National liaison officer

Job Description

Position: National Liaison Officer

Location: Kyiv, Ukraine with possibility of frequent business trips

Job Overview

The National Liaison Officer is a key member of the Ukraine Country Team reporting directly to the Country Director.

The main goal of this position is to support the Country Director in liaison and communications with the government at ministerial level and with authorities at the oblast and municipal levels to build and maintain strong and strategic relationships that will enable and support the implementation of programming in Ukraine.

Tasks

· Assist and advise Country Director in identifying and developing working relations with relevant authorities at the ministerial, oblast and municipal levels.

· Advise on official protocol in all issues regarding liaison, representation, systems and processes.

· Develop a liaison strategy to present IRC at a national level, oblast and municipal levels, and suggest new strategic relationships as and when appropriate.

· Assist the Country Director and senior managers in engaging with relevant authorities, representing IRC and presenting the IRC, our mission, principles and humanitarian response strategy in Ukraine.

· Facilitate meetings, provide briefings on protocols, draft talking points and accompany IRC representatives to relevant meetings.

· Represent IRC in key stakeholder and coordination meetings.

· Act as official meeting interpreter and note taker, as and when needed.

· Set up and maintain complete liaison tracker, with meeting schedules, meeting notes, follow-up points and other relevant information.

· Prepare letters, agreements and MoUs between IRC and relevant authorities, in close coordination with the partnerships team and legal team.

· Work closely with the communication team to build and maintain positive relationships with both duty bearers and rights holders.

· Provide guidance to the local government support components of the programs, including the drafting and review of relevant documentation and agreements.

· Monitor government policies and practices in view of ensuring that the programme maintains its alignment with the legal framework for standards, norms and processes.

· With the Deputy Director of Programs, develop and reinforce relationships and networks between the program and key government and civil service stakeholders at the national, and local levels.

· Any other relevant tasks requested by the Country Director and SMT.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

Mandatory:

· BA degree or equivalent in International Development or Affairs, Finance, Business or related field; Advanced degree a plus – or equivalent work experience

· A proven and successful track record that features 7-10 years experience in working in coordination, community development, local governance and decentralization, and/or institution strengthening.

· Knowledgeable of Ukrainian government protocols and experience of liaising with government ministries and departments

· Excellent communication, networking, interpersonal and presentation skills required

· Minimum of 1 years’ experience with UN/NGOs inside Ukraine

· Minimum of 3 years’ experience with public administration in Ukraine

· Highly organized, close attention to detail, and ability to effectively prioritize tasks in a fluid environment

· Ability to work well independently but also coordinate with other teams

· Willingness to travel frequently to field offices and partner locations

· Professional fluency in spoken and written English and Ukrainian and/or Russian; able to communicate concisely.

· Functional English writing and editing skills; strong computer skills.

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to: Country Director

Other Internal and/or external contacts: the position regularly corresponds and attends meetings with external and internal audiences, thus a strong ability to communicate and maintain positive working relationships is highly desirable for this position.

Internal: Senior Management Team, Programme Team, Admin Team

External: Government and local authorities

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Qualifications