Associate Project Officer

International IDEA

Length of contract
2 year

About the Organisation

International IDEA supports the integrity of processes and institutions of political participation and representation through strengthening the capacity of formal institutions of political participation and representation, such as parliaments and political parties. In this regard, in 2019, International IDEA and the European Union (EU) entered into an Agreement to implement the project "INTER PARES | Parliaments in Partnership - EU Global Project to Strengthen the Capacity of Parliaments". In response to two successful phases, the Inter Pares programme has been granted a third phase, again funded by the European Union and implemented by International IDEA.

The global project aims to strengthen representative and inclusive democracy through support for the effective functioning of parliaments in partner countries, by enhancing their legislative, oversight, representative, budgetary, and administrative functions. This global project focuses both on elected Members of Parliament (MPs), particularly in their capacity as members of parliamentary committees, and on the staff of parliaments’ secretariats.

Phase III of the Inter Pares project will be implemented through the following main objectives:

• Improved effectiveness, accountability, and transparency of parliaments in partner countries to foster responsive, inclusive, participatory, and representative decision-making
• Strengthened inclusive, participatory, and resilient parliamentary institutions through the development and dissemination of parliamentary knowledge, including in key areas of gender equality and women’s empowerment, youth engagement, and infrastructure oversight

About the role

The Associate Project Officer will support the day-to-day planning and implementation of the project outputs, including the organisation of key project events and supporting communication with EU national parliaments, the European Commission, EU Delegations, and other key stakeholders. The incumbent will also support substantive research on key thematic issues within the project.

Responsibilities

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Supports the development and implementation of project objectives, with a particular focus on peer-to-peer partnership development and implementation in Africa, Asia, and Latin America;
• Contributes to donor reporting to the European Union by compiling inputs, drafting sections of reports, and supporting quality assurance in line with reporting requirements and internal standards;
• Supports network building and communication with EU national parliaments, the European Commission, EU Delegations, and other key stakeholders;
• Contributes substantively to the implementation of activities, both online and in person (agenda, background notes, documentation, briefs, presentations, comparative examples, etc.
• Supports the preparation and facilitation of workshops, trainings, and shadowing activities, including coordination of logistics, preparing materials, and assisting with on-site or virtual delivery and follow‑up
• Draft activity and progress reports by compiling programme inputs, preparing clear summaries of results, and ensuring accuracy and alignment with reporting requirements;
• Conducts substantive research, facilitating the development of knowledge products, resources, and publications related to the project; supports the documentation and dissemination of project outputs (outcome stories, testimonials, facts and figures, images) for reporting, monitoring, and evaluation purposes;
• Coordinates the engagement of project consultants, prepares contractual documentation, and tracks deliverable quality in line with International IDEA policies and procedures;
• Assists with monitoring the budget of the project, ensuring compliance with donor requirements and International IDEA’s policies and procedures;
• Carries out such other duties and responsibilities as related to the post that may be assigned from time to time.

Skills, Competencies, Experience & Attributes

Education & Experience:

• Minimum of three (3) years of relevant experience (including substantial internships) in supporting the implementation of projects in the field of democratic governance;
• Experience of European Commission internal processes, working on EU projects and/or with national parliaments, as well as familiarity with EU processes and systems required;
• Experience working on projects in Africa, Asia, and Latin America is considered an advantage.
• Experience in engaging, cultivating, and influencing stakeholders is an advantage.
• Experience of working in an international context, in an intergovernmental organization, is considered an advantage.
• Fluency in English required; Knowledge of French or other EU languages would be an advantage.

General Profile:

• Requires good knowledge, excellent skills, and initial experience in democracy development, parliamentary work, and project management
• Will contribute to assigned projects in different aspects of the project life cycle; will draft various documents (briefs, reports, concept notes, info-notes), and will support the projects vis-à-vis all internal and external stakeholders
• Driven and motivated, can work independently and within a small team, to produce high-quality deliverables promptly
• Adds value to team-based activities in their unit; collaborates with other stakeholders and partners in the projects as required; shows initiative
• Follows internal procedures to ensure high standards of performance and compliance with Institutional guidelines;
• Can be expected to travel globally to any geographical area involved in his/her projects
• 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.

Required Qualifications

• University degree in social science, political science, law, international development, or other relevant discipline

Conditions of employment

• You need to be legally authorized to live and work in Belgium

Working locations

• Brussels, Belgium

How to apply

• Applications should be submitted online no later than 23:59 (CEST) on 19th June 2026.
• Please note that all applications must be made in English.
• 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.

Interviews

• Please note that, as this is a local post, International IDEA will bear no costs relating to the relocation of the selected candidate to the duty station.
• 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.

Policies

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.

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