Chemonics International, an international development consulting firm, implementing USAID/OTI’s Ukraine Confidence Building Initiative (UCBI) Project seeks a Program Development Officer (PDO).  The position will be based in Slovyansk or Kramatorsk, Ukraine.

USAID’s Ukraine Confidence Building Initiative (UCBI) complements ongoing USAID efforts to create a prosperous and stable Ukraine.  The program provides fast, flexible, short-term assistance to Ukrainian partners in support of a successful, peaceful democratic transition and in promotion of community cohesion in the wake of the conflict in the East.

The program’s overarching objectives are to:

• Increase capacity of vulnerable local communities to manage tensions exacerbated by the conflict in the East;
• Increase constructive engagement between government and citizens in vulnerable communities and;
• Increase citizen resilience against divisive and biased information.

Responsibilities for this position include:

• Proactively develop grant activities which have a high likelihood of achieving impact in respond to the current social and political situation in Ukraine and UCBI’s objectives.
• Develop, cultivate, and maintain strong working relationships with UCBI stakeholders, including local government authorities, networks of activists, non-government organizations, and other critical members of the communities UCBI works in.
• Develop and finalize multiple activities, on an ongoing basis, in a fast-paced and highly variable environment.
• Provide technical assistance to grantees and potential grantees as required, during the activity preparation stage and in the implementation phase in coordination with other staff. 
• Use the project systems for tracking and detailing activities, and liaise with relevant staff to ensure that grant implementation, compliance, and procurement requirements are adhered to. 
• Monitor implementation and evaluate grantee progress/performance, and coordinate with assistance recipients and other staff to prepare, review, and approve monitoring and evaluation data and final reports.
• Work collaboratively with senior project management and USAID.
• As needs dictate, the Chief of Party and Regional Program Manager may assign ad hoc special tasks and duties to the PDO to ensure the overall efficient implementation of UCBI activities.

Qualifications

• Prior experience working in Ukrainian civil society, or with international donors to implement technical assistance programs is required. (This is not an entry level position)
• High proficiency in oral and written English, Russian, and Ukrainian required.

• Demonstrated ability to design activities with project stakeholders that are relevant in the current social/political context in Ukraine and have a high likelihood of achieving impact against UCBI’s project objectives.
• Prior experience working with grants and grantees in Ukraine highly desirable.
• An up-to-date understanding and knowledge of the political environment and social conditions in Ukraine. Prior experience in Northern Donetsk highly desirable.
• Experience and/or understanding of donor organizations, preferably USAID, and local civil society organizations.
• Strong organizational, management, and administrative skills.
• Ability to work in a team and independently with minimal supervision, to prioritize multiple work assignments in an extremely fast-paced environment, to meet deadlines, and to exercise good, professional judgment that reflects positively on the image of the UCBI program.
• Ability and willingness to travel throughout eastern Ukraine. i.e., liberated cities in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia.
• Working proficiency in office computer applications, including MS Word, and Excel.
• University/Baccalaureate degree required.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

Send electronic submissions to [email protected] by Friday, August 12, 2016. Please insert the position you are applying for (“Program Development Officer-Northern Donetsk”) in the subject line and include your CV, cover letter/statement of interest explaining interest in and qualifications for the job, and the names and contact information of three (3) professional references. No telephone inquiries, please. Candidates will be considered on a rolling basis and only finalists will be contacted. Interested prospective applicants are encouraged to visit UCBI’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/USAIDUCBI/.