Head of Secretariat

Head of Secretariat (HOS)

Prosecutor Vetting Secretariat

Applications due by 18:00 on 26 April 2024 – only shortlisted applicants will be contacted

Background: Global Solutions Ventures (GSV), a joint venture partnership between ZemiTek, LLC and Dexis Consulting Group, seeks qualified candidates for a project vetting Moldovan prosecutors. The project will provide a fully staffed secretariat to support a multi-national Prosecutorial Vetting Commission appointed by the Moldovan Parliament pursuant to Law 252/2023 which entered into frce August 22, 2023.

Position:                    Head of Secretariat (HoS)

Operationally:             The HoS works with a particularly direct and close cooperation with the Chair of the Commission and Secretariat leadership team while also working cooperatively with all                                        members of the Commission and Secretariat as needed for the successful implementation of the technical operational aspects of Prosecutorial Vetting.

Administratively:         The HoS coordinates with GSVs Operations and General Manager (OGM), Program Manager (PM) and International Senior Technical Expert (ISTE) to support GSV                                                contract compliance, proactive human resources performance management, and resource management that maximize the use of USG funding.

Work Environment:  This is an office-based position with limited opportunity for work from home or remote work.

Working Hours:        The standard working hours are Monday-Friday from 09:00 to 18:00 with two 15-minute breaks (morning and afternoon) and a 60-minute break for lunch.

Responsibilities:       The HoS serves as a technical expert providing day-to-day leadership, expertise, and interinstitutional cooperation for the successful implementation of the Prosecutor                                              Vetting Secretariat. The s/he must foster a positive working environment and provide subject matter expertise to the Vetting Commission and Secretariat where needed.                                          The HoS provides direct supervision for certain technical and operational aspects of the implementation of the vetting process.

Phase 1 – Inception Period (months 1 through 3)

• Provide day-to-day leadership for the operations of the Secretariat which may be a team of between 20-25 staff members.
• Assist GSV in the recruitment and onboarding of Secretariat staff.
• Conducting and/or supporting orientation sessions for Secretariat staff.
• Serve as the focal point for external relations of the Secretariat.
• Maintain, and where needed, cultivate relationships with Moldovan institutions, agencies, and entities to ensure full and timely cooperation during all vetting processes.
• In cooperation with the ISTE, support the maintenance and use of a SharePoint platform and prosecutorial vetting library system as the foundation of all technical workflow and records retention platform.
• Support the ongoing process of drafting, review and revision of rules of procedure, evaluation methodologies, and other policies, procedures, and documents required within the vetting process.
• Work collaboratively with the ISTE to draft an Archiving/Records Retention Plan for all vetting records and present it to the Commission.
• Support the ISTE to manage a “case-flow management” structure which defines the core elements of individual case management system that allocates workflow processing in terms of key process steps, estimated average time and a tracking system to identify backlogs and delays.
• Support the implementation of on-going training for the Commission and Secretariat.
• Support the ISTE to conduct a risk assessments for the vetting process and deliver  risk assessment reports to the Commission, Secretariat leadership team, MOJ, Development Partners and their implementers and support the ISTE to update the risk assessment quarterly or more frequently if needed.       

 Phase 2 – Active Vetting Period (months 2 through 12 or 23)

