International Project officer
An international project officer works in the field of international affairs. In this capacity, he/she participates in the definition of strategies and carries out the implementation and the follow-up of actions and procedures related to international cooperation and activities for a given institution or establishment. He/she has a wide area of competence, coordinating and managing one or more projects as well as the relations with the partners involved. He/she is also known as an international relations officer, officer in charge of promoting France abroad, etc.
What does an international project officer do?
- Contributes to watch on international issues and participates in developing the internationalization strategy of the institution that employs him/her, within the limits of the area for which he/she is responsible.
- Participates in the development of international partnerships, in particular through calls for tender which he/she then manages and monitors.
- Contributes to the facilitation, advocacy and communication: writing press releases, digital communication (brochures, website, social networks).
- Promotes the development and manages international cooperation projects: defining objectives, managing multicultural human resources (supervising a team of varying size, solving any disputes, etc.), financial (management control, financial analysis, audit, etc.) and logistics.
- May be required to promote international mobility to specific stakeholders and partners (e.g. students and universities).
What is his/her main know-how?
- Interpersonal skills and diplomacy
- Project management
- Mastery of several languages
- Ability to analyze and summarize
What are his/her main soft skills?
- Organization
The international project officer must be able to anticipate predefined milestones of the ongoing project(s) and to evaluate development opportunities, within the framework of partnerships for example. He/she works within a defined time frame that must be respected.
- Versatility
As part of his/her mission, the international project officer must carry out a wide variety of tasks. He/she is expected to have a very good command of international issues and to be able to communicate in several languages, in addition to the many skills required for project management. - Discipline
The international project officer is required to work with high-level players. In addition, the diversity of tasks for which he/she is responsible requires strong discipline: budget management in particular, as well as project monitoring, to achieve predefined objectives for which he/she will be accountable. - Adaptability
Like any project manager, the international project officer must be able to adapt to any situation and manage any unforeseen events in the development of his/her activities. If he/she is working for a client, he/she must make sure that the client’s requirements are met with all the tools and resources at his/her disposal.
Working environment
International project officers can act and decide in an international context. When in a management position, and depending on the field, the project officer may be required to work in the public sector, for private organizations or in non-governmental organizations (NGOs), in development or humanitarian projects. He/she may work for higher education institutions such as IAE, IEP, or other grandes écoles, or within international organizations. In the context of partnerships, he/she may be required to work for several organizations at the same time.
Career prospects
Salary range for the first job: between 25 and 40 K€ (depending on the sector and the type of organization).
Examples of career moves: the international project manager can specialize in a particular field to become, among others, international marketing project manager, international development manager, international HR project manager, international cultural project manager, etc.
After several years of experience, he/she may be given more responsibility and reach the position of international relations manager or director.
What training course to become an international project manager?
ISIT offers students interested in the profession of international project manager the opportunity to train with our master’s degree in international strategies and diplomacy.