Ref.
2026/KTEP/15103
Job offer type
Experts
Type of contract
Service contract
Deadline date
2026/04/26 23:55
Duration of the assignment
Beaded expertise
Contract
Freelancer
Duration
36 months
Key Expert - Food safety defence and fraud countermeasures – Project “Strengthening Food Safety, Food Defence, and Fraud Measures in the South East and Eastern Europe (SEEE) Region” (M/W)
Département Paix, stabilité, sécurité - P2S > Pôle Prévention, réduction et adaptation aux risques
Published on : 2026/03/26
CONTINENTAL EUROPE
FRANCE
Mission description
Important notice: This position is part of a proposal submitted in response to a European Union call for tenders. At this stage, the project is not yet confirmed and remains subject to contract award.
Under the responsibility of Expertise France and the Project team Leader, the Food safety defence and fraud countermeasures Expert will contribute to strengthening technical and operational capacities related to food safety, food defence, and food fraud prevention in the SEEE region.
The Expert will play a key role in analysing existing technical systems and capacities (including laboratories, detection tools, and control mechanisms), identifying gaps, and proposing recommendations aligned with EU and international standards. He/she will contribute to the development of practical guidelines and operational tools to improve risk assessment, preparedness, and response to food safety incidents.
The Expert will be actively involved in the design and delivery of capacity-building activities, including the development of training programmes, train-the-trainer approaches, and the
organisation of simulation and tabletop exercises on food safety crisis management, food defence, and food fraud scenarios.
In addition, the Expert will support the development of concrete response tools such as food defence and food fraud plans, and contribute to strengthening coordination among authorities, laboratories, and other stakeholders involved in food safety control.
Overall, the expert will help enhance the technical readiness and operational effectiveness of partner countries in preventing, detecting, and responding to food safety risks and fraud incidents.
The Expert will be engaged throughout the entire project implementation period (indicatively 36 months), on a part-time, intermittent basis. The assignment shall be primarily homebased. Regular travel to the countries of implementation will be required throughout the duration of the project.
Project or context description
The project, titled “Strengthening Food Safety, Food Defence, and Food Fraud Measures in the South East and Eastern Europe (SEEE) Region”, aims to:
- Strengthen legal, technical, and operational capacities in food safety, food defence, and food fraud
- Enhance national and regional preparedness to prevent, detect, and respond to food-related risks
- Improve end-to-end food safety control systems across the supply chain
- Foster regional cooperation and information exchange mechanisms
The project is implemented under the EU CBRN Centres of Excellence Initiative, addressing threats to public health, security, and regional stability.
It will be implemented and structured in two phases:
Phase 1: Analysis
- Legal frameworks;
- Technical and operational capacities;
- Regional cooperation mechanisms.
Phase 2: Capacity building
- Training programmes (including Train-the-Trainers);
- Development of plans (Food Defence and Food Fraud);
- Table-top and simulation exercises.
The project covers 10 Partner Countries in the SEEE region (Republic of Albania, the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, Montenegro, the Republic of North Macedonia, the Republic of Serbia, and Ukraine) and involves a wide range of stakeholders, including:
- National authorities (food safety, veterinary, phytosanitary, customs, law enforcement);
- Laboratories and technical institutions;
- Regional and international organisations;
- Private sector actors in the agri-food chain.
The project is characterised by:
- A multi-country and multi-stakeholder environment;
- A high level of technical and institutional complexity;
- Strong requirements in terms of coordination, communication, and flexibility.
Required profile
Qualifications and skills:
- Degree in CBRN, including food safety, veterinary science, food science, agriculture, or a related subject;
- Experience in emergency preparedness;
- Proven experience in food safety crisis management (e.g., identification of and response to food fraud) and drafting of the response plans and supporting simulation exercises in CBRN);
- Fluency in English is mandatory (both written and spoken) - Ability to speak one of the official languages of one or more SEEE countries is an asset;
- Ability to monitor the progress of contract-related activities and reporting;
- Ability to travel with a flexible work schedule;
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
General professional experience:
- At least 10-year relevant experience in one or more CBRN areas related to food safety and quality, such as official food supply chain control systems at the borders and State’s interior, food control policy, governance, policy analysis, food control programme management, food safety risk analysis, food safety defence and fraud; and food control project activities.
Specific professional experience:
- Proven experience as a lecturer and trainer in the food safety, food defense, and fraud fields;
- Proven experience in emergency preparedness in the food safety, food defense, and fraud fields;
- Proven experience in setting up training modules, maybe also experience in creating e-learning modules;
- Working experience in the South East and Eastern Europe region would be considered an asset.
Additional information
All applications must include the following:
- CV ;
- Cover letter ;
- At least two professional references (including contact details);
- Proof of previous experience in similar assignments (e.g. list of projects or portfolio);
- Availability date.
Selection criteria for applications
The selection process for candidates will be based on the following criteria :
- Candidate’s training/skills/experience
- Candidate’s training/diplomas related to the expert assignment
- Candidate’s skills linked with the expert mission
- Candidate’s experiences linked with the expert mission
- Candidate’s expected linguistic understanding
- Assessment of the candidate's skills in the sought-after domain
Deadline for application : 2026/04/26 23:55
File(s) attached : ToR_ KE3_Food safety defence and fraud countermeasures.pdf
Expertise France is the public agency for designing and implementing international technical cooperation projects. The agency operates around four key priorities :
- democratic, economic, and financial governance ;
- peace, stability, and security ;
- climate, agriculture, and sustainable development ;
- health and human development ;
In these areas, Expertise France conducts capacity-building initiatives and manages project implementation, leveraging technical expertise and acting as a project coordinator. This involves combining public sector expertise with private sector skills to drive impactful results.