Job vacancy: Russian-speaking Programme Manager

CCB • January 19, 2021

Temporary position for approx.1 year with start in May 2021.

Background

The Programme “Creating and sustaining positive change in key thematic areas related to water – strengthening the role of NGOs and civil society in Belarus and Russia”, supported by Sida, builds on a long-term vision that strong public demand for participation in water resources protection and management will lead to positive policy changes and an improved system of long-term public engagement in decision-making processes. The Programme interventions are based on a strong and active civil society, which plays a key role in creating and sustaining positive changes in the water-related practices and governance. The Programme promotes the work and activities of local NGOs, which are the key part in local civil society through their capacity building and technical support.


Job description

The primary function of a Programme manager is to make sure the Programme runs smoothly. Assistance in coordination of Sida funded environmental Programme in Belarus and Russia, focused on promotion of sustainable water management and capacity building implemented by local environmental NGOs, partners and experts in two countries.


On a day-to-day basis, Programme manager key responsibilities will typically involve maintaining Programme documentation, such as plans and reports; assigning tasks and controlling schedules; communicating the Programme’s goals, progress, results to team members, partners and other stakeholders, managing the Programme’s budget and reporting (to CCB Board and the donor).


These tasks require a flair for time management, excellent communication and organisational skills.


Programme manager responsibilities

Coordination

  • Handling holistic administration and coordination for the Programme, providing administrative support to management.
  • Ensuring all parts of an assigned Programme are processed, organized, and progressing according to predetermined timelines and deliverable dates
  • Assisting and supporting the Programme director.
  • Designing and controlling the Programme schedule.
  • Ensuring deadlines are met.
  • Assisting in assigning tasks to relevant parties and check in for status updates.
  • Delegating tasks to team members in Belarus and Russia.
  • Initiating, organising and attending Programme and stakeholder meetings.
  • Organising Programme meetings and ensuring proper documentation and recording.
  • Tracking and communicating Programme risks and opportunities.
  • Analysing Programme progress and, when necessary, adapting scope, timelines, and costs to achieve planned results.
  • Coordinating internal and external resources, ensuring implementation within scope, schedule, and defined budgets for the overall Programme level and for each individual partner.
  • Supporting partners and management team with capacity building activities related to planning, reporting and monitoring.


Communication

  • Initiating and supporting commutation activities to update donor, management, board and other stakeholders on the Programme’s progress and success stories.
  • Administrating external and internal communication for the Programme.
  • Liaising with partners to determine the Programme’s objectives.
  • Facilitating contacts between Programme partners and the CCB Network.
  • Preparing information for media and social media about the Programme.
  • Acting as a point of communication between Programme and external actors.


Financial issues

  • Following up regularly on financial reporting and Audit requirements according to the agreements for both the CCB’s financial officer and for Programme partners who might need assistance
  • Tracking Programme budget and have a good picture of financial picture of the Programme implementation.
  • Handling financial queries.
  • Supporting preparation and approving of budgets for partners’ agreements. 
  • Being able to provide financial overview for the Programme and spending.
  • Compiling financial report for the Programme.
  • Controlling and administrating contacts with local auditors


Reporting

  • Following up on Programme activities with partners related to relevant indicators and fulfilment of Programme goals and objectives.
  • Reporting Programme outcomes and/or risks to the appropriate management channels as needed—escalating issues as necessary based on work plans.
  • Developing and improving reporting routines and templates for partners
  • Collecting partner reports (narrative and financial) and compiling joint reports for the Programme.
  • Supporting monitoring expert(s) and jointly developing monitoring report for the Programme with clear links to the fulfilment of the Programme objectives.


Logistics

  • Initiating, supporting and being responsible for arrangements for the meetings and events on the Programme level including accommodation and travels related to Programme implementation


Skills and Qualifications

  • At least Bachelor’s degree in related field.
  • 3+ years’ project management experience.
  • Computer proficiency in MS Word, Power Point and Excel.
  • Russian and English language fluency (reading, writing, speaking).
  • Strong verbal and presentation skills.
  • Professional certifications in Project management are of additional merit.


Personality

  • Diplomatic
  • Resilient
  • Tactful


Job place and working conditions:

This full-time, but time limited position will play a critical role in the CCB International Secretariat’s, with a focus on Eastern European work of the Coalition Clean Baltic and its 24 NGO member organizations advocating across the Baltic Sea catchment. You will work closely with the team in Uppsala to ensure effective implementation of CCB’s projects and initiatives.


As soon as current travel restrictions will be lifted, some travel will be necessary in relation to the Programme. You may also need to be able to participate in occasional meetings on weekends, since the network consists partly of volunteers who dedicate their spare time to environmental activism.


Salary comparable to NGO staff in Sweden and in accordance with the Collective Agreements of the respective Unions.


