Government Liaison and Capacity Development Officer

Under the direct supervision of the Chief of Mission (CoM) and in close coordination with the Deputy Chief of Mission and thematic units within the Mission, the successful candidate will be responsible for liaison functions between IOM and the Government of Ukraine (GoU) as well as the Parliament of Ukraine. In this role, the incumbent will facilitate IOM‘s coordination with the national migration and crises/emergency management authorities in the country, as well as those responsible for recovery an reconstruction. Furthermore, the incumbent will coordinate capacity development support from IOM to the Government of Ukraine with respect to EU alignment processes in the sphere of migration in close coordination with relevant units in the mission.

1. Keep track of Government decisions and actions concerning migration governance, humanitarian response to the war on Ukraine, and other issues relevant to IOM’s work in the country. Ensures that the Country Office is informed of local and international developments which may have a political or operational impact on the relations with the GoU; Keeps the Senior Management Team (SMT) abreast of development in relation to these.

2. Develop and manages a contact list of national stakeholders and ensures that office management is kept updated on any changes to the structures of Government, also highlighting the implication of those changes on IOM operations.
3. In close coordination with the SMT, identifies, establishes, and maintains working relations with officials of the GoU at the central and local level, as well as with the Parliament of Ukraine; Identifies entry points for new engagement for IOM as well as for strengthening ongoing cooperation.
4. Conduct regular check-ins with GoU and Parliament counterparts to update the partners on IOM programming and interventions, discuss strategic partnership and exchange on future initiatives to advance and scale up response and recovery efforts for Ukraine; supports in organizing joint events and preparation for high-level meetings/missions; Identifies obstacles/challenges in cooperation with any GoU/Parliamentarian entity/institution and proactively proposes actions to address the concerns to the Sr.Policy and Liaison Coordinator; follows up on jointly agreed actions.
5. Promote and supports advocacy actions of IOM Ukraine with GoU officials and Parliament on key topics of migration management in Ukraine, regional and global level (including SDGs and the Global Compact on Migration) and IOM policies and programmatic interventions.
6. Monitor and evaluates the progress, impact, and effectiveness of partnership activities with the GoU and the Parliament of Ukraine. Collects feedback, tracks outcomes, and identifies areas for improvement to ensure the ongoing success of the collaboration.
7. Facilitate development and implementation of specific IOM initiatives that respond to GoU requests/priorities for support to advance policy, legal and institutional framework on migration, humanitarian support to war-affected communities by facilitating exchanges between IOM and all involved GoU stakeholders as, and when advised by office management.
8. Lead the process of development and coordination with relevant Units in the mission of  new cooperation agreements/MOUs with GoU entities, Parliament and other stakeholders in order to consolidate, maximize efforts and capacities in the process of development of potential and implementation of current joint programmes and projects. 
9. Provide guidance to Country Office units/project teams related to state registration of projects which serves as the ground for relevant preferences, privileges, and immunities provided for under legislation and by international agreements of Ukraine.
10. Represent IOM at GoU Coordination HQs on specific issues as assigned by the Chief of Mission (e.g. Coordination HQs on issues of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs); Coordination HQs on issues of liberated areas, Coordination HQs on issues of ensuring the return of Ukrainian citizens from the territory of Ukraine temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation, etc.), as well as in round tables, seminars, and conferences; 
11. Attend meetings of specific Sectoral Working Groups (SWGs) and committees established by the Government of Ukraine of interest to IOM; briefs Policy and Liaison Unit and senior management on outcomes of such meetings in a timely manner.
12. Support the efforts of the Policy and Liaison Unit in designing capacity enhancement initiatives/programmes for GoU and other stakeholders on effective migration management, alignment of migration policy and administrative framework to those of the European Union (such as training courses, capacity development programmes, exchange visits, etc).
13. Lead the implementation of capacity development intiiatives/programmes on effective migration management, alignment of migration policy and administrative framework to those of the European Union in close coordination with Migration Policy and Governance Officer.
14. Review and clear all Country Office outgoing communications with the minister level and higher level as well as correspondence with supporting documents related to state registration of projects with the GoU.
15. Supervise and coordinate work of assigned staff to ensure highest level performance. Contributes to strengthening capacity of staff working under the Policy and Liaison Unit and other IOM Ukraine staff as relevant.
16. Undertake duty travel including accompaniament of GoU and Parliament officials on specific missions and as approved by the SMT.
17. Perform such other duties as may be assigned.

EDUCATION

• Master’s Degree or equivalent in Business Administration, Public Administration, Economics, Public health, Political Sciences, Population Studies, Education and/or related Social Sciences field with at least five  years of professional work experience; or

• University degree in the above fields with seven  years of relevant professional experience.

EXPERIENCE

• Minimum three years of relevant working experience at the national or international level in delivery of humanitarian assistance or development advisory services, partnerships and/or representation, in the United Nations system, NGOs, or public-sector organizations;

• Extensive experience in liaison work with government entities;

• Sound knowledge of government institutions at the central and local level;

• An overall understanding of the work of the Parliament and its commissions; 

• Good understanding of the political climate in Ukraine.

• Experience in overall office administration management in a multicultural environment;

• Proven knowledge of the UN system and procedures an asset.

• Familiarity with the issues of migration and emergency programmes;

• Readiness to travel and work in emergency context.

SKILLS

• Ability to establish effective working relations in a multicultural team environment.

• Excellent interpersonal skills.

• Excellent analytical and organizational skills.

• Excellent communication and writing skills;

• Excellent computer/information systems skills.

• Resourcefulness, initiative, and maturity of judgment.

For this position, fluency in English and Ukrainian is required.

IOM’s competency framework can be found at this link. Competencies will be assessed during the selection process.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Please refer to this link for guidance on IOM Job Category.

Any offer made to the candidate in relation to this vacancy notice is subject to funding confirmation.

This selection process may be used to staff similar positions in various duty stations. Recommended candidates will remain eligible to be appointed in a similar position for a period of 24 months.

Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, security clearances.

IOM has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and IOM, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities.

IOM does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process (application, interview, processing, training or other fee). IOM does not request any information related to bank accounts.

IOM only accepts duly completed applications submitted through the IOM e-Recruitment system (for internal candidates link here). The online tool also allows candidates to track the status of their application.

No late applications will be accepted. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

For further information and other job postings, you are welcome to visit our website: IOM Careers and Job Vacancies