FERİYA AKÇAY
Senior R&D Project Specialist | Project Manager
Ankara
Summary
Senior Project Management and R&D professional with more than 8 years of proven experience delivering national and international grant-funded programs, including EU and foreign donor-funded projects (Horizon Europe/H2020, ITEA, FRIT, IPA) and national R&D initiatives. Skilled in end-to-end proposal development and tender support (consortium building, partner coordination, call compliance) and in managing project implementation from planning to close-out. Strong track record in donor compliance, technical and financial reporting, work package/deliverable delivery, and stakeholder coordination across multi-partner environments.
Overview
11
11
years of professional experience
3
3
Languages
Work History
Senior R&D Project Expert
ARD Group Informatics
07.2025 - 02.2026
- Led and delivered technical and financial reporting for TÜBİTAK, ITEA and Horizon-funded R&D projects, ensuring full compliance with donor requirements and effective communication of results to stakeholders.
- Acted as International and National Coordinator in multi-partner projects, overseeing cross-border collaboration, aligning scope, timelines, budgets and deliverables, and ensuring milestone-based execution.
- Directed work package planning and monitoring, tracking performance against project baselines and proactively managing risks to maintain on-time delivery.
- Led international funding proposal preparation (Horizon Europe, ITEA, TÜBİTAK), including call analysis, consortium building, partner coordination, budget structuring and compliance alignment.
- Contributed to strategic opportunity scouting and funding pipeline development by analysing new calls and supporting business development activities.
Project Management Consultant
ANKON Consulting
11.2022 - 07.2025
- Coordinated EU/WB/IFI technical assistance projects, driving on-time deliverables and donor-compliant implementation.
- Led and coordinated end-to-end project management activities across a portfolio of 16 projects, ensuring delivery, compliance, and stakeholder coordination.
- Managed contracts and workflows for experts/suppliers; acted as focal point for Contracting Authorities, beneficiaries, and project teams.
- Tracked budgets, timesheets, and invoicing; produced financial reports, budget revisions, and cost justifications for approvals.
- Tracked project progress and updates and monitored deliverables, milestones and issues for accurate reporting.
- Developed comprehensive project plans with detailed timelines, budgets, and resource allocation for successful execution.
Interpreter (Short-term)
ANKON / Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry
11.2023 - 11.2023
- Delivered consecutive interpretation for review meetings, ensuring accurate communication and confidentiality.
Junior Consultant
ANKON Consulting
10.2021 - 11.2022
- Supported portfolio monitoring and timely submission of technical/activity reports against contractual deadlines.
- Coordinated meetings/events and maintained documentation and filing systems to support delivery.
- Optimized operational workflows through process improvement initiatives, driving cost reductions for clients.
Freelance English Interpreter / Writer
Freelance
10.2020 - 10.2021
- Provided English interpretation and content production for multiple clients.
Community Center Manager
MSYD/ASRA
10.2019 - 10.2020
- Led overall operations of a refugee-focused Community Center, managing a team of 25 staff and overseeing programme implementation, partner coordination, budget tracking and donor-compliant reporting.
- Supervised a team of staff and volunteers, providing guidance, training, and support for optimal performance in their roles.
- Managed daily operations efficiently, including staff scheduling, budgeting, and overseeing facility maintenance.
- Worked in collaboration with multidisciplinary teams and with community partners.
- Ensured compliance with local regulations and policies related to safety and accessibility throughout the facility.
- Developed strategic plans for future growth and expansion of center offerings based on ongoing assessment of community needs.
- Established strong relationships with key stakeholders including local government officials, businesses, schools, nonprofits, ensuring ongoing collaboration for mutual benefit.
- Monitored program performance and outcomes for successful delivery of services.
Disaster Management Officer & IFRC Focal Point
Turkish Red Crescent
03.2015 - 06.2019
- Maintained Turkiye Disaster Response Plan and operational plans; produced contingency plans and annual/semi-annual activity reports.
- Served as IFRC focal point and supported national exercises, preparedness trainings, and proposal development (incl. Horizon 2020).
- Conducting EU HORIZON 2020 Project Proposals, Project design, Project writing and all Project related processes.
- Managed high-performing teams, fostering a culture of accountability and open communication that ultimately led to better project outcomes.
