Project Associate – Western Balkans

The Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD) is a private diplomacy organisation founded on the principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence. Its mission is to help prevent, mitigate and resolve armed conflict through dialogue and mediation. HD operates in more than 40 countries with more than 300 staff. HD is currently looking for a:

Project Associate – Western Balkans

Location: Kosovo

Starting date:  15 July 2025, consulting contract

HD’s Western Balkan project aims to promote a negotiated solution to the normalization of relations between the Governments of Serbia and Kosovo, and among ethnic communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as broader regional stability. The project combines social media dialogue in Kosovo and between Kosovo and Serbia, cyber dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia (and in the entire region), environmental social audits in Kosovo, conducting policy dialogues and organizing a Citizens’ Assembly in Bosnia-Herzegovina on EU Key Priority #5 for the Government’s eventual accession to the EU.  The project aims to advance hybrid diplomacy on regional security arrangements, and to assist in internal, inter-ethnic dialogues, and building support for the government-led negotiating teams by opposition, civil society and others.  

The Project Associate will support the operations and key activities of the Western Balkan project, which is housed within HD’s Eurasia Directorate and working in close collaboration with the Digital Conflicts Directorate, which includes programmes on cyber mediation and social media and disinformation. It serves as a specialised unit within HD working to reduce the conflict risks posed by new technologies through dialogue and mediation.  The Associate will support the Western Balkans program in all its activities supporting European security architecture, environmental social audits and other dialogues, building consensus among government opposition and civil society, strengthening ties between ethnic communities and organizing a citizens’ assembly in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Key deliveries are:

• Conduct background and desk research.
• Provide summaries from Chatham House style and other meetings.
• Support the HD Centre in establishing and maintaining contacts with Government, business, civil society and other groups.
• Support in organizing meetings with the parties in Kosovo, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and elsewhere in the region.
• Support the redaction of financial and program reports.

The successful candidate should meet the following criteria:

• Minimum of 3-4 years’ experience in a similar function in peace and conflict, disarmament, diplomacy, technology policy or a related area.
• Experience working on diplomacy and/or policy on cyber, social media and environmental policies.
• Experience working in varied diplomatic settings is desired, and in the Balkans.
• Experience with minorities.
• Commitment to conflict resolution, peace-making and related humanitarian issues.
• Very strong writing and analytical skills, including the ability to capture complex issues in a concise form.
• Excellent organisational skills.
• Relevant university degree, such as in peace and conflict studies, international relations, technology policy or a related field.
• Excellent English, Albanian and Serbian skills (written and oral); other regional languages an asset.

The consultant should be able to work from Kosovo and travel regionally.

If you are interested in this position and meet the above criteria, please send your CV along with a short cover letter in a single PDF file to hrgeneva@hdcentre.org by 15 July 2025 Please indicate “Project Associate Western Balkan ” in the subject line of your e-mail.

HD promotes equal opportunities in employment.

For more information, please visit: www.hdcentre.org.