Вакансія: Advisor on Regional Development

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) in Ukraine is seeking a qualified professional for the programme “Supporting Structural Changes in Ukrainian Coal Regions” to fill the position:

Advisor on Regional Development (full-time, Kyiv)

(internal SAP code: Urban and Regional Development Advisor)

In the upcoming decade, unprofitable state-owned coal mines will be seizing their operations. The ensuing structural change poses major social and economic challenges for coal regions. Supporting this structural change based on the concepts of Just Transition and Green Recovery can provide new impetus for sustainable development and growth in affected and other regions. To decarbonize Ukraine’s economy also significantly contributes to Ukraine’s ability to raise its level of ambition in the context of global climate action.

The Project “Supporting Structural Changes in Ukrainian Coal Regions” aims at ensuring that Ukraine implements the structural change associated with its coal phase-out in a socially, economically, and ecologically sustainable manner. Towards this aim the Project involves civil society and uses appropriate financing instruments in accordance with the concepts of Just Transition and Green Recovery.

One component of the Project is supporting the establishment and operationalization of a Structural Change Fund to provide flexible funding streams to support structural change in Ukrainian coal regions. The fund should bundle funding streams from various international donors as well as the Ukrainian government.

Considering the war in Ukraine, the Project currently focuses on reconstruction and recovery efforts in the Ukrainian energy sector and supports Western coal regions in their efforts to host internally displaced persons.

Responsibilities:

• Advising the project on issues related to the regional development policy on structural change in Ukrainian Coal Regions.
• Coordinating and providing on-going advice for the successful implementation of measures in the pilot regions in close collaboration with the Regional Offices Team.
• Facilitating continuous dialogue with the Local Government and other key partners to support favourable partnerships in common development efforts for structural change in Ukrainian Coal Regions.
• Assessing of the adequacy and effectiveness of financing provided by the Structural Change Fund in collaboration with respective colleagues (e.g., Head of Component, Advisor on Financing Instruments), preparation of proposals for the fine-tuning of financial instruments.
• Defining priorities and needs for external expertise through regional studies, preparing the relevant contractual documents, ensuring quality control of the services delivered by external consultants.

Tasks:

• Designing, implementing, and monitoring of capacity development measures in the field of regional development.
• Maintaining regular communication and good working relations with Ukrainian stakeholders on the regional level.
• Providing advice on the establishment and maintenance of relationships with local and national authorities.
• Working with City Councils in preparing regional information and dialogue events to ensure sufficient local participation in the pilot regions, as well as the integration of other sites and municipalities.
• Guiding and supporting cities and municipalities in the formation of transformation clusters in the development and capacity development of regional development agencies (RDAs) and other local and regional institutions for economic and employment promotion in the pilot regions, including exchanging experience with established institutions in German or other European coal regions in transition.
• Providing advice to Ukrainian partners in carrying out and evaluating economic potential analyses and developing scenarios for a just structural change in the pilot regions.
• Advising cities and local authorities in participatory development of regional strategies and action plans.
• Advising the project on issues related to regional development policy in the context of coal regions in transition and energy transformation.
• Engaging in the operational planning, as well as with priorities, and activities of the team, in collaboration with the Head of Component and other team members.
• Preparing Terms of References (ToRs) for consultancy contracts and research projects as wells as ensuring quality and compliance with GIZ rules of services provided by external experts and service providers.
• Providing a professional platform for networking and partnership building with the government, local authorities, non-government, private sector and international development organizations or projects.
• Advising and supporting regional and local institutions in participatory development, pilot implementation and impact-oriented evaluation of programmes and measures to promote a just structural change in pilot regions.
• Recording and evaluating of the results (outputs, outcomes, and impact) of the pilot projects, including comprehensive assessments of learning experiences and upscaling of best-practice approaches to other regions as well as actively increasing the outreach by targeted communication activities.
• Providing technical advice to the GIZ team members and partners in the fields related to financial instruments.

Required qualifications, competences, and experience:

• MA/MSc in Economics, Political Science, Engineering, Energy or Natural Resources Management.
• At least 4 years of professional experience in the energy sector or in the field of regional economic development including specific concepts such as entrepreneurship building, employability, and others, ideally with expertise in restructuring programs for coal and other extractive industries.
• Preferably experience with the international development cooperation sector.
• Good knowledge and solid personal network of relevant energy stakeholders in the public and private sector as well as in academia, and research institutes.
• High proficiency in written and spoken Ukrainian and English.
• Profound interest in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development in Ukraine with a focus on energy policy and climate action.
• High political sensitivity and inter-personal skills, capacity to coordinate and communicate with political actors on different hierarchical levels, ability to manoeuvre activities and mediate interests in a complex political context.
• Very good knowledge of quantitative research methodologies and scientific excellence.
• Proficient use of MS Office Package; additionally, data processing and analysing software (e.g., State, SPSS, R).

Additional skills:

• Ability to independently organize and manage assigned work and responsibilities.
• Ability to independently prioritize tasks under possible time constraints and workload.
• Pronounced social skills and ability to work well in teams.
• Goal-oriented working style combined with a high level of frustration tolerance.
• Ability to come up with innovative ideas to improve performance and satisfaction.
• Customer and service-oriented attitude.

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 remote and flexible work;
• Meaningful and valuable work, international environment.

Employment conditions

Full-time position with a 40-hour working week. Place of assignment is Kyiv. The assignment starts as soon as possible. The contract duration is until 30 November 2024.

GIZ is an equal opportunity employer and offers an attractive and challenging working environment with opportunities for skill enhancement.

Application

Application comprising of the candidate’s CV and a cover letter in English explaining the motivation to apply for the job is to be sent to [email protected] until COB 20.07.2022, Thursday.

By sending the application the candidate gives the consent for the personal data processing for recruitment processes solely.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for the next stages of the recruitment process.