Project Manager - Legal (Ukraine)

Permanent employee, Part-time · Ukraine

Background

Type of employment: part-time (20 hrs/week, 4 hrs/day)
Start Date: 1 October 2024
Location: Kyiv, Ukraine
Contract duration: 24 months with the possibility of extension
Application deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until position is filled

Democracy Reporting International (DRI) is a non-partisan, independent, not-for-profit organization registered in Berlin. It promotes the political participation of citizens, accountability of state bodies, and the development of democratic institutions worldwide.

DRI has supported Ukraine’s democratic transformation since 2014 through an office in Kyiv and work across the country. DRI frequently collaborates with central and local government authorities and enjoys wide networks among civil society, think tanks, universities, and Ukraine’s international partners. Our work in Ukraine focuses on four important areas:

Enhancing democracy in Ukraine through legal alignment to EU standards, trust-building, and grassroots empowerment;
Strengthening Ukraine’s state institutions in the face of war;
Building an expert dialogue on challenges to democracy and possible solutions during wartime;
Strengthening the political engagement of youth within their communities, supporting IDPs and community engagement for a resilient democratic future.

To help drive this work, DRI is currently recruiting a part-time (50% level of involvement) Project Manager for its Country Office in Kyiv, Ukraine to coordinate the project focused on bolstering Ukrainian legal capacity to meet EU justice standards in preparation for EU accession negotiations. Over a two-year period, technical support will be provided to the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) of Ukraine. The project will deliver gap analyses, upskilling, translation and interpretation of acquis, and transparency of outputs to assist other stakeholders. The initiative aims to significantly improve Ukraine's legal capacity and bring it closer to EU standards, thereby accelerating the EU accession process.

DRI is searching for an experienced professional with excellent program management skills in the democratic development sector, deep knowledge of Ukraine’s EU accession process, with legal education, experience in law-making work, state institutions and with the ability to fit into DRI’s culture of delivery, excellence, impact and teamwork.

Your tasks

In collaboration with, and under the supervision of the Country Director - Ukraine, you will oversee and contribute to the entirety of the project cycle, while ensuring compliance with donor commitments, internal DRI policies and the objectives of the DRI Ukraine office. The successful candidate will collaborate closely with international experts, particularly those based in the EU.

More specifically, through collaboration between DRI, partners, and the Ministry of Justice the Project Manager will be responsible for the following tasks:

Supporting coordination (where necessary and as designated by the Coutnry Director) between the donor, DRI, partners, consultants/ experts and the MoJ;
Managing the implementation of project activities and expert deliverables.
Leading on designated activities, including development of concept notes and agendas, coordinating activity logistics with the administration team.
Coordinating the translation of EU acquis and materials of other international organisations containing standards to be reflected in Ukrainian legislation;
Coordinating expert and technical assistance in preparing the approximation of Ukrainian legislation to EU law, including compliance tables and interpretation of EU case law.
Contributing to implementation of other project activities, including expert support to the MoJ in preparation for and during the negotiation process.
Managing project budget, in cooperation with the Finance, HR and Administration colleagues inside country office and at HQ level.
Carrying out procurement and ensuring its compliance with DRI and donor standards.
Supporting the Country Director in risk management tasks, related to the project activities.
Leading on designated activities’ monitoring and evaluation, including preparation of reports, reviewing feedback and tracking outputs.

Your skills and experience

Required:

Master’s Degree in law or a related field;
At least three years of relevant/progressive work with the development of legislative acts, professional experience managing projects related to democracy development, legal consulting.
Sound knowledge of international democracy and human rights standards;
Good understanding of EU institutions and the accession process;
Strong administrative track record, including financial management;
Strong communication, presentation, and negotiation skills;
Fluency in English and Ukrainian;
Experience of working with state authorities;
An entrepreneurial start-up mind-set, with an ability to get things off the ground quickly;
The ability to work as part of a diverse team;
Proactive attitude and attention to details;

Preferred:

Experience with international non-profit organisations.
Work experience in adapting Ukrainian legislation to EU standards Background in local governance and civil society-focused projects.
Experience in implementing training activities.

What we offer

DRI offers you:

Flexible working hours
Mobile work model
30 days of paid annual leave
Vocational training for every employee

Application Instructions

If you are interested in this position, please submit your application (cover letter and CV) here. This position is subject to funding. Applying for this position by post mail is possible, please find our address details below.

Applications are open until the position is filled.

DRI is committed to diversity and treats everybody equally, independent of gender identity, sex, pregnancy, race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, age, ability, socio-economic status, political opinion (as long as respectful of democratic principles), or any other status protected by the laws in the locations where we operate.
Organization responsible for this vacancy:
Democracy Reporting International gGmbH
Elbestr. 28 / 29
12045 Berlin, Germany

Data processing of personal data in third countries will not take place. We process your data in accordance with the provisions of § 26 German Federal Data Protection Act. More information about processing your personal data: privacy policy .

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About us

Democracy Reporting International (DRI) is an international, not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation committed to political participation and democratic governance around the world. DRI headquarters (HQ) is located in Berlin; DRI has country offices in Pakistan, Tunisia, Lebanon, and Democratic Republic of Congo and works with local partners in a number of other countries. The working language is English.