Аналітик/иня зі сприяння регіонального експорту

Location: Kyiv (hybrid)
Expected start date: 14.03.2026
Duration of assignment: 14.03.2026 – 30.10.2026
Number of working days:  up to 90 days

Background

Swiss-Ukrainian project “Ukraine’s Cohesion and Regional Development, UCORD” implemented with the support of Switzerland via the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation by NIRAS Sweden AB.     

UCORD aims for citizens, businesses, and public authorities to contribute and equally benefit from recovery actions and coherent regional development that fosters improved quality of life, resilience, peace, and social cohesion in Ukraine. The project currently supports six pilot oblasts of Ukraine: Khmelnytskyi, Sumy, Ternopil, Vinnytsia, Volyn and Odesa oblasts as the starting points, targeting capacity development and awareness-raising initiatives nationwide. UCORD consists of three components:

Component 1 embeds regional policy development in Ukraine by supporting and strengthening Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) in pilot oblasts.

Component 2 seeks to improve public service delivery in the WASAW (water supply, sanitation, and waste management) sector, focusing on the environment.

Component 3 aims to construct social cohesion through culture, dialogue, and creative industries.

In 6 pilot oblasts, RDAs are taking on a more structured role in supporting regional economic development, including mapping strengths, facilitating cluster and industrial zone development, and supporting SMEs. However, businesses consistently highlight a lack of structured guidance on export processes and market-entry requirements. This initiative responds to that gap by positioning RDAs as focal points for stakeholder coordination, export mapping, and piloting structured export case-management. With technical support delivered through UCORD in cooperation with EEPO, RDAs will strengthen their capacity to fulfill this role, informing the expansion of regional export support in UCORD Phase 2.  

To address these needs, UCORD is looking for an expert who will provide comprehensive export consultancy focusing on RDA SME Support schemes. This involves strengthening RDA capacity through effective stakeholder coordination mechanisms and building the competencies of RDAs and BSOs to support SMEs in developing export capabilities. Additionally, the expert will coordinate exporter mapping, review the regional export ecosystems, and provide recommendations on support instruments for each region. The assignment also includes delivering individual advisory support to businesses on access to international markets and providing ongoing mentoring to RDA teams to effectively respond to export-related requests

In this context, under Component 1, UCORD is looking to engage Regional export promotion analyst, who is expected to perform the following tasks:

• The expert will coordinate the SMEs Needs Assessment and Exporter Mapping in collaboration with other project experts.
• The expert will coordinate structured surveys to identify needs, challenges, and capacity gaps faced by SMEs entering or expanding into export markets.
• The expert will conduct targeted consultations with SMEs and cluster leaders to validate export barriers and prioritize support needs, establishing a baseline of regional export readiness.
• The expert will perform an ecosystem mapping exercise to identify regional organizations involved in business and export support, analyzing their services and identifying gaps or overlaps.
• The expert will provide mentorship and capacity building for 6 pilot RDAs and BSOs to strengthen their ability to support SMEs in developing export capabilities.
• The expert will develop templates, methodologies, and deliver practical workshops and group coaching sessions, including support for the introduction of export case-management services.
• The expert will identify priority sectors and clusters in each pilot oblast, assessing the specific barriers and opportunities for SMEs in international markets.
• The expert will conduct training sessions for SMEs in 6 pilot oblasts, focusing on export support tools and techniques for researching foreign markets.
• The expert will participate in working meetings, consultations, and the preparation of information and presentation materials related to the assignment.

Candidate Qualifications

Education & Knowledge:

A master’s degree in public administration, Economics, Law, Finance, or an associated field.

Experience:

• A minimum of 10 years of professional expertise in export promotion, SME development and business support activities.
• An understanding of the operations of Regional Development Agencies and previous experience in mentoring and implementing joint projects with RDAs.
• A proven track record in research of regional development and consulting SMEs on export promotion.
• Minimum 5 years of training experience
• Minimum 5 years of project management experience
• Experience in assisting businesses in various export issues faced by Ukrainian SMEs
• Experience in project reporting and monitoring

Skills:

• Knowledge of the Ukrainian regional institutional landscape and familiarity with the trade environment
• Deep understanding of EU funding approaches
• Excellent writing skills in Ukrainian
• Ability to organize and deliver consultative processes with a wide range of stakeholders, with special attention to subnational government entities and local self-government bodies.
• Excellent research and analytical abilities

• Fluency in English

The proposal should contain the following documents: 

• A cover letter demonstrating the candidate’s suitability for the position and summarizing relevant experience.
• An up-to-date curriculum vitae (CV) detailing qualifications and professional experience, including a minimum of three contact references.
• The preferred daily rate.
• Note: Candidates must be registered as a Private Entrepreneur (PE), 3rd group, as this is required for contract signing.
• Interested applicants should send their proposals to [email protected] no later than April 11, 2026