Specialist on the EU-Structural Instruments in the field Labour Market Integration, Employment and Social Innovation

The Sustainable Economic Development (SED) Cluster of GIZ in 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, Odessa, Ivano Frankivsk) and with regard to SES services. Implementation takes place in close cooperation with the World Bank and other international organisations.

Specialist on the EU-Structural Instruments in the field Labour Market Integration, Employment and Social Innovation you support Ukrainian stakeholders from local (focus), regional and national level to make best/better use of currently accessible EU Structural Instruments (e.g. European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) / Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI), Interreg, etc.), support their preparation for use of the future European Fund for economic, social and territorial cohesion, agriculture and rural, maritime, prosperity and security for the period 2028-2034under the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2028-2034, as well as support the scaling-up of social innovation measures and of raising awareness among the relevant stakeholders at regional/local level mentioned above. This position will be working as part of a team of international and national experts (GIZ and external ones) in a sensitive and complex environment which is highly dynamic.

This position foresees frequent travel within Ukraine and occasional travel to EU countries.

Key responsibilities:

• Continuously track the Ukrainian EU-Accession process related to (EU) regional policy and coordination of EU structural instruments, especially ESF+/EaSI, as well as related developments on the EU level and provide ad-hoc analysis, 
• Knowledge transfer to and between relevant local / regional stakeholders (e.g. SES offices, municipal authorities, public and private social services, educational institutions, NGOs, project promoters, social and economic partners, and others) concerning EU Structural Funds, especially the current ESF+/EaSI and successor instruments within the next MFF,
• Develop and implement capacity building measures for different target audiences at local, regional and national level related to current and future EU / Ukrainian structural instruments (e.g. local ESF+ / EaSI strategies as part of a local economic development plans/ strategies), incl. formulation of Terms of Reference for external service providers, supervising the implementation of contracts, as well as monitoring and reporting results,
• Facilitate exchange / cooperation formats (e.g. pilot projects, Community of Practice (CoP) on EaSI in Ukraine, round tables, webinar series, etc.) with / between stakeholders at local / regional level involved in socio-economic development and labour-market integration, especially at the interface with social innovations, social policy and EU-related topics, 
• Elaborate and facilitate potential twinning opportunities between local / regional-level Ukrainian and EU partners on social innovation related topics,
• Guidance on strategic, operational and public policy development for MoEEA and SES HQ to make use of current and future EU Structural Instruments related to labour market integration, employment and social innovation, - incl. support for capacity building,
• Support line-management on coherence of the overall planning, coordination and implementation of the REYOIN / JobConnect, incl. donor coordination at regional/local level, maintenance of expert networks within Ukraine and in EU Member States,
• Ensure timely preparation of briefing materials, presentations, analytical notes, and reporting documents for internal and external stakeholders,
• Coordinate and support the preparation of workshops, high-level meetings, consultations, donor coordination formats, and international exchange activities,
• Actively promote cooperation and coordination with other GIZ projects in the selected regions and facilitate the sharing of knowledge and information within the SED cluster and GIZ Ukraine.

Required qualifications, professional experience and personal competences:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in political sciences, economics, international relations, law, social sciences or any other relevant field,
• Minimum 5 years of proven professional experience in a comparable position,
• Knowledge of relevant EU programmes, -strategies and -approaches, especially Cohesion Policy, Structural Funds (with focus on ESF+/EaSI, and Interreg),
• Experience in economic development, social protection / policy / innovation and/or labour market integration at regional and/or local level,
• Proven track record in working with Ukrainian municipalities,
• Working experience in the development of strategies as well as respective roll-outs and capacity building-measures, 
• Working experience with vulnerable groups (especially in Lviv, Vinnytsia, Dnipro, Odesa and/or Ivano-Frankivsk regions, would be an asset),
• Experience in promoting gender responsive or gender transformative policies is considered an asset,
• Proven experience in liaising with stakeholders such as government officials, private sector representatives, social and economic partners, 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, includingcooperation with people of different social 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

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