Platform Manager for Reform Awareness and Communication

The programme STEP IN 2 EU is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), with co-funding contributions from the European Union and Norway. The political partner is the Ministry of Economy, Ecology and Agriculture of Ukraine (MEEA). 

The overall objective of the programme is to improve the economic policy conditions and financing options for the integration of Ukrainian companies into the EU single market. STEP IN 2 EU has four interlinked outputs: 

1. Strengthened capacities of the Ministry of Economy, the National Bank and other relevant actors for the development and implementation of economic policy reforms in the context of EU accession. 
2. Implementation measures and processes to promote the integration of Ukrainian companies and financial institutions into the EU internal market. 
3. Improved location conditions for prioritised sectors in selected regions of Ukraine. 
4. Improved capacities of selected financial institutions to provide financial services to Ukrainian companies. 

Four operational teams and a project management unit deliver the programme. They work closely together through joint planning and implementation procedures, permanent platforms and flexible mechanisms. 

The Reform Awareness and Communication platform within the programme helps key stakeholders and target groups of STEP IN 2 EU understand the purpose, content, and benefits of reforms related to the economy and EU accession, and actively participates in the design, planning, and implementation of the program's measures to promote reform awareness and communication.

The Platform Manager for Reform Awareness and Communication is embedded in the Reform Advisory team of the programme and works closely with all operational teams and organizes the platform's work in a flexible and agile manner together with team members, partners, service providers, and other stakeholders.

Key responsibilities:

1. Coordination of the programme’s internal Reform Awareness & Communication platform

• Lead and coordinate the programme-internal working group on Reform Awareness & Communication, including developing and adapting the overarching programme concept
• Define clear objectives, indicators and target values to measure the success of communication and awareness-raising activities, including outreach, engagement and understanding among different target groups
• Ensure the achievement of communication-related programme indicators through activity planning and implementation support
• Ensure consistent and coherent messaging across all programme components and outputs, supporting reforms in economic policy, private sector integration into the EU internal market, sectoral and regional development, and access to finance
• Align Reform Awareness & Communication activities across all programme teams with the programme’s objectives, proactively leveraging synergies with the Dialogue & Engagement platform
• Advise programme partners, the management team, and operational teams on the planning and implementation of Reform Awareness & Communication activities
• Support the programme’s liaison with communication focal points and communication units of partner institutions to coordinate messages, cooperate on outreach activities and provide advice on communication related to EU accession and economic reform topics
• Support the organisation of internal and external events, briefings and outreach activities related to EU integration and economic reforms
• Support coordination with other technical assistance programmes, and contribute to operational programme planning
• Contribute to relevant programme level team goals in 2026

2. Support to MEEA on reform-oriented communication

• Develop and implement a programme support concept for MEEA to strengthen institutional structures, strategic orientation, and capacities for reform-oriented awareness raising and communication
• Identify information needs and awareness gaps related to EU integration and economic reforms and advise on suitable communication tools, formats and channels
• Advise MEEA and implementation partners, and support capacity development activities for partners and the programme team
• Support the further development and application of MEEA’s reform-oriented communication strategy and related awareness and communication plans
• Support in managing contractual and procurement processes with subcontractors, consultants and financing recipients
• Prepare regular updates for the programme management team

3. Support for reform-related programme communication

• Support communication planning and the development of key reform messages for priority sectors of STEP IN 2 EU
• Prepare communication content for various purposes, including social media posts (Facebook, LinkedIn), website content, and other media materials

4. Support to monitoring, evaluation & reporting

Contribute to monitoring and evaluation, as well as programme reporting on Reform Awareness & Communication indicators and activities

Required qualifications, professional experience and personal competences:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree (or equivalent) in communications, journalism, political science, international relations, public policy, economics, or a related field
• At least 5 years of relevant professional experience in strategic communication, awareness-raising and outreach, preferably in the context of EU integration, economic reforms, or international development cooperation
• Proven experience in planning, coordinating and implementing communication measures in cooperation with central government bodies, including ministries and government agencies at national level
• Demonstrated experience liaising with communication units and spokespersons of government institutions, ensuring consistent messaging and adherence to institutional communication requirements
• Strong experience in planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluating communication and outreach activities (e.g. events, campaigns, publications, digital formats), including defining objectives, indicators and target values, and analysing outreach data
• Experience contributing to project implementation in technical, organisational and content-related tasks, ideally within donor-funded or internationally financed programmes
• Excellent communication, organisational and coordination skills, with the ability to ensure coherent messaging across multiple programme components and stakeholders
• Strong intercultural competences, political sensitivity and the ability to recognise and handle sensitive issues with discretion, tact and sound judgement, including in multicultural environments and with a gender-sensitive approach
• Strong IT skills, particularly in Office 365 (Word, Excel and PowerPoint); experience with digital communication tools, platforms or content management systems is an advantage.
• Readiness for business travels in Ukraine and abroad
• Excellent command of Ukrainian, business fluent in English (verbal and written), knowledge of German would be an advantage.

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.

Employment conditions:

Full-time position with 40-hours working week. Place of assignment is Kyiv. The assignment shall start on June 1, 2026. The contract duration will be 12 months with the possibility of prolongation.

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:

We are looking forward to your application in English, comprising your CV and a Cover letter explaining your motivation to apply for the job to @email  until COB 04 May 2026, Monday. 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