Advisor for Public Administration Reform and Public Policy for EU-Integration

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 with regard to EU requirements, and capacity building for the political partner; 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 Public Administration Reform and Public Policy for EU-Integration will be responsible for supporting MoEEA, MoSPFU and where relevant SES in designing and managing their interministerial, interagency and vertical coordination architecture for labour market and social policy reform. This includes establishing and facilitating the cooperation formats through which these institutions make joint decisions and coordinate policy implementation, such as working groups, steering committees, sector policy dialogues and national–regional–local feedback mechanisms. Beyond coordination architecture, you will advise on public administration reform, institutional development and policy cycle management, strengthening the governance capacities of the Ministries and their partner institutions in line with EU standards and in the context of Ukraine's EU accession process. 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 design, establishment and management of the interministerial and interagency cooperation architecture for labour market and social policy reform - working groups, steering committees, sector policy dialogues and donor coordination rounds - bringing together the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture, the Ministry of Social Policy, Family and Unity, the State Employment Service and relevant international partners,
• Support the design and management of structured vertical coordination processes connecting national policy development with regional and local implementation actors, including feedback mechanisms that channel local implementation experiences back into national policy discourse,
• Advise the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture, the Ministry of Social Policy, Family and Unity and where needed the State Employment Service on public administration reform, institutional development, change management and policy cycle management in the context of EU accession, including on structural and procedural reforms to strengthen governance and institutional efficiency in line with EU standards,
• Guide the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture and the Ministry of Social Policy, Family and Unity on the strategic use of current and future EU Structural Instruments related to labour market integration, employment and social innovation,
• Support the development and implementation of strategic reform documents, action plans and institutional roadmaps related to public administration reform and EU accession,
• Design and deliver capacity building measures for ministry staff on public administration reform, governance modernisation, change management and the EU Policy Cycle, including training, workshops, mentoring and coaching,
• Prepare briefing materials, analytical notes, presentations and reporting documents for internal and external stakeholders,
• Coordinate and support the preparation of workshops, high-level meetings, consultations and international exchange activities.

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

• Provide process and governance advisory on strategic coherence and policy cycle management for the employment strategy (implementation) process, 
• Contribute PAR and governance perspectives to international exchange formats, 
• 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,
• 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 Public Administration Reform and/or Public Policy, preferably related to the EU-Accession process,
• Extensive knowledge of the EU-Accession process, and the respective Ukrainian government’s strategies, etc.,
• Extensive knowledge of the structure and procedures of the Ukrainian governmental and public administration system, in particular with regard to EU accession process,
• Knowledge of Ukraine's EU accession architecture, including the Association Agreement, NPAA and institutional coordination mechanisms, would be considered an advantage,
• Proven experience in supporting organisational / institutional development, change management methods and institutional reforms,
• Demonstrated experience supporting public sector reforms or institutional development within government institutions,
• Good understanding of public administration reform methodologies, strategic planning and policy cycle management,
• 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, includingcooperation 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 25 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