Ukraine: Team Leader

Brief description of programme:

Democracy Reporting International (DRI) is a non-partisan, independent, not-for-profit organisation registered in Berlin. DRI promotes political participation of citizens, accountability of state bodies and the development of democratic institutions world-wide. DRI has been present in Ukraine since September 2014. Together with the Institute of International Relations of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, DRI has worked with major Ukrainian civic initiatives to provide systematic monitoring and reporting on the key political reforms. We are currently looking for a proactive and experienced Team Leader to support DRI HQ in managing a 24-month project in Ukraine. The aims of the project are (1) to provide the Ukrainian and international public with regular firsthand reports and analyses of ongoing political reforms, feeding international standards and comparative practice into the reform discussions, and (2) to build capacities of regional and local civil society groups, youth organisations and students for monitoring, analysis and advocacy for reforms.

Duties and responsibilities:

The Team Leader is responsible for the planning, implementation and reporting of all project activities. To this end the Team Leader will:

• Lead the project and the team and ensure high quality of all project activities.
• Represent DRI and the project in Ukraine, maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including representatives of civil society organisations, parliament and government.
• Supervise a team of up to eight persons in DRI’s Kyiv office.
• Have overall responsibility for the functioning of the office.
• Contribute to project publications and other knowledge resources, and oversee drafting activities (including internal reports and external publications) by DRI’s Kyiv team.
• Liaise with and oversee the work of local experts.
• Coordinate DRI’s activities with other national and international organisations and meet with partner organisations on a regular basis.
• Establish and proactively develop cooperation with regional civil society organisations and universities in Ukraine’s regional centres (Lviv, Vinnytsa, Odessa, Mariupol, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv) and coordinate activities between regional representatives of DRI.
• Implement all project activities together with the project team and with support from DRI HQ, the Taras Shevchenko University and other local partners.
• Plan and conduct events and deliver presentations at events and meetings.
• Report to DRI HQ on the projects activities undertaken, office management and finance according to schedule.
• Monitor the security situation and make relevant decisions.

Required qualifications and experience:

• University degree in law, political science, international relations or related field.
• At least eight years of relevant professional experience, with demonstrated experience in designing and implementing projects in one of the project areas (democratic reform, in particular constitutional, electoral, judicial and decentralisation reforms; youth political participation; advocacy for reforms) and leading national project teams.
• Previous involvement in programmes as a Team Leader is a strong asset.
• Ability to mentor, motivate and empower team members and counterparts.
• Excellent communication, networking and reporting skills.
• Good knowledge and understanding of Ukraine’s political context, including key stakeholders in parliament, government and civil society.
• Excellent English, Ukrainian and Russian language skills (spoken and written).
• Willingness to travel within Ukraine and internationally.

Contract Period: 24 months (May 2016 – April 2018)

Start Date: as soon as possible (May 2016 at the latest)

Closing date for applications: 17 April 2016 (midnight CET)**.** Interested applicants should send their applications (cover letter, CV and three contacts for references) in one pdf file to europe@democracy-reporting.org including ‘Team Leader – Ukraine’ in the subject line.

Due to the number of applications DRI typically receives only short-listed candidates will be contacted for an interview. Applicants may be contacted before the deadline.