Location: CCB’s office is located Uppsala, Sweden, but remote work is possible even after the pandemic restrictions are lifted.


It is expected that you would start from 1 May 2021 at the latest.


How to send us your CV and motivational letter

Should you be interested in applying for this position please send you CV with a motivational letter by 1 March 2021 to secretariat@ccb.se.


Likewise, any inquiries related to this vacancy announcement should be forwarded to the above email or by phone to Executive Secretary Mikhail Durkin at +46 739 770 793.

COP30 brings ocean and water to the center of climate policy

By CCB • December 5, 2025
In Belém, in the heart of the Amazon, the 2025 UN Climate Change Conference COP30 immediately set the bar high. In his opening speech, Brazilian President Lula da Silva stressed that climate change is no longer a "threat to the future", but a tragedy that the world is already experiencing here and now, and called on countries to accelerate actions rather than limit themselves to promises. However, as is often the case in COP meetings, the political reality turned out to be more complicated than ambitions. Negotiations were difficult: the countries could not agree on a clear and binding plan to phase out fossil fuels. It is important to note that the Global Action Plan has provided a platform for discussing the development of a roadmap for phasing out fossil fuels, the main driver of climate change. At the same time, COP30 has brought tangible progress in other areas: the countries agreed to triple the amount of adaptation funding for developing countries by 2035, strengthened the forest and ocean agenda, and expanded the range of practical initiatives under the Action Agenda . COP30 consolidated the trend: from "water at the center of the climate crisis" to a holistic ocean agenda closely related to energy, food, biodiversity and sustainable coastal development. From the COP29 Water Declaration to the COP30 Enhanced Ocean Water Program At COP29 in Baku, the Declaration on Water for Climate Action was adopted , with the aim to applying comprehensive approaches to combating the causes and consequences of climate change for water basins, emphasizing also the need to integrate water-related mitigation and adaptation measures into national climate policies, including Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs). COP30 did not reverse this logic, but expanded it towards the ocean and coasts. Both processes "aquatic" and "oceanic" are moving in the same direction: integration of water, coasts and ocean into the climate plans of countries; development of nature-based solutions; strengthening transboundary management of water and marine systems; recognizing adaptation as an equal part of climate policy, rather than an "adjunct" to emissions reduction. Task Force on Oceans and the Blue NDC Challenge The international Task Force on Oceans , led by Brazil and France, was officially presented at the high-level ministerial meeting "From Ambition to Implementation: Delivering on Ocean Commitments" on 18 November, integrating oceans into a global mechanism to accelerate the incorporation of marine solutions into national climate plans. The Blue Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) Challenge encourages countries to set ocean protection targets when updating their NDCs. The goal is to transition the Blue NDC Challenge into an Implementation Task Force. Members of the Blue NDC Challenge, currently 17 countries, can adopt a broad set of actions aimed at the protection and sustainable use of the oceans.These measures include the sustainable management, conservation, and restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems, supported by tools such as marine spatial planning, integrated coastal zone management, and climate-aligned marine protected areas. Countries are also encouraged to support sustainable and climate-resilient fishing and aquaculture, ensuring ocean health and long-term food security. B razil has set a clear example: its updated NDC includes a separate chapter on the ocean and coastal zones. For the first time, the national climate plan (Plano Clima) until 2035 includes a thematic adaptation plan for these areas. Priorities include the completion of national Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) by 2030 and major programs for the conservation and restoration of mangroves and coral reefs (ProManguezal, ProCoral).

Pathway to Tox-Free Living: Policy and Action

By CCB • November 24, 2025
Leading scientists, consumer advocates and policymakers gathered on November, 18th in Brussels for the conference "From Evidence to Policy: Toward a Tox free Living Environment" . They warned that exposure to Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals in homes and consumer products represents a silent but severe public health and economic crisis. New findings presented to over 65 participants by the EU Baltic Sea Interreg project NonHazCity3 , LIFE ChemBee and the ToxFree LIFE for All projects as well as revealed widespread contamination of European households by complex chemical mixtures of hormone system disrupting substances (so called endocrine disrupters – EDCs) that contribute to chronic disease and impose enormous health costs. According to the key note speaker Dr. Aleksandra Rutkowska, the home environment is a significant source of exposure to EDCs through indoor air, dust and daily contact with common products. Current research links such exposure to a shocking amount of lifestyle diseases including 22 cancer outcomes, 18 metabolic disorder outcomes and 17 cardiovascular disease outcomes. Scientists also stressed that the crisis spans generations. EDCs trigger epigenetic changes that not only affect today’s population but also future children and even grandchildren. Other effects include reproduction disorders. Over the last decade, 150 million babies were born preterm, and evidence shows that reducing the use of plastics by half could cut the risk of preterm birth by half as well.