Background

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is a UN agency that works in about 170 countries and territories, helping eradicate poverty, reduce inequalities and exclusion, and build resilience. It thereby helps them sustain progress and achieve Sustainable Development Goals. In Ukraine, UNDP operates in three programme priorities: Democratic Governance and Inclusive Social Fabric, Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Recovery and Growth, and Sustainable Environment and Energy Transformation. Since the start of the hostilities in 2014 and the full-scale invasion in 2022, UNDP in Ukraine has been present on the ground, through its hubs around the country, supporting regional and local authorities and civil society partners in their emergency response and crisis management.

Lessons from the past years informed the development of UNDP’s Country Programme Document (2025-2029) and the scale-up of the Area-Based Recovery (ABR) Framework. The Framework’s programmatic pillars of Reconstruction, Returns, Resilience, and Reforms are focused on ensuring community recovery and creating conditions for the return to a development pathway in Ukraine.

Addressing the country’s complex reconstruction and recovery requires a holistic, systems-based response that empowers all parts of society - including government, local authorities, the private sector, and citizens - with the capacity and resources to respond effectively. To ensure a whole-of-society approach, the framework offers an integrated, participatory, and inclusive methodology to advance recovery in communities most affected by the war.

Regular duty trips to partner hromadas throughout target oblasts will be required to ensure effective outreach, coordination, and monitoring of ABR initiatives.

Duties and Responsibilities

Ensure thematic expertise and coordination:

Provide guidance and expert inputs into work of civic engagement thematic component, including policy and programme products and activities. Knowledge of key areas includes mobilization of communities, youth, veterans, IDPs and women in recovery, development and governance processes and participatory governance tools. Provide substantive input to the project activities and outputs and ensure timely implementation of the project’s activities, including reporting on progress vis-à-vis planned activities and expected outputs. Ensure timely preparation of output work plan and procurement plans, and other related documents for timely commencement of the activities. Develop a detailed output implementation plan, coordinate, and supervise and quality assure the work of experts and consultants, including the preparation of the terms of reference, forward planning of project activities, activity scheduling, and reporting. Participate in Board Meetings, evaluations and in discussions and contribute to preparation of relevant reports for the consideration of the UNDP and the Project Board. Ensure compliance of project’s business processes with UNDP Ukraine Standard Operating Procedures. Report regularly to and keep the UNDP CO up to date on project progress and problems, if any. Ensure compliance with UNDP project management policies and procedures.

Development and maintenance of ties with the key partners and stakeholders, including government institutions, local authorities, civil society, partners, and communities:

Establish and maintain a dialogue with government officials, both local and national, CSOs, partners and communities to provide knowledge and understanding, ensuring an accurate interpretation of the ABR mission. Maintain close liaison with national partners, ensuring optimum participation and promoting ownership of national authorities in the implementation of the project. Provide support to UNDP’s resource mobilisation efforts in the area of community recovery. Develop capacities of and ties with state bodies/partners (relevant line ministries and other government bodies) at the national and regional levels. Coordinate ABR objectives and activities with other relevant partners. Participate in public relations and media activities.

Ensure Team Supervision:

Lead and supervise the ABR civic engagement team, providing guidance, mentoring, and support to team members. Facilitate a collaborative and productive work environment, promoting teamwork and professional development. Conduct regular performance evaluations and provide feedback to team members, fostering continuous improvement and accountability.

Ensure Reporting and Documentation:

Oversee development of comprehensive documentation regarding thematic/functional activities, ensure all project documents and reports are in line with UNDP values, procedures, and project goals. Ensure thematic documents are properly filed in ABR SharePoint system and quality assure all inputs to ABR activity monitoring system and output indicator data monitoring system. Coordinate project reporting in a timely, accurate and cohesive fashion.

Ensuring the mainstreaming of gender equality and women’s empowerment considerations in the field of expertise and knowledge sharing. 

Ensure that gender equality is pursued in all project activities and reflected in work plans, budgets, reports, research, analyses and, where specifically relevant, analysed in detail. Ensure gender-responsive results-based management, promotion of a safe and enabling environment free of any kind of discrimination and abusive behaviour, and gender-responsive communications based on corporate principles. Identify, synthesize and document best practices and lessons learned that are generated from the project and implementing partners. 

Promoting a safe and enabling environment free of discrimination and abusive behaviour corporate standards:

Support the promotion of team culture of gender equality and zero tolerance to any sexual misconduct in the team through leadership and personal example. Demonstrate respect for gender equality in professional interactions, identify and address sexism and gender discrimination.

Regular duty trips to partner hromadas within target oblasts to ensure effective outreach, coordination, and monitoring of ABR initiatives.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Institutional Arrangement

The Specialist will work under direct supervision of the Head of Area-Based Recovery. The incumbent will be supervising a team of thematic experts.

Competencies

Core Competencies:

Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact  Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems  Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands  Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

People Management Competencies:

UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated .

Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies:

Business direction and strategy

System Thinking: Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system.

Business management

Project Management: Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals. Digital Awareness and Literacy: Ability to monitor new and emerging technologies, as well as understand their usage, potential, limitations, impact, and added value. Ability to rapidly and readily adopt and use new technologies in professional activities, and to empower others to use them as needed. Knowledge of the usage of digital technologies and emerging trends. Partnerships Management: Build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies.

Information Management & Technology

User Experience and Business Analyst: Capacity to translate efficiently users’ needs in IT requirements around human-centred design principles.

2030 Agenda: People

Gender: Gender digital divide

Partnership Management

Relationship Management: Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Management, Economics, Finance, Social Sciences, Political Sciences, Law, Business Administration, Public Administration or related fields is required; or A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas mentioned above in combination with additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

Minimum 5 years (with master’s degree) or 7 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience at the national or international level in civic engagement within the public sector, in government institutions, CSOs or international technical assistant projects.

Languages:

Fluency in English and Ukrainian is required.

Required Skills:

Proven leadership experiences. Proven ability to achieve results related to civic engagement.

Desired Skills:

Proven experience in working with government bodies, local authorities and international organisations on highest level with positive track record of relations building and management.  Proven experience in civic engagement issues. Proven experience in area-based recovery approaches. Proven experience in managing a team.

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination. 

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles. 

Right to select multiple candidates

UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

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UNDP does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process.