KEY EXPERT ON ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IN ALBANIA - CEJ CONVERGENCE PROJECT (M/W)

Expertise France is the public agency for designing and implementing international technical cooperation projects. The agency operates around four key priorities : - democratic, economic, and financial governance ;- peace, stability, and security ;- climate, agriculture, and sustainable development ;- health and human development ;In these areas, Expertise France conducts capacity-building initiatives and manages project implementation, leveraging technical expertise and acting as a project coordinator. This involves combining public sector expertise with private sector skills to drive impactful results.  In the framework of the project Climate Environmental Justice Convergence in the Western Balkans, financed by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), Expertise France (EF) is looking for a Key Expert on Environmental Justice working in Albania. General description of the position :  The Key Expert on Environmental Justice will be responsible for the implementation of Project activities directed to Albanian justice institutions (Component 1). He / she will work under the direct management of the Team Leader (‘TL’) to : Conduct analysis, assessments, develop guidelines, tools, recommendations and other deliverables foreseen in the work plan;-  Liaise with Albanian justice institutions and stakeholders and ensure their involvement in the Project implementation;-  Draft terms of reference, conduct the recruitment, in collaboration with the TL and the FAO, and coordinate the short-term national experts; work in collaboration with the team of short term international expert;- Organise activities, such as round tables, trainings, meetings, workshops, in collaboration with the TL and the Financial and Administrative Officer (‘FAO’);- Update the work plan and closely monitor its implementation.- Report to TL on conducted activities and ensure their quality and timeliness with reference to the workplan; - Assist the TL and monitoring and evaluation expert to monitor component 1 results, outcomes and impact, including through the collection of data to update related indicators;- Perform other duties related to the Project such as detailed in purchase orders.  In particular, the Key Expert on Environmental Justice will be directly contributing to :  Component 1 - Access to environmental justiceThis component is working on improving access to environmental justice in the 3 countries of the Western Balkans : Albania, North Macedonia and Montenegro. The work of the Legal Trainer would be to directly contribute to the implementation of the following activities in Albania : Activity 1.1. Improving common understanding, coordination and governance of justice in the field of environment in Albania. The work will mostly consist in drawing lessons from the needs assessment and contribute to the preparations and delivering of the findings and recommendations to the judiciaries during the National Roundtable and the Regional event on environmental justice.Activity 1.2. Strengthening the capacities of legal professionals in the field of environmental justice in Albania. The work will consist of develop training modules, designing and delivering a need driven Training of Trainers Package, and develop tools for legal professionals in close cooperation with the International Experts and the targeted responsible institutions. Activity 1.3. Improving environmental justice reporting channels, legal remedies, their coordination and public accessibility. The work would consist of drafting and implementing activities which would assist the Justice stakeholders in Albania to improve environmental justice. The CEJ Convergence Project seeks to improve access to justice and effectiveness of public participation in the field of environmental justice, thereby contributing to convergence towards European standards in Albania, North Macedonia and Montenegro. More particularly, the Action will support the three countries for EU accession through the alignment of their national frameworks to the Aarhus Convention standards on access to environmental justice, which was officially integrated into EU standards in 2006.  The Action will be structured around 3 components :

• The first component (Component 1) will be dedicated to the improvement of access to justice on climate and environmental matters.
• The second component (Component 2) will be dedicated to the improvement of citizen participation on climate and environmental matters.
• The third component (Component 3) will focus on the implementation of grants for civil society organizations. The Key Expert on Environmental Justice will be based in Tirana, Albania, during the implementation of the CEJ project. He / she will work under the supervision of the Team Leader and in close collaboration with the Project Manager from Expertise France (EF) in accordance with the project specifications. Knowledge and Skills : Higher education (at least Master’s Degree or equivalent) in Law. A specialized Degree on Environmental Law would be an asset;Training and research skills;Critical thinking and synthesizing skills;Good English writing and speaking skills;Ability to organize, coordinate and draft the various documents required;  Good command of IT and communication tools (word processing, presentation, etc.);Excellent verbal and written communication skills and ability to work as part of a team (adaptability to a multicultural environment essential);Adaptability to changing circumstances, priorities, and requirements during the mission. General Professional Experience : - At least 5 years of experience working on Albanian environmental justice;- At least 5 years of experience working on environmental justice cases or projects from a legal point of view;- Proven experience working with international projects in the justice sector in Albania;- Proven experience in training in the judiciary. Specific Professional Experience : - Deep understanding of Albanian and EU law with particular knowledge of environmental disputes and procedures;- Deep understanding of the environmental justice system and its needs in the Albania;- A previous experience in environmental Justice training design and delivering in Albania would be an asset. Estimated starting date : February / March 2025Estimated finishing date : October 2026Duration : Maximum 155 daysPosition : Key Expert on Environmental Justice in AlbaniaApplications should include a CV and a cover letter. Deadline for submissions : 3 / 2 / 2025  Framework contract for and overall maximum duration of 155 days – with specific deliverables to be set in subsequent purchase orders.