For Project: European Union Integration Support Facility in Albania (EUIS)

The overall objective to which the EU-funded EUIS project contributes is to support the Government of Albania in successfully managing the EU integration process.

The project will support the Government of Albania in its EU accession process by focusing on four key areas:

• Support to the negotiation process: including technical assistance and capacity building support in particular to the office of the Chief Negotiator to conduct the accession process, including compiling negotiating positions, opening/interim/closing benchmarks and regular monitoring of the process. This may include support to developing necessary strategies (such as the National Programme for European Integration), but also technical systems needed for the management of the accession process. Finally, this will also include support to the Government of Albania on the communication of the negotiation process to the public, as well as to civil society and other relevant stakeholders.
• Support to alignment and approximation to the EU: This will entail direct technical assistance support to dedicated ministries and agencies on specific legislation, including support to assessing levels of approximation, legal drafting and implementing relevant measures. It may also include support to socio-economic alignment, as outlined in the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans.
• Support to accelerated integration: The accelerated integration instrument is introduced as a new instrument by European Commission as part of new Enlargement methodology (2020). This will entail direct technical assistance support to dedicated institutions on how to evaluate and benefit from this instrument.
• Support to the implementation, monitoring and reporting on Growth Plan and Reform Agenda: The Government of Albania will embark in the implementation and launch of its reform agenda under the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans. This will require intensive support in the monitoring progress, reporting on reform milestones and handling the overall process.

DAI is looking to recruit Key expert 4: Expert on Growth Plan for the Western Balkans (Replacement)

Key expert 4/Expert on the Growth plan will support the beneficiary in the implementation, monitoring and reporting on the Growth Plan in Albania.

Qualifications and skills

• University Degree in economics, international trade, business regulatory systems, public administration and policy making or other similar fields, or, in its absence, professional experience of minimum 5 years in the sector of market and growth economics, SMEs, European single market studies, EU policies, EU law, in addition to the minimum general professional experience required;
• Fluency in written and spoken English.

General professional experience

• Minimum 8 years of professional experience in the sectors of EU policies, EU reforms, policy-making and integration processes.

Specific professional experience

• At least 5 years of experience in supporting the implementation of reforms in EU member states or candidate countries through the delivery of programmes under EU financial
  instruments (EU external action assistance, Union Programmes, EU structural and cohesion funds, RRP, or other EU instrument);
• Experience in implementing, monitoring and reporting on EU external action policies and funding instruments, including EU budget support programmes;
• Experience in supporting Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF) initiatives.

Starting date: ASAP after EUD approval

Input/Duration of the assignment: Part-time, till Jan 2028

Location: The normal place of posting for key experts is Tirana. Travel within Albania may be necessary.

Interested candidates shall send their CV in English asap, not later than 31 December 2025!

All experts must be independent and free from conflicts of interest in the responsibilities they take on.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted!