Advisor for Data-Driven Labour Market Approaches

The Sustainable Economic Development (SED) Cluster of GIZ Ukraine comprises various projects implemented on behalf of the German government supporting Ukraine to develop a resilient and competitive economic sector. Partners of the projects are Ukrainian ministries on the national level, administrations on regional level, stakeholders on the municipal level, and private sector companies. 

The “JobConnect” project supports the Ukrainian Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture (MoEEA), the Ministry of Social Policy, Family and Unity (MoSPFU) and the State Employment Service (SES) in developing an integrated, digital and data-driven labour market approach that complies with EU standards, at the interface with social policy. This is achieved through (1) better coordination of labour market and social policy (and stakeholders), including EU requirements, and capacity building for partners; managing the Secretariat of the Gender Alliance; (2) strengthening, modernising and integrating relevant labour market institutions in line with EU frameworks, in particular the SES; and (3) testing digital and data-driven approaches. “JobConnect” is being implemented for integrated delivery by a cross-project team in conjunction with the SIGA project “REYOIN”. REYOIN enhances the employability of the working-age population in Ukraine through active labour market policy measures and support for labour market policy processes, particularly at the (4) local level in selected regions (Lviv, Vinnytsia, Dnipro, Odesa, Ivano Frankivsk) and with regard to SES services. Implementation takes place in close cooperation with the World Bank and other international organisations.

As Advisor for Data-Driven Labour Market Approaches you will be supporting the project's portfolio of data-driven innovation activities. You identify, design and coordinate pilot initiatives together with institutional partners and external contractors, build partnerships between rele-vant stakeholders, and ensure that innovation approaches are implemented in a target group-oriented and EU-compliant manner. You work in close coordination with the project's other work streams and bring in your data-expertise, e.g. in the digitalization of labour market ser-vices. You will be working as part of a team of international and national experts (GIZ and ex-ternal ones) in a sensitive and complex environment which is highly dynamic.

This position foresees demand-based travel to implementation partners and stakeholders with-in Ukraine as well as occasional travel to EU countries.

Key responsibilities:

• Develop and manage the project's portfolio of data-driven innovation pilots, working with institutional partners (e.g. SES) to identify priority areas, define pilot designs and ensure that results are documented and fed back into policy and service development, with the pilots being informed by academic and practitioners’ debates on innovative data usage in Public Employment Services.
• Coordinate and manage relationships with implementing partners, contractors and institutions involved in data-driven innovation activities, ensuring quality, coherence and alignment with project objectives,
• Facilitate the establishment of data cooperation arrangements between relevant institutions, supporting inter-institutional data sharing, joint analysis and the development of shared analytical capabilities,
• Accompany the conceptual development of a labour market information system together with institutional partners, including clarification of institutional mandates, data governance requirements and linkages to existing systems,
• Support analytical capacity development within partner institutions (e.g. SES staff on HQ, regional, local-level) through training, peer learning, and the development of practical tools and formats for data-related topics (e.g. data-driven decision-making),
• Ensure that all innovation approaches piloted under the project meet relevant EU standards, including data protection requirements and principles for the responsible use of data and artificial intelligence,
• Build and maintain a network of relevant stakeholders within Ukraine and in EU Member States in the field of data-driven labour market governance, including European PES, research institutions and international organisations, and ensure knowledge exchange between the project and these partners, 
• Document pilot results, lessons learned and good practices, and contribute to project monitoring, reporting and knowledge management,
• Support the line-management with the development, strategic direction, management and successful implementation of (3), to ensure coherence between digital process development and broader reform processes in labour market policy and social protection as other work streams of REYOIN / JobConnect, 
• Preparation of terms of reference, procurement and steering of external service providers and other implementing partners,
• Establish, maintain and ensure excellent communication flows based on mutual confidence and trust with all relevant stakeholders in Ukraine and the EU,
• Ensure timely preparation of briefing materials, presentations, analytical notes, and reporting documents for internal and external stakeholders,

Support the preparation of workshops, high-level meetings, consultations, donor coordination formats, and international exchange activities.

Required qualifications, professional experience and personal competences:

• University degree in a relevant field, such as data science, economics, public policy, information systems or social sciences with a strong quantitative or digital focus,
• Minimum 5 years of professional experience in managing innovation processes, data partnerships or applied research projects, preferably in a public sector or development cooperation context,
• Experience in designing and coordinating pilot initiatives in complex multi-stakeholder environments, including the management of contractors and implementing partners,
• Knowledge of data governance frameworks, quality insurance in data experiments, data standards, institutional data cooperation models and relevant EU regulatory requirements for data and artificial intelligence,
• Familiarity with AI applications in public services and/or labour market contexts,
• Familiarity with /overview of digital public infrastructure, labour market analytics, public employment services or social protection systems is an asset,
• Experience collaborating with EU institutions or international organisations in the area of data-driven public sector innovation,
• Proven experience in liaising with stakeholders such as public servants, private sector representatives, and academia, 
• Excellent representative competences and diplomatic skills, in particular networking and negotiating as well as a high degree of discretion, integrity and sense of tone,
• Advanced project management skills and ability to self-organise and prioritise tasks,
• Ability to perform under pressure, including timely delivery of high-quality results, 
• Strong communication and team skills, including cooperation with people of different backgrounds and cultural backgrounds,
• High proficiency in written and spoken Ukrainian and English is mandatory; knowledge of German is considered an asset,
• Very good working knowledge of digital office applications,
• Readiness and ability to take on new topics and/or tasks and upskill, if necessary,
• Willingness to travel locally and abroad (depending on the security situation).

We offer:

• Official employment, salary fixed in EUR, performance-related bonuses and 13th salary.
• Medical insurance, 29 vacation days annually.
• Language classes, hard and soft skills trainings.
• Individual and group psychological support.
• Possible flexible and remote work (depending on projects’ needs up to 10 days a month within Ukrainian border). 
• Meaningful and valuable work, international environment.

Employment conditions:

Full-time position with 40-hours working week. Place of assignment is Kyiv. Starting as soon as possible. The contract duration will be 12 months with the possibility of prolongation.

GIZ is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive working environment. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates regardless of gender, age, ethnic origin, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic. 

We particularly encourage veterans and people with disabilities to apply.

Application:

We are looking forward to your application in English, comprising your CV and a Cover letter explaining your motivation to apply for the job to @email until COB 05 October 2026, Monday. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for the next stages of the recruitment process.

Candidates are requested to submit their documents with the following title:

• Surname Name_CV
• Surname Name_Cover letter

By sending the application you give the consent for the personal data processing for recruitment processes solely according to GIZ data privacy regulations. You can familiarize yourself with these regulations by the link Data protection | GIZ.