Specialist for Scaling Solutions for Labor Market Integration

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 for Scaling Solutions for Labor Market Integration supports knowledge transfer from the national to the local level as well as from the local to the national level. The engagement is focussing on measures related to the “Employment Strategy 2030 of Ukraine”, the “PES Benchlearning Report” and the “SES Strategy 2026-2030”, facilitation of the overall modernization of the Ukrainian labour market and the SES ecosystem in particular. 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:

• Identify, analyse and document successful labour market solutions developed and tested at the local level, to assess their potential for transfer to other regions and policy areas, replication, scaling-up at the regional and national levels and/or institutionalisation,
• Facilitate knowledge transfer - incl. the development of transfer-mechanisms - from the national to the regional/local level as well as from the regional/local to the national level to ensure follow-up use, e.g. the uptake of successful pilots for labour market integration or the piloting of conceptual ideas in selected (REYOIN) partner municipalities, 
• Facilitate regular, structured /thematic exchange formats between regional/local and national labour market stakeholders as well as between regional/local ones (e.g. SES, municipal authorities, employment platforms (e.g. robota.ua), public and private social services, educational institutions, NGOs, project promoters, economic and social partners, etc.),
• Support the development of local labour market integration strategies and respective projects in selected (REYOIN) partner municipalities, aligned with national and/or EU approaches, e.g. EU Employment Strategy, the European Pillar of Social Rights, the European Social Fund Plus (in future part of the European Fund for economic, social and territorial cohesion, agriculture and rural, maritime, prosperity and security for the period 2028-2034) incl. EURES, Employment Strategy 2030 of Ukraine, SES Strategy 2026-2030, 
• Support uptake of modernisation measures within regional/local SES offices (e.g. from Thematic Learning Dialogues / PES Benchlearning Process at national level) and transfer and implementation of national modernisation measures to the regional/local level, 
• Support the development and implementation of intra-SES approach(es) based on PES Benchlearning Methodology, facilitation of peer-learning between regional/local SES branches and their staff, 
• Support the development and roll-out of EURES-related measures for SES,
• Identify and address training, capacity building, organisational development and other support needs of local labour market stakeholders, especially SES, incl. by formulating Terms of Reference for external service providers, supervising the implementation of contracts, as well as monitoring and reporting results,
• 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,
• Support the planning and the monitoring of activities in Ukraine, including timely contributions of accurate information to the overall results-based monitoring and knowledge management processes,
• 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.

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,
• Proven experience in organisational / institutional development, change management methods and/or institutional / public administration reform,
• Sound knowledge of (local) labour market integration, active and passive labour market instruments, public labour market institutions and other relevant labour market actors as well as respective EU / national policies and initiatives,
• Sound knowledge in areas related to the EU-Integration, e.g. EU Acquis, EU Employment Strategy, European Pillar of Social Rights, PES Network, European Labour Authority / EURES, European Social Fund + / Employment and Social Innovation (ESF+/EaSI), 

• Working experience with vulnerable groups (e.g. IDPs, persons with disabilities, veterans, people 50+, returning Ukrainians),

• Experience in promoting gender responsive or gender transformative policies is considered an asset,
• Proven experience in liaising with stakeholders such as government officials, regional/local authorities, SES offices at regional/local level, private sector representatives, and civil society actors, including proven experience initiating and/or facilitating multi-stakeholder dialogues, 
• Outstanding interpersonal and diplomatic skills, with a strong ability to network, negotiate, and maintain the highest standards of discretion, integrity, and professionalism,
• 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 social backgrounds and cultural backgrounds,
• High proficiency (C1) in written and spoken Ukrainian and English is mandatory; knowledge of German is considered an asset,
• Very good working knowledge of digital office applications,
• 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 27 August 2026, Thursday. 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