National Project Coordinator – NOA (DC)

Introduction

The project will support the Labour Inspectorate (LI) and the Occupational Safety and Health Directorate (OSHD) of Serbia through harmonization of occupational safety and health legislation and modernization of training and technical capacities of both institutions. The project presents a continuation of the EU support to the modernisation of the labour inspection and OSH in Serbia, building on the results of the Twinning project “Support to the improvement of the occupational safety and health and labour inspection in the Republic of Serbia” implemented in the period 2019-2021. 

In this context, the project will provide technical advice based on the international labour standards and international best practices, which would allow the OSHD and the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs (MoLEVSA) to draft and adopt a Law on Occupational Injuries and Diseases Insurance that creates incentives to the employers to invest into an improved occupational safety and health of their workforce.

The Project Coordinator will be responsible for the overall coordination of project work to ensure the timely delivery and reporting on project deliverables under the two project components. S/he will have the main role in managing the close collaboration with the project partners including the tripartite ILO constituents in Serbia and the donor.

Reporting lines

The Project Coordinator will report to the DWT/CO Budapest OSH Specialist. S/he will work in consultation with other DWT/CO Budapest specialists where applicable, as well as with the relevant ILO Headquarters Units. The incumbent will work under the overall guidance of the director of the DWT/CO-Budapest, and is expected to closely collaborate with the National Coordinator and the project managers of relevant ILO technical projects in Serbia.
He/she will supervise the work of the Project Administrative Assistant.

Description of Duties

1. Review and analyse the country’s specific development plans and priorities, socioeconomic data, reports and other relevant information. Identify potential technical cooperation areas and provide written analysis on the findings to the Country Director.

2. Work in close collaboration with the labour inspectorate, the occupational safety and health Directorate, the Ministry of Labour, the social partners and the EU Delegation in Serbia  to design and revise project annual work plans, as well as preparation of the budget proposal, considering different approaches and alternative methods, management, problem identification and problem resolution, especially for the parts of the project supporting the institutional and capacity development of constituents, government agencies, line ministries, and social partners. Promote the inclusion of gender equality and non-discrimination in all aspects of the project.

3. Review, verify and analyze work plans, progress and final reports and other data for clarity, consistency and completeness, and monitor the progress of project activities. Follow-up on delayed documents, clarify information, and answer questions about clearance and processing requirements to support successful completion of agreed activities. 

4. Follow-up with relevant technical officers with counterparts in organizations and line ministries at national level, partner and executing agencies, government offices, constituents and in other organizations to expedite implementation and meet targets.

5. Assist in the programming and control of resources of the project, prepare budget estimates and expenditure forecasts by analysing and monitoring situation of resources as compared to planned activities and making recommendations for remedial action. Manage procurement processes according to the ILO rules. Identify problems and propose solutions and actions.

6. Provide programming and administrative support to cooperation activities in the area of Occupational Safety and Health. Actively participate in and provide inputs to support tripartite dialogue for developing legislative frameworks such as the Occupational Injuries and Diseases Insurance Law; facilitate study visits and knowledge transfer activities for stakeholders to understand best practices in OSH systems and frameworks; oversee and coordinate the development and deployment of the E-inspector system, ensuring software procurement, testing, and deployment align with system requirements and stakeholder needs; collaborate closely with IT teams to specify software requirements, manage vendor communication, and oversee wireframe and software development processes to meet the project’s technical standards; support the setup of the electronic registry of OSH professionals, liaising with IT teams, end-users, and stakeholders to ensure smooth implementation, functionality, and ongoing maintenance requirements; provide technical advisory support to stakeholders on policy integration with enhanced IT systems, drawing on EU member states’ best practices for OSH data management and enforcement.

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7. Organize training for labour inspectorates and OSH staff on the use of the enhanced E-inspector system and the electronic registry, ensuring that all relevant personnel understand system functionalities and workflows.

8. Participate in the preparation and conduct of conferences, seminars, workshops, training sessions, and consultative meetings. Speak on behalf of the Project when attending these gatherings alone. Undertake missions to project sites independently or accompanying others.

9. Brief ILO specialists, project experts, associate experts and visiting officials and provide relevant information on project matters. Draft, edit, or translate into local language official correspondence, statements and speeches and other public information materials. 

10. Lead in the preparation of briefs, background information, technical reports and periodic progress reports and statistical data on status of the overall activities of the Project.

11. Perform other duties as may be assigned by the Country Director.
 

Required qualifications

Education

First level University degree in public administration, Occupational Safety and Health, engineering, or related field. Advanced education in occupational safety and health, engineering or systems management would be an advantage.

Experience

At least one year of professional experience at the national level in the area of project management, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. Experience in information systems development and deployment and/or legislative support would be an advantage. Proven experience in working effectively with government bodies in charge of occupational safety and health and with development partners would be an asset.

Technical requirements:

Understanding of OSH and information system development, with experience in coordinating software projects, requirements gathering, and IT vendor management.
– Proficiency in managing IT procurement processes, testing, and end-to-end deployment for information systems.
– Familiarity with data-driven reporting systems and electronic registry management, with the ability to collaborate with IT teams and interpret system specifications.
– Knowledge of OSH frameworks, labour standards, and the legislative processes related to OSH enforcement

Languages

Excellent knowledge of the working language of the duty station and a good knowledge of English.

Competencies

– Knowledge of programme and budget, project administration, and evaluation concepts and procedures, and of the mandate and structure of labour market institutions in Serbia.
– Knowledge of the office’s financial rules and regulations. 
– Good knowledge of the context and challenges for the project areas of expertise.
– Strong analytical skills and ability to justify requirements and approaches to problem resolution, and good drafting skills.
– Good ability to interpret project information and to identify and analyze problems with implementation
– Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing. Ability to clarify information
– Demonstrate collaborative and team work experience and ability to work effectively with a multicultural and interdisciplinary team, as well as to work on his/her own initiative.
– Ability to work independently, quickly, precisely, and take initiative and responsibility.
– Ability to work under pressure and to meet the deadline.
– Ability to communicate technical needs effectively with IT professionals and vendors.
– Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with experience in technical requirement interpretation and issue resolution.
– Excellent written and verbal communication skills
– Ability to manage diverse stakeholders and coordinate IT and policy-oriented project elements seamlessly.
– Ability to deal with people with tact and diplomacy.
– Ability to work in a multicultural environment and gender-sensitive behaviour and attitudes are also required.