Government Affairs Coordinator – Lviv / Координатор_ка роботи з урядом – Львів

Location:                           Ukraine – Lviv office with travel to Kyiv, Dnipro and Odessa

Duration:                           12 months renewable

Conditions:                       Between 2,800 Euros and 3,800 Euros monthly gross salary depending on experience and qualifications

Start date:                         ASAP

CARE INTERNATIONAL

CARE International (CI) is among the world’s largest international non-governmental humanitarian relief and development confederations. Drawing on more than 75 years of experience, through its 21 Members, as both a practitioner and thought leader, CI’s work reaches over 100 countries worldwide to save lives, defeat poverty and achieve social justice.

CARE’s vision is to seek a world of hope, inclusion, and social justice; where poverty has been overcome and people live in dignity and security. CARE focuses heavily on women and girls; the areas of gender equality, diversity and inclusion are at the center of our work because we know that we cannot overcome poverty and social injustice until all people have equal rights and opportunities. We recognize that power relations between people and within systems and structures are unequal and that these are entrenched in our broader systems, structures, and institutions.

At the core of the CI Confederation is a globally distributed Secretariat, which provides coordination and support to its Members in areas including governance, strategic planning, communications, membership development and accountability, advocacy, humanitarian response, and program development. In addition, the Secretariat represents the CI Confederation at the United Nations and the European Union, and with other external stakeholders.

Context in Ukraine

On 24th February 2022, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine marked a significant escalation to the conflict that started in 2014. It continues to profoundly impact the lives of people across the country at various levels. The front line is continuously shifting and there are areas controlled by Russian forces as well as cities under siege. Aerial attacks on military installations and critical civilian infrastructures are conducted in the whole territory of Ukraine, often resulting in collateral civilian casualties. The conflict has caused the largest population movement in Europe since World War II, with 6.24 million displaced within Ukraine and 7.68 million refugees having fled to neighboring countries. By October 26, OCHA had counted 17.7 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. 

Amid the upcoming winter, which is anticipated to be the worst in decades, at least one-third of the country’s energy infrastructure is damaged, leaving millions without heating and access to water. In October, the Russian Federation claimed to have annexed four Ukrainian oblasts, further increasing the challenge of access to these areas. Therefore, in addition to preparing the population for the approaching winter, an ongoing priority for the international humanitarian response is to secure access to recently liberated and recaptured areas in the East and to provide aid to previously unreachable and particularly hard-hit areas of Ukraine.

CARE UKRAINE

As a new actor in Ukraine, CARE prioritizes a locally led response and is partnering primarily with Civil-Society Organizations (CSOs), National NGOs, local authorities, and INGOs with a longstanding presence in the country and access to hard-to-reach areas. CARE Ukraine deliberately and strategically prioritizes partnerships with local and national Women Led and Women Rights organizations (WLO’s/ WRO’s), further strengthening the Gender in Emergencies (GiE) principle and the Women Lead in Emergencies (WLiE) approach.

In the first few weeks after the escalation of the war, virtually all humanitarian aid inside Ukraine was organized and implemented by local actors. These groups (together with local authorities) remain the principal aid providers but are quickly being exhausted of funds, fuel, and physical energy. Thereby, a considerable proportion of CARE’s resources is dedicated to strengthening and supporting the capacities of local partners.  

As of November 2022, CARE Ukraine has established partnerships with twelve local/national organizations (including four WLO’s/WRO’s) and five international NGOs. From the more than 28 million that have been raised for Ukraine thus far, more than half is allocated to local/national partners. Through the activities that have been implemented so far, CARE Ukraine has been able to reach 550,030 people, including IDPs and affected populations in hard-to-reach areas.

While CARE Ukraine’s office is currently located in Lviv, we are continuously working on strategically expanding CARE’s presence and reach with plans to open an office in Kyiv as well as field offices in Dnipro and Odessa, covering both the East and South of the country.

Role Objectives

The Government Affairs Coordinator will lead CARE Ukraine’s efforts in advocacy strategy development and implementation, coordinating closely with CARE’s Ukraine Regional Advocacy and programs colleagues to ensure priorities are aligned with regional and global objectives, and consistent with CARE International members. The position will play a significant role in shaping the external face and policy engagement of CARE in Ukraine, including by representing CARE in key coalition fora. They will also work closely with program and partnership team members, as well as CARE Germany’s Advocacy and Humanitarian Affairs team, to ensure the development and dissemination of targeted and measurable advocacy messages and communications.

