Advisor on EU Integration

The programme STEP IN 2 EU is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), co-funded by the Governments of Germany and Norway, the European Union, and the Governments of Lithuania and Estonia. The political partner is the Ministry of Economy and Environment of Ukraine (MEE).

The overall objective of the programme is to improve the economic policy conditions and financing options for the integration of Ukrainian companies into the EU single market. STEP IN 2 EU has four interlinked outputs: 

1. Strengthened capacities of the Ministry of Economy, the National Bank and other relevant actors for the development and implementation of economic policy reforms in the context of EU accession. 
2. Implementation measures and processes to promote the integration of Ukrainian companies and financial institutions into the EU internal market. 
3. Improved location conditions for prioritised sectors in selected regions of Ukraine. 
4. Improved capacities of selected financial institutions to provide financial services to Ukrainian companies. 

Four operational teams and a project management unit deliver the programme. They work closely together through joint planning and implementation procedures, permanent platforms and flexible mechanisms.

The operational team ”Economic Policy Reform Advisory” works on macro level, supporting the development and implementation of economic policy reforms in the context of EU accession. 

STEP IN 2 EU is part of the organizational structure of the SED (Sustainable Economic Development) Cluster of GIZ Ukraine. The SED Cluster unites projects and programmes implemented by GIZ in Ukraine in the economic sphere, several of which work on various topics of Ukraine’s EU integration/EU accession.

The Advisor on EU Integration will be integrated into the Reform Advisory team of the programme STEP IN 2 EU, working alongside the existing Advisor on Economic Reforms, and will combine two complementary roles, split 50/50:

• 50% of the position is dedicated to the role of Advisor on EU Integration in the operational team “Economic Policy Reform Advisory” of STEP IN 2 EU. In this role, the advisor advises the programme’s partners on further EU integration and the EU accession process, participates in the design of support measures, coordinates the implementation of these measures and contributes to other relevant activities of the programme.
• 50% of the position is dedicated to the role of SED Cluster EU integration focal point, supporting coordination, reporting and communication on EU integration/EU accession support across the SED Cluster of GIZ Ukraine. In this role, the advisor supports better coordination between SED Cluster projects, within GIZ Ukraine (EU.ACT), as well as improved communication about EU-related support, within and beyond GIZ. 

Key responsibilities:

I. Reform Advisory team role – Advisor on EU Integration (50%)

1. Core tasks / topics

• Advising Ukrainian partner institutions on, and coordinating the programme's support to, reform processes in the further economic EU integration and EU accession process of Ukraine, with focus on specific economic-related EU Acquis chapters (potential chapters may include 1, 3, 20, 28 and specific topics under other chapters)
• Coordinate project activities to support MEE coordination of the EU Accession Process (implementation of NPAA, benchmarks, etc.)
• Support tracking of Ukraine’s implementation of major framework documents in the EU Accession process (NPAA, Ukraine Facility, Ukraine Plan, Enlargement Reports, etc.) and the programme’s links and contributions to these processes

2. General tasks

• Coordination of planning, preparation and implementation of the programme’s support measures in the above-mentioned reform processes, and goal-oriented ensuring of the intended results, including but not limited to:
  • Conducting eligibility checks of programme partners
  • Drafting terms of reference, initiating procurement procedures and managing the resulting contracts with external experts
  • Processing reports and payment-related documentation from programme partners and external experts
  • Controlling expenses for the activities in accordance with the prevailing provisions
  • Supporting international and national experts in familiarizing themselves with and performing their tasks
  • Ensuring preparation and sharing of documentation for knowledge management
• Coordination of pools of international and national experts to support the further economic EU integration and EU accession process
• Communication with Ukrainian counterpart authorities and maintaining a good flow of communication and information between all involved institutions and within GIZ
• Participation in the operational planning and in the design of support measures
• Supporting the monitoring of results of activities in accordance with programme objectives and indicators, and supporting the reporting to donors and political partners
• Supporting the programme’s communication about reform processes, especially those related to the advisor’s area of responsibility
• Contributing to the work of platforms on programme level, in particular the Public-Private Dialogue (PPD) and Communications platforms, and assuring effective collaboration with other operational teams
• Performing other duties and tasks at the request of management

II. SED Cluster EU integration focal point role (50%)

1. SED Cluster-internal tasks

• Fostering exchange and organizing regular jour fixes of the SED Cluster EU experts’ community
• Supporting coordination of EU accession-related support between projects within the SED Cluster
• Maintaining an up-to-date overview of SED Cluster contributions to EU integration/EU accession support, providing regular updates to the SED Cluster management team
• Identifying and addressing information-exchange needs and capacity-building needs for the SED Cluster EU experts’ community
• Supporting external communication about reform processes supported by the SED Cluster and specific achievements under these reforms, including identifying relevant topics, preparing content and creating factsheets

2. GIZ Ukraine / EU.ACT level tasks

• Coordinating and supporting SED Cluster contribution to EU.ACT (GIZ Ukraine’s internal platform for coordinating and aligning EU integration/EU accession support)
• Providing regular updates on SED Cluster EU support and important developments to inform EU.ACT
• Informing the SED Cluster about updates and developments arising from EU.ACT
• Processing information requests from GIZ Ukraine/EU.ACT, e.g. on EU Acquis chapter-related technical assistance provided by SED Cluster projects, including plans, success stories and types of support
• Contributing to the further strategic development of EU integration/EU accession coordination within the SED Cluster and GIZ Ukraine

Required qualifications, professional experience and personal competences:

• Master’s degree in an area relevant for the position
• At least 5 years of professional experience in implementation of economic reforms and/or private sector development
• At least 5 years of experience in project management or project coordination
• At least 2 years of experience in EU integration processes; experience of working with the Internal Market Cluster is an advantage
• At least 2 years of experience in technical assistance projects
• Strong advisory competencies and demonstrated experience in an advisory function, with the ability to translate analysis into practical guidance for partner institutions
• Strong organisational skills, including the ability to keep track of complex tasks and a broad, diversified network of partners
• Reliability, confidentiality, flexibility and stress resistance
• Intercultural competence and political sensitivity for smooth relation management with various international and domestic partners and stakeholders
• Good communication skills
• Strong IT skills with Microsoft 365 applications
• Business fluent in Ukrainian and English (verbal and written); command of German would be an advantage
• Willingness to upskill as required by the tasks to be performed
• Readiness for business travel in Ukraine and abroad
• Ability to work under pressure

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.
• Working in a team of highly committed, motivated and engaged colleagues.

Employment conditions:

Full-time position with 40-hours working week. Place of assignment is Kyiv. Starting date of assignment is November 1, 2026. The contract duration will be 12 months with the possibility of extension.

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:

Application comprising of the candidate’s CV and a cover letter in the English language explaining the motivation to apply for the job is to be sent to @email until COB 28 September 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