Project Leader – Ukraine Stiykist

Mission description

Expertise France is recruiting a Project Leader based in Kyiv, for the implementation of its project “Stiykist” (resilience). 

Expertise France is the French agency for international cooperation, under the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of the Economy, Finance and Recovery. The agency develops and implements projects that sustainably strengthen public policies in low- and middle-income countries. Expertise France intervenes in key areas of sustainable development, such as climate, health and education, and contributes alongside its partners to the realization of the 2030 Agenda.

This role is part of Expertise France’s Operations Directorate / Human Capital and Social Development Department / Social Protection, Decent Work and Vocational Training, Integration and Employment Divisions. The Project Manager will be positioned within the project team based in Kyiv, Ukraine, and will collaborate with all project beneficiaries and partners to ensure successful implementation of the new project ‘Stiykist’ (Resilience). The project aims to support Ukraine in the field of social protection and TVET. The Project Leader will be in permanent contact with two Project Officers based at the headquarters in Paris, France, to support them in carrying out their missions.

The main responsibilities of the Project Leader will be:

- Ensuring the successful implementation of the project in accordance with the technical, calendar, budgetary and legal expectations provided for in the contract signed between Expertise France and the donors;

- Project piloting, governance and monitoring-evaluation, as well as coordination of stakeholders;

- Management of the project team based in Ukraine. 

More specifically, the Project Leader will carry out the following missions:

1. Management and coordination of activities

1.1. Project management

2. Make strategic decisions and, if necessary, reorient the project in consultation with the project team and partners; anticipate and manage risks associated with the project.
3. Mobilize and supervise the short-term expertise necessary for the project;
4. Ensure the planning of activities and resources, develop the annual budget, monitoring, evaluation and capitalization of activities;

Ensure the technical, financial and contractual management of the project to achieve the expected results, in close collaboration with the project team;

1.2. Coordination of activities

1. Ensure the proper execution of donor contracts and project implementation contracts: progress of activities, budget execution, compliance with commitments, monitoring and evaluation, audit;
2. Support the development and functioning of programming and reporting documents: annual budgeted activity plans, technical and financial reports, monitoring and reporting tools, etc.;
3. Contribute to headquarters’ technical and financial planning and reporting exercises;
4. Report on the project’s progress and submit internal and external reports to headquarters, donors and project partners;
5. Ensure fluid communication between headquarters and in-country office;
6. Liaise with Expertise France’s Project Support Unit in Kyiv, for Purchasing/Logistics and Admin/Finance.

1.3 Quality of activities

2. Supervise the implementation of evaluations and lead the learning activities, for project adaptations when necessary.
3. Ensure the monitoring and evaluation of project activities, in collaboration with the Project Monitoring and Evaluation Manager, and the quality of the deliverables;
4. Ensure the efficiency and quality of activities to meet the project’s objectives, in close collaboration with the project team;

2. Management of the project team 
3. Supervise the project team, set and evaluate their objectives;
4. Ensure the coordination of work within the team, manage the team’s workplan and support them in the execution of their functions;
5. Ensure working conditions are adapted to the context and working environment.

Project representation and stakeholder coordination

1. Ensure the liaison and regular consultation between project stakeholders;
2. Coordinate the interventions of implementation partners and ensure the high quality of partnerships;
3. Prepare and lead the various project governance committees;
4. Facilitate the exchange of good practices and lessons learned between stakeholders;
5. Ensure regular exchanges with people and communities affected by the project, for information sharing, co-creation and adaptation of activities;
6. Coordinate with other ongoing interventions in Ukraine in the sectors of technical and vocational education and training, and social protection and decent work
7. Preserve and strengthen the excellence of institutional partnerships and stakeholder relations;
8. Represent Expertise France and promote the project in Ukraine.

Project or context description

In a country at war, and in addition to the immediate and visible aspects of this situation which justifies urgent support for health, security, infrastructure, productive capacities, etc., the human capital is socially and economically weakened, depreciated and made vulnerable. The presence of Expertise France – as the operator for the French government in Ukraine – has recently been strengthened in the country. Expertise France (EF) is operating in Ukraine since 2006. The agency focuses its activities in Ukraine on two strategic areas: support for resilience and reconstruction; and support for European integration. In 2024, the EF portfolio includes 15 national projects and 3 regional projects in 6 sectors: (i) health and social protection, (ii) rule of law and justice, (iii) local governance and decentralisation, (iv) innovation and support for the private sector, (v) economic and financial governance, (vi) defense and security. With a view of the emergency actions taken following the Russian aggression, the French Ministry of Europe of Foreign Affairs has mobilized Expertise France to better position its response to the country’s short and medium term needs and thus leverage European funding (through a €14.5 million envelope). Expertise France’s local presence is structured around the “mAIDan Ukraine” facility, implemented in close coordination with the Special Envoy for the reconstruction of Ukraine, the French Embassy in Kyiv and the entire France team, with the aim of mobilizing French technical assistance in support of  Ukraine to respond to the emergency and prepare for reconstruction and the EU accession process. It is in that context that the “Stiykist” project was born.

The “Stiykist” project aims to contribute to social transformation and resilience in Ukraine by strengthening the capacities of national, regional and local institutions in the field of vocational training and social services, with a particular focus on the social inclusion of the most vulnerable.

The project is structured around two specific objectives:

1.  In the short term, provide emergency support to local institutions and actors in the Chernihiv oblast.
2. In the medium term, support Ukraine’s transformational agenda in the fields of vocational training, disability, child protection and social services.

The project will be implemented over a period of two years, with a budget of +2 million euros. 

Required profile

QUALIFICATIONS

Expertise France is looking for a candidate with a higher education degree in project management / international relations / public policies / social protection / employment and professional integration policies / professional training / development policies or any other diploma related to the position.

SKILLS

-          Good knowledge of issues related to technical and vocational education and training and/or social protection and decent work, preferably in Eastern Europe and/or in Ukraine;

-          Understanding of gender issues and interest in promoting gender equality in the areas of social protection, technical and vocational education and training

-          Good command of funding mechanisms for international cooperation;

-          Proven ability to work with different stakeholders;

-          Sense of initiative and of responsibility;

-          Diplomacy, interpersonal and communication skills;

-          Empathy and listening skills, with a keen interest in teamwork and networking;

-          Autonomy, adaptability and responsiveness;

-          Analytical and organizational skills;

-          Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.);

-          Fluency in English

-          Knowledge of Ukrainian and French would be a plus.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

- Successful professional experience of at least 7 years in project management, preferably in international cooperation and/or technical assistance;

- Successful experience implementing projects in crisis-stricken countries will be appreciated;

- Experience working with high-level international officials (ministers, institutional officials, etc.);

- Experience in the field of social protection, decent work, education, technical and vocational education and training.

- Proven experience in leadership roles and as a multidisciplinary and international team leader.

Additional information

Contract duration: 12 months (renewable for up to 1 additional year)

Start date: October 2024

Documents to submit: CV and cover letter (2 pages maximum)

https://www.expertisefrance.fr/en/on-recrute?redirected=2&fbclid=IwY2xjawEYLElleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHdBUJyFzFsSjHXKc3WCwBG1h0962_srLRoi2W8-nvMHecqRi2QBMELL_Xw_aem_wPTaDfpvCSPSUZCmK9KHUw#page-11584—1—project-manager-ukraine-stiykist-h-f—en_US

Application deadline: 23 august 2024 11:59 p.m.

PLEASE APPLY FOLLOWING THE LINK : We recruit – Expertise France