GIZ Albania Vacancy_Advisor-Horizon Europe

Project: EU4Innovation

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) is a federal enterprise that supports the German Government in achieving its objectives in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development.

Project Background

The Action supports the Government of Albania (GoA) in achieving key objectives in the field of economic development, namely, to accelerate the transformation into a more innovation-driven and knowledge-based economy, unlocking its human capital, entrepreneurial as well and research potential and thereby increasing its competitiveness.

The specific objective (outcome) of the Action is: maturity and exposure of the Albanian start-up and innovation ecosystem and its stakeholders are increased. This objective is pursued through activities in four main result areas (outputs).

Output 1 puts capacity development (CD) addressing the start-up and innovation ecosystem at centre stage. Already existing actors and services will be strengthened to deliver qualitative and sustainable services. New public and private actors will be encouraged to enter the Albanian start-up and innovation ecosystem to complement current services. The responsibility for implementation of this output lies with GIZ.

Output 2 will improve access to finance for Albanian start-ups and Innovation Support Organisations (ISOs). As a continuation of the challenge fund managed by Sida during phase 1, the grant scheme will target innovative (i) Micro, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSME) / start-ups and (ii) start-ups with a prominent tech content, with the potential to go global and grow fast. It includes businesses all stages of development (idea, validation, growth, scale-up). Next to that, GIZ will provide grants and capacity development to ISOs. Selected activities in the areas of crowdfunding, angel and equity investment complement this approach on GIZ side.

Output 3 promotes and implements the Quadruple Helix (QH) approach to generate innovation and economic growth. The target group is opened also to younger generations. Paradigmatic activities include green / circular project pilots on community level, awareness raising events and skills development programmes, e.g., via progressively integrating entrepreneurship education into university curricula. The responsibility for implementation of this output lies with GIZ.

Output 4 promotes Albania as a start-up and innovation ecosystem and destination for international and domestic innovators and entrepreneurs. The Action will design awareness raising campaigns and activities to promote key actors within the ecosystem, who can serve as ambassadors and role models. The responsibility for implementation of this output lies with GIZ.

This Multi Donor Action is envisaged to be co-financed by the EU, the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and Sida and implemented by GIZ (output 1-4) and Sida (main part of output 2) between December 2022 to May 2026 (42 months).

??GIZ Office Albania seeks the following staff:

Advisor – Horizon Europe

A.???????Responsibilities

As advisor for Horizon Europe, your key goal is to improve Albania’s performance in Research & Development / Research & Innovation related programs on offer by the European Union. You push the quantity and quality of applications with involvement of Albanian academic institutions or other relevant innovation actors, be it as part of (inter-)national consortia or independently. With your good overview about the EUs R&D/R&I related support programs, you bring Albania’s innovation performance to the next level. Your strong academic background and your dynamic, well-proven professional experience enable you to

-??????Develop, implement and follow-up an intervention strategy to push Albanian academic institutions and other relevant players towards improved performance in the EUs R&D/R&I related support programs,

-??????lead relevant capacity building projects with universities and other research-oriented institutions in Albania,

-??????manage to build and strengthen linkages between Albanian and international academic institutions and coordinate all international activities in output 3,

-??????lead dialogue with relevant actors in the Government of Albania to assign priority and budget for Research & Development / Research & Innovation, i.e. to backup the mandate of relevant institutions with funding & power (e.g. with SASPAC, PMO, MoFE, MoES, NASRI),

-??????support project management to coordinate with EU Directorate General on Research & Innovation on a variety of tasks (e.g. communication, coordination, event management),

-??????co-manage selected university related interventions of the Action that are directly linked to the start-up development stages (with a focus on pre-ideation and ideation),

-??????co-manage selected project approaches that facilitate cooperation between academia, business, public sector, and ideally civil society (both innovative pilots and more structured projects based on previous experience),

-??????act as a gender & C&V focal point in output 3.

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The Advisor performs the following tasks:

A.???????Tasks

·????????You take responsibility to develop a strategy to improve Albania’s performance in EUs R&D/R&I related support programs during the inception phase and the relevant input to the inception report

·????????You work out concepts for more structured engagement of universities in EUs R&D/R&I related support programs incl. capacity development / training

·????????You facilitate dialogue with university management and work out ways to structurally improve international cooperations of Albanian academic institutions

·????????You engage in dialogue with the Government of Albania with the clear mission to assign priority and budget for Research & Development / Research & Innovation, i.e. to backup the mandate of relevant institutions with funding & power (e.g. with SASPAC, PMO, MoFE, MoES, NASRI)

·????????You coordinate relevant contracts, grant agreements, local subsidies and short-term experts in your area of expertise

·????????You coordinate relevant international activities (e.g., cooperation with European entrepreneurial universities, Erasmus + etc.)

·????????You mainstream the topic of European R&D/R&I programs into the overall Action, i.e. into all other outputs 1,2 & 4

·????????You identify role models that serve the Action’s objective as marketable change agents

·????????You set-up, host and follow-up information, networking and similar events to raise awareness for European R&D/R&I programs relevant to Albania

·????????You closely collaborate with the second advisor in output 3 on a variety of tasks

·????????You facilitate close collaboration between output 3 and all other outputs in the Action

·????????You support all coordination tasks and efforts with the EU Directorate General on Research & Innovation

·????????You are M&E / C&V focal point for output 1 delivering needed information to project management and other colleagues when needed

·????????You are always ready to support project staff with event management tasks

·????????You support project management to coordinate events and news with political partners (Ministry of Finance & Economy) as well as implementation partners (e.g. Sida)

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B.????????????Required qualifications, competences and experience:

Qualification

·????????Education/training: University qualification, e.g. in Science Management, Management, Public Administration, Political Science, International Relations, or equivalent

·????????General professional experience: at least 3 years of professional experience in similar position and/or academia/research and/or Research & Development in the private sector, preferably internationally

·????????Languages: Fluent in Albanian, excellent business language skills in English required

Experience

·????????Profound knowledge of European R&D/R&I programs and the regulatory R&D framework in Albania (including national strategies, legal framework, relevant stakeholders, infrastructure and facilities).

·????????Good understanding of the Albanian Academic Landscape and the specifity of some research fields

·????????Proven experience in the facilitation and creation of international networks and twinning/match-making projects, applied knowledge in the field of project management

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?C.?????Contract conditions

·????????Full-time employment

·????????Project office in Tirana

·????????Assignment period: until 31.12.2025

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?Please forward your application until 21st of November 2022, to GIZ Office Albania by

E-Mail: [email protected] including the following information: Application letter, CV in English (Euro Pass format), references.

GIZ wants to increase the proportion of people with disabilities in the company. Therefore, we look forward to receiving appropriate applications!

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for interviews. Short-listed candidates will be asked to bring certified copies of their diplomas and work certificates.

GIZ is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from all interested groups with-out any discrimination!