Civil Society Lead (Programme co-Manager)

Request for Expression of Interest 

People in Need Moldova needed a Civil Society Lead (Programme co-Manager) 

Organization - People in Need  

Job Title – Civil Society Lead (Programme co-Manager) 

Duty station – Chișinău 

Salary range – 41.800,00 - 44.520,00 MDL gross 

Based on the assessment of the candidate's knowledge, skills, abilities and previous experience. 

Application Deadline – January 12, 2026, by COB. 

Education & Work Experience  

Qualification: 

  • Master’s degree in Development Studies, International Relations, Human Rights, Public Administration or other relevant field .  

  • minim. 7 years of of professional experience working with and supporting civil society in Moldova; 

  • minim. 3 years of experience in senior leadership roles, including programme, portfolio, or organisational leadership; 

  • Proven experience managing large-scale, complex, multi-partner projects, including consortium governance; 

  • Demonstrated experience leading EU-funded projects is a strong requirement; 

  • Extensive background in civil society strengthening, governance, advocacy, community mobilisation, or democratic resilience; 

  • Strong leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and engage stakeholders at all levels; 

  • Deep contextual understanding of Moldovan civil society, governance, and EU integration dynamics; 

  • Strategic thinking and planning abilities, with a focus on aligning program objectives with organizational goals and priorities; 

  • Strong financial, compliance, and risk-management skills; 

  • Proven ability to operate in politically sensitive and high-stakes environments; 

  • Analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify issues, evaluate options, and implement solutions; 

  • Commitment to quality, continuous improvement, and excellence in program delivery; 

  • languages English, Romanian, Russian - Fluent in all aspects  

Type of contract - Employment contract; Full-time work 

Expected Duration of Assignment - 01/02/2026 - 31/01/2027 

Background 

People in Need (PIN) is a Czech non-governmental organization that provides relief aid and development assistance while working to defend human rights and democratic freedom. It is one of the largest reliefs and development organizations in post-communist Europe and has administered projects in 37 countries over the past 30 years. See here for more information about PIN: www.peopleinneed.net. 

From 2009 onwards, PIN has added development programmes to its work in Moldova, building a vision and practices that keep people and communities at the centre of our work. Throughout its presence in the country, PIN has been contributing to the development of following sectors: Sustainable Livelihood and Environment, Social Inclusion and Protection, Good Governance. 

Position overview:   

Civil Society Lead (Programme co-Manager) is a senior leadership role responsible for the strategic, operational, and financial management of major EU-funded civil society programmes in Moldova, including consortium coordination and donor engagement. The position provides strategic leadership across a growing portfolio on civil society and inclusive governance, ensuring coherence, quality delivery, and sustainable expansion of projects and teams. The role requires an experienced professional able to operate confidently at strategic, political, institutional, and donor levels while overseeing complex programme implementation mechanisms.

Duties & Responsibilities: 

  • Hold full strategic, operational, and financial accountability for the delivery of EU-funded civil society programmes. 

  • Provide strategic leadership across the full project cycle, from design and inception to implementation, adaptation, and closure. 

  • Ensure achievement of agreed objectives, indicators, timelines, budgets, and contractual commitments in line with donor requirements. 

  • Establish and lead project governance structures, coordination mechanisms, and consortium management arrangements. 

  • Oversee Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) mechanisms, ensuring transparency, compliance, risk management, and strategic impact. 

  • Identify and manage programme risks through adaptive management and timely mitigation measures. 

  • Ensure sound financial oversight and high-quality narrative and financial reporting to donors. 

  • Act as the senior operational focal point for engagement with the EU Delegation and key institutional partners. 

  • Provide strategic leadership for the integration of FIMI, democratic resilience, media literacy, and civic education components. 

  • Co-lead the Civil Society & Inclusive Governance Programme, ensuring coherence, alignment, and strategic direction across projects. 

  • Strengthen and manage strategic partnerships with CSOs, media, public institutions, and EU stakeholders. 

  • Lead or contribute significantly to programme development, proposal design, and portfolio diversification. 

  • Position the organisation as a credible and influential actor in civil society strengthening, governance, and democratic resilience. 

  • Provide senior leadership to teams, ensuring quality standards, coordination, safeguarding, GESI, accountability, and organisational learning. 

Interested applicants must submit the following: 

  • Cover Letter (in English)  

  • Full CV (in English) 

  • Contacts of three references (could be included the supervisor in the most recent work assignment). 

The above shall be sent to the following address: https://apply.workable.com/people-in-need-2/j/B259F2E149/apply/  

Deadline for applications: January 12, 2026, by COB. 

The applicants will be invited for interviews on a rolling basis. The application process might be stopped earlier if a suitable candidate is identified before the application deadline. 

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for the interview. No phone calls or inquiries are allowed. 

People in Need is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behavior at work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct and committed to promoting the welfare of children and adults with whom People in Need engages /is in contact with. People in Need expects all staff to perform job duties and responsibilities in accordance with People in Need code of conduct and key policies (available at: https://www.peopleinneed.net/key-policies-4142gp). People in Need Staff will undertake the appropriate level of training. 

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks. 

We are committed to ensuring diversity (people from different social and ethnic backgrounds and of different genders, sexual orientations, etc.) within our organization and encourage interested candidates to apply. 

By sending their CV and other documents to the aforementioned link the candidate implicitly consents to their personal data appearing in the CV and such other documents being held and processed by PIN exclusively with the view to analyzing the candidate’s suitability for the position and keeping such data in our files for a reasonable period of time in accordance with the PIN's Data Protection Policy. The candidate can revoke such consent anytime by sending an according notice. Kindly refrain from including any special personal data, whose processing, as per applicable law, requires the express written consent of the subject of such data.