EU Integration Advisor

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 the 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, Odessa, Ivano Frankivsk) and with regard to SES services. Implementation takes place in close cooperation with the World Bank and other international organisations.

EU Integration Advisor will be responsible for connecting the project's work on labour market and social policy reform to the evolving requirements and institutional landscape of Ukraine's EU accession process. This encompasses two complementary functions: (1) Building and managing the project's relationships with EU institutions, international technical cooperation partners and EU Member State counterparts, and (2) strengthening the capacity of MoEEA and MoSPFU staff to understand and navigate the EU accession process, its instruments and its implications for their policy domains. You will track EU-level and accession country developments, translate them into actionable insights for the project and its partners, and ensure that the project's work remains anchored in current EU standards and comparable reform experiences. This position will be working as part of a team of international and national experts in a sensitive and complex environment which is highly dynamic. 

This position foresees demand-based travel to implementation partners and stakeholders within Ukraine as well as regular travel to EU countries.

Key responsibilities:

• Support the line-manager with the strategic direction, management and successful implementation of the abovementioned workstreams. This entails:
• Building and managing the project's relationships with EU institutions relevant to labour market and social policy, including DG EMPL, the EU Delegation to Ukraine, ELA, and ensure their strategic integration into project activities,
• Contribute to the SED-Cluster communication with GOCEEI, relevant ministries and development partners on EU accession-related initiatives in the labour market and social policy domain, ensuring alignment between the project's activities and Ukraine's broader accession coordination structures,
• Coordinate the project's engagement with other technical assistance projects relevant to EU accession in the labour market and social policy domain, including e.g. N4CBII, STEPIN2EU, ILO, SPIRIT, and contribute EU accession framing and EU institutional perspectives to interministerial dialogue formats and donor coordination rounds,
• Support the design and delivery of capacity building measures for MoEEA and MoSPFU staff on the EU accession process, including accession mechanics, screening, benchmarks, NPAA implementation, pre-accession instruments and digital sovereignty, through training, mentoring, coaching and e-learning formats,
• Track EU-level policy and institutional developments relevant to Chapters 2, 3 and 19, monitor comparable accession processes in other candidate countries, and translate findings into strategic recommendations for project implementation and ad-hoc analysis for project partners,

In close coordination with the other team members under (1):

• Ensure the build-up, and maintenance of relevant expert networks, in particular with national and international legal and policy experts and technical assistance projects relevant for EU acquis chapters 2, 3 and 19,
• Support preparation of terms of reference, procurement and steering of external service providers and other implementing partners,
• Establish and maintain internal knowledge resources including portfolio overviews, overview of activities, activity trackers and EU accession reference materials and ensure timely preparation of briefing materials, presentations, analytical notes, and reporting documents for internal and external stakeholders.

Required qualifications, professional experience and personal competences:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in political sciences, law, international relations, or any other relevant field,
• Minimum of 4 years professional experience in the field of EU-Accession process-strategies and -approaches,
• Extensive knowledge of the Ukrainian government’s EU-Accession process,
• Extensive knowledge of the structure and procedures of the European Union, in particular with regard to EU enlargement processes,
• Proven experience in supporting organisational / institutional development, change management methods and institutional reforms,
• Good understanding of the institutional framework of Ukraine's EU accession process, including the roles of central executive authorities and coordination mechanisms,
• Experience working with government institutions, international organisations or donor-funded technical assistance programmes is considered an asset,
• Proven experience in liaising with stakeholders such as government officials, private sector representatives, and civil society actors, including proven experience initiating and/or facilitating multi-stakeholder dialogues, especially public and civil society sector,
• 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.
• 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 as soon as possible. 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 19 August 2026, Wednesday. 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