General objective of SWG is to facilitate close cooperation between the Ministries of Agriculture and other stakeholders in the field of agriculture and rural development and to support EU integration in SEE.

The SWG has four specific objectives on which the organization has focused its work:

• To improve the common understanding on agriculture and rural development policies;
• To assist the improvement of implementing structures and systems for agriculture and rural development, with specific emphasis on cross border cooperation;
• To improve the understanding and use of implementation tools for agriculture and rural development;
• To identify and share information and application of good practice in agriculture and rural development to broaden the rural agenda.

2. Tasks

For its office in Kosovo*, that will be established in the coming period the SWG Secretariat is looking to hire a Regional Coordinator for implementation of activities in agriculture and rural development on the territory of Kosovo* .

The aim of the engagement of the Regional Co-ordinator is to perform activities related to implementation of all projects that are currently part of SWG portfolio, SWG Assembly sessions, Ministerial Meetings, Agriculture Policy Forum and management and administration of the SWG Regional Office in Kosovo*. This includes:

• Sectoral training for MSMEs and start-ups, taking into account gender dynamics, special needs of returnees, inclusion, environmental and climate protection, networking or business continuity in crisis situations.
• Implementation of vocational qualification and training measures (e.g. training via formal education providers, vocational training measures in the workplace, internships, coaching, business start-up support, study trips) with a special focus on vulnerable target groups and returnees.
• Implementation of "People-to-People (P2P)" events and capacity building measures for rural entrepreneurs, including returnees, rural communities and LAGs in the border areas.
• Assist MSMEs in the WB 6 to open e-shops for their products and services. • Advice on promoting development partnerships with the private sector
• Participates in primary data collection for various studies in the area of agriculture and rural development • Assists in the organization of the SWG Assembly sessions, Ministerial Meetings, and Agriculture Policy Forum.
• Identifies potential sources for funding of project implementation and acts towards obtaining them;
• Manages office space, equipment, budget and project resource allocation; • Prepares regular reports on project progress, issues and solutions;
• Communicates with the SWG Member Institutions on behalf of the organization in relation to project and the general SWG activities;
• Assists the SWG Secretariat Management in activities and tasks related to implementation of projects.

3. Place of assignment

The position will be located in the SWG Regional Office in Kosovo* in Pristina or Orahovac, to be determined, with responsibilities spanning over the entire Western Balkans region. The duty assumes frequent travel in the Western Balkans region and beyond.

4. Timeframe

The engagement will start in April 2023 and will last until end of 2024 with possibility for annual extensions.

5. Working language

The official working language of the SWG Secretariat is English.

6. Minimum qualifications required for this position

Education:

• Bachelors’ degree in any of the following fields: Agro-Economy, Agriculture, Environment, Business Administration, Economics, International Development or related field.

Prior Work Experience:

• A minimum of three (3) years of work experience in the field of agriculture environment, 3 nature based solutions, rural development or related topics on development and donor projects.
• Experience in working with agriculture, rural development and rural tourism stakeholders, beneficiaries and donors in Kosovo*.
• Preferably, work experiences in the field of project planning and project management;
• Preferably, work experiences with international or bilateral organisations.

Language Proficiency:

• English proficiency (fluent) speaking, reading and writing is required;
• Proficiency (fluent) speaking, reading and writing is required in official Kosovo languages Albanian and Serbian.

Skills and Abilities:

• Demonstrated knowledge of agriculture, rural development and rural tourism stakeholders in Kosovo*.
• Analytical and strategic thinking skills; • Report writing skills; • Presentation and communication skills;
• Strong computer and digital literacy;
• Strong interpersonal skills and cross-cultural communication, and understanding of diversity and equity;
• Teamwork is key as the Regional Co-ordinator will be an integral part of the SWG team;
• Ability to effectively brief senior officials including proposition of solutions;
• Ability and willingness to travel throughout the Western Balkan region and internationally;
• The (Junior) Regional Co-ordinator is expected to drive (B category)

7. Application

Pease send your CV and cover letter by February 15 th, 2023 on the following email address: swgsecretariat@swg-seerural.org . stating the position: Regional Coordinator Kosovo in the subject line. No telephone calls will be accepted! Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence