Advisor for Labor Market Reform

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.

Advisor for Labor Market Reform will be responsible for facilitating the projects coordination function related to establishing and driving an overall steering and cooperation structure covering both tracks of the labour market reform (OBRII): Policy and digitalization. This coordination function encompasses two complementary aspects: Building and managing the project's relationships with MoEEA and other line-ministries and institutions (e.g. SES) in the sector, as well as sector relevant civil society organisations, and international partners. This entails the support of the Sectoral Working Group on Employment and other policy-related exchange formats. The second workstream revolves around the coordination of the (further) development of the central digital infrastructure for the labour market reform, ensuring its alignment with policy & legal developments. 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 occasional travel to EU countries.

Key responsibilities:

• Support the line-manager with the strategic direction, management and successful implementation of the two main workstreams described above, this entails inter alia;
• Build and maintain the project’s coordination function in the policy & legal sphere, e.g. Steering Committees, Sectoral Working Group on Employment and other exchange formats,
• Build and maintain the steering and cooperation structures covering the digitalization track,
• Maintain and manage relationships to involved stakeholders and institutions (especially MoEEA, MoSPFU and SES) and ensure inputs from the relevant actors (e.g. EU member states representatives, international experts, technical and financial assistance projects, etc.) and translate discussions into actionable insights for GIZ and its partners,
• Ensure timely analytical and technical inputs as well as other measures at the intersection of labor market policies and digitalisation within the mandate of the project,

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

• 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,
• 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, law, international relations, or any other relevant field,
• Minimum of 5 years professional experience in the field of EU-Accession, Public-Private Dialogue, Project Management Unit, Public Administration Reform,
• Extensive knowledge of the Ukrainian EU-Accession process, including the roles of central executive authorities and coordination mechanisms,
• Knowledge on Ukrainian digital public infrastructure / systems is considered an asset, 
• Extensive knowledge of the structure and procedures of the Ukrainian labor market and field social policy / social protection, financial mechanism, legal & regulative processes,
• Proven experience in supporting organisational / institutional development, change management methods and institutional reforms,
• 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 (C1) 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 18 August 2026, Tuesday. 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