• Provide day-to-day leadership for the operations of the Secretariat which may be a team of between 20-25 staff members.
• Ensure systems of delegation are in place to allow for optimized use of available human and capital resources.
• Assist GSV in the recruitment and onboarding of Secretariat staff.
• Conduct and/or support orientation sessions for Secretariat staff and Commission Members if requested.
• Continue to cultivate and improve relationships with Moldovan institutions, agencies and entities and address all problems that arise via timely and cooperative problem-solving.
• Ensure the Secretariat’s compliance with all relevant laws, rules, and regulations, including those governing the protection of personal data.
• Support GSV, the Commission and ISTE to establish reasonable and attainable case processing timelines and report/decision completion objectives (metrics) as support to the GSV contract compliance.
• Support the implementation of (at a minimum) monthly stakeholder meetings between the Secretariat, Commission, MOJ, Development Partners and their implementers or any combination of the aforementioned.
• Support the ISTE to ensure the implementation of day-to-day tracking of all cases and monthly case-flow management statistical reports for the Commission, GoM stakeholders, Development Partners, and their implementers.
• Along with the ISTE engage in continuous review of the case-flow management system and workflow and support the design of modifications to increase the efficiency and oversee the implementation of all efficiency measures.
• Supervise the day-to-day work of the administrative team (Administrative Assistant, Media and Public Relations Specialist, IT Systems Administrator and Translators) and where needed provide performance coaching and mentoring.
• Provide support to the implementation of the Communications Strategy which should include continuous public information announcements, public legal education on the vetting process and all other transparency measures needed to ensure a well-informed public.
• Contribute to the monthly process to draft GSV required reports on the vetting process and the development partners contract implementation.
• Work collaboratively with the ISTE, GSV Program Manager, and when needed the Commission, to address staff performance issues.
• Oversee the successful planning and implementation of all Commission external or public events such as candidate hearings/interviews, press conferences, media appearances, etc.
• Lead the drafting of the required annual performance report to Parliament and its finalization in close cooperation with the Chair of the Commission.
• Provide comments and feedback on existing or draft legislation, legal frameworks and sub-legal acts when requested.

Phase 3 – Close out / Completion of Vetting Process (month 12 or month 24)

• In cooperation GSV and the ISTE conduct a final evaluation of the program, prepare a comprehensive report summarizing the program’s achievements, challenges, lessons learned and opportunities.
• Facilitate the transfer of the knowledge and skills to relevant stakeholders, including local and international partners to ensure that the positive impact of the program can be sustained beyond its closure.
• Ensure a feedback (lessons learned) session with team members, stakeholders, and beneficiaries is conducted.
• Support the process to document lessons learned and best practices in a public report to inform future programs on vetting and enhance organizational knowledge.
• Ensure that a final risk assessment is conducted to identify any lingering risks or potential issues that could affect the program even after closure.
• Support ISTE and GSV in conducting inventory of program assets.
• Support ISTE and GSV in organizing and archiving all program-related documents.

 Minimum Requirements:

• University degree in law.
• A minimum of 7 years of broad, progressively responsible professional experience in rule of law, anti-corruption, criminal justice reform – those with direct vetting experience of either judges or prosecutors will be given preference.
• Proven ability to lead a large team in a high-paced, quality-driven environment.
• Skilled communicator both orally and in writing, strong background in report writing.
• Demonstrated experience in organizational development, establishing and implementing operational policies and procedures.
• Demonstrated experience in working with government bodies or international organizations engaged in justice sector reform with an emphasis in vetting and/or integrity checks.
• Fluency in English and Romanian, and those with Russian, Dutch, or Lithuanian language skills will be given preference.

 Disqualifying factors:

• Current or past work in the Moldovan prosecution system, in any role.
• Status as a candidate prosecutor.
• Status as a student at the NIJ.

Applicants are advised that job offers are contingent upon the following:

• GSV receipt of a complete application packet as defined below.
• Passing a background check conducted by the relevant Moldovan authorities.
• GSV receipt of three positive professional reference checks (recommendation letters will not be accepted and should not be submitted)
• Those offered employment may not engage in any other form of employment, consultancy, or other categories of work during the contract period.

To apply qualified candidates should submit the following to: moldovajobs@dexisonline.com 

•  A current CV in ENGLISH.
• A cover letter in ENGLISH that defines how you meet the minimum requirements.
• A list of three professional references including name, position title, organization, mobile number, email address and relationship to the candidate. Please note that reference letters will not be considered.
• A declaration stating the applicant has no family or close personal contacts that have worked, or are currently working, within the prosecutorial system in any role or a listing of the family members and close personal contacts that have worked, or are working, in the prosecutorial system.
• A copy of the national ID and/or passport photo page.
• Completion of the consent to background check form provided below.