Border Relief Officer
Turkish Red Crescent (Syria Crisis Office)
07.2015 - 10.2015
- Managed cross-border relief operations; drafted and managed a UN OCHA-funded project with routine reporting and field monitoring.
- Developing team communications and information sharing, take on institutional representation for meetings with other NGOs working for Syrian Beneficiaries in Gaziantep
- Daily, weekly, and monthly reporting of Syrian Border relief activities for Head Office
- Conduct field monitoring visits to ensure action plans set out by the program team are followed at the Syrian border gates in neighbouring provinces.
Education
B.A. - Political Science and Public Administration
Middle East Technical University (METU)
Ankara12-2014
Skills
- Project & Agile Management: Jira Cloud, Scrum, Kanban, Azure DevOps
- Data Analysis & Management: SPSS, Atlasti, Kobo, SAP (Budget Tracking)
- AI & Generative Tools: Generative AI Platforms, AI-Powered Productivity Tools
- Collaboration & Cloud Platforms: Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Drive, Forms, Meet), SharePoint, Office 365, EBYS
- Design & Presentation: Canva, Interactive Presentations (Prezi), Advanced Microsoft PowerPoint
- Customer service
Websites
Trainings - Certification Programmes
- February 2026, Atlassian Agile Project Management Professional Certificate, LinkedIn Learning, Atlassian
- February 2026, Agile Project Management with Jira Cloud: 3 Advanced Topics, LinkedIn Learning, PMI Registered Education Provider
- February 2026, Scrum: The Basics, LinkedIn Learning, PMI Registered Education Provider
- February 2026, Agile Foundations, LinkedIn Learning, PMI Registered Education Provider
- January 2026, Generative AI for Business Analysts, LinkedIn Learning, PMI Registered Education Provider
- December 2025, Data-Driven Decisions in Business Operations, LinkedIn Learning, PMI Registered Education Provider
- December 2018, International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Training - ICRC & Canadian Red Cross, Ankara - Türkiye
- June 2018, Cash Transfer Programming Training & Workshop- British Red Cross and IFRC, Ankara - Türkiye
- May 2018, EU Civil Protection Mechanism & Improving the Disaster and Emergency Management System Project Training, EU & AFAD, İstanbul- Türkiye
- January 2016, Project Cycle Management (PCM) Training, Ankara — EU Academy
- EU Green Week (13-17 May 2019) Events: EU HORIZON2020, Brussels & Gent& Leuven - Belgium
- March 2019, EU HORIZON2020 Securing Societies Info Day & Brokerage Event II, Brussels -Belgium
- February 2019, EU HORIZON2020 Securing Societies Info Day & Brokerage Event I, Brussels -Belgium
- January 2019, EU HORIZON 2020 Securing Societies Info Day II, Leuven, Belgium
- October 2019, Disaster Management Coordinators and Flood Preparedness Simulation Meeting, Lozen -Bulgaria
- April 2018, Serena3 HORIZON 2020 Securing Societies European Info Day and Brokerage Event, Brussels –Belgium
- April 2017, Annual IFRC National Societies Meetings of Restoring Family Links (RFL), Oslo-Norway Family Links (RFL), Oslo-Norway
- April 2016, Annual IFRC Restoring Family Links (RFL) Conference, Sarajevo — Bosnia, and Herzegovina
OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATIONION
Publications:
- The Sphere Project Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Humanitarian Response, 2015 Edition
- International Translation (worked as translator)
Timeline
Senior R&D Project Expert
ARD Group Informatics
07.2025 - 02.2026
Interpreter (Short-term)
ANKON / Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry
11.2023 - 11.2023
Project Management Consultant
ANKON Consulting
11.2022 - 07.2025
Junior Consultant
ANKON Consulting
10.2021 - 11.2022
Freelance English Interpreter / Writer
Freelance
10.2020 - 10.2021
Community Center Manager
MSYD/ASRA
10.2019 - 10.2020
Border Relief Officer
Turkish Red Crescent (Syria Crisis Office)
07.2015 - 10.2015
Disaster Management Officer & IFRC Focal Point
Turkish Red Crescent
03.2015 - 06.2019
B.A. - Political Science and Public Administration
Middle East Technical University (METU)