Role Responsibilities and Tasks:

• Follow up and advice on the national legislation related to humanitarian assistance in Ukraine. Define, in collaboration with the Country Director, pathways to influence policy making.
• Lead the development and implementation of an advocacy strategy, working closely with Country Director, program colleagues, and partner organizations to further CARE’s mission to advance key protection and assistance priorities in Ukraine, with emphasis on women and girls.
• Coordinate with the Country Director, program/partnership teams and regional advocacy colleagues to develop and regularly update key public and private advocacy messages, campaigns, position papers, and documents in line with strategic advocacy objectives in Ukraine.
• Represent CARE in the Ukraine NGO advocacy working group, as well as cultivate relationships with other civil society actors and developing partnerships and coordination towards achieving joint goals.
• Initiate and actively contribute to joint NGO advocacy positions, messages, and initiatives, as prioritized in the CARE Ukraine advocacy strategy, and with a focus on the perspective of and impact on women and girls.
• Liaise with multiple stakeholders in-country to stay up-to-date on political developments that may influence CARE’s humanitarian operations.
• Advise Country Office on key advocacy issues in Ukraine, and coordinate with Ukraine Regional Response and CARE Germany advocacy focal points to ensure that Country Office and program colleagues remain informed of, and – where appropriate – involved in regional and global level advocacy initiatives.
• Collaborate closely with partner organizations to develop and disseminate relevant positions that support CARE’s operations and the interests of the communities CARE serves.
• Represent CARE Ukraine at meetings, high-level visits, UN meetings, government of Ukraine coordination meetings and cluster and other coordination meetings, as appropriate.

Requirements

• Minimum: Bachelor’s degree in International Relations, Political Science, Foreign Policy, Development Studies, Public Relations or another related field.
• A minimum professional experience of 3-5 years supporting advocacy material.
• Proven analytical and strategic thinking skills and experience leading Governmental Relations’ initiatives in a challenging environment. 
• Evidence of excellent English verbal and written communication skills in a wide range of applications (briefs, press releases, presentations) and for different audiences (donors, policymakers, journalists and ‘general public’).
• Ukrainian mother tongue or fluent communication skills desirable
• Ability to work in a diverse team and on short deadlines: the position requires an individual who is flexible, can work overtime when required, learns quickly and displays initiative.
• Creativity, hands-on attitude and attention to detail.
• Strong commitment to CARE’s humanitarian mission and our principles of gender justice and equality.
• NGO experience desirable.

Accountability

A commitment to CARE values and CARE’s integrity framework is critical to working with CARE. Any candidate offered a job with CARE will be expected to adhere to the following key areas of accountability:

• Comply with CARE’s policies and procedures with respect to safeguarding, code of conduct, health and safety, confidentiality, do no harm principles and unacceptable behaviour protocols.
• Report any concerns about the welfare of a child or vulnerable adult or any wrongdoings within our programming area.
• Report any concerns about inappropriate behaviour of a CARE staff or partner. 

Safeguarding:

Children and vulnerable adults who come into contact with CARE as a result of CARE activities must be safeguarded to the maximum possible extent from deliberate or inadvertent actions and failings that place them at risk of abuse, sexual exploitation, injury, and any other harm. One of the ways that CARE shows this on-going commitment to safeguarding is to include rigorous background and reference checks in the selection process for all candidates.

Gender equality:

CARE is committed to meeting the standards of the CARE International Gender Policy (2019). Through this policy, CARE seeks to promote the equal realization of dignity and human rights for girls, women, boys and men in all diversities, and the elimination of poverty and injustice. Specifically, this policy seeks to improve the explicit incorporation of gender in programmatic and organizational practices.

How to Apply: 

Please send your complete application package (CV, motivation letter, references) only in English to Jo Fox at applications_ukraine @care.de, no later than 17 March 2023 with Government Affairs Coordinator -Lviv as the subject title of your email.   Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Women candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.  References will only be contacted after the interview.