Міжнародний проект «Підтримка природно-заповідних територій в Україні» шукає асистента. Дедлайн - 12 жовтня 2018 р. (далі - англ.).

1. Background information

Ukraine is the second largest country in Europe covering an area of 603,700 km2. Its specific geographical location at the cross-roads of different ecoregions and its diverse geomorphology, climate, and topography account for an extremely rich fauna and flora hosting around 35% of Europe’s biodiversity. However, a significant part of the natural values in Ukraine suffers from human impact. One of the main threats is the degradation,
fragmentation and destruction of natural habitats mainly resulting from the utilisation of land for agricultural production, forest plantations and infrastructure development. Increased fragmentation of natural ecosystems has significantly decreased the ability for natural maintenance of biodiversity and has facilitated the spread of invasive species. The second major threat to biodiversity is unsustainable use of natural resources. This is caused by
intensified agriculture, unsustainable management of water courses and coastal areas, illegal hunting and fishing and - last but not least - the huge pressure on natural timber resources. This leads to the degradation of large tracts of old growth or even primeval forests and related ecosystem functions and threatens the entire biodiversity in the Carpathian Mountains.
Underlying causes for these negative trends include rural poverty, lack of alternative income opportunities, the absence of adequate incentives for sustainable use of natural resources, inadequate governance, lack of enforcement of existing policies and laws and insufficient human capacities and resources in the relevant state agencies.
The objective of the Project is to improve management and effectiveness of selected Protected Areas (PAs) in Ukraine as well as to increase or maintain at a high level the acceptance of PAs in local communities.
The project is delivered within the framework of the German Financial Cooperation (FC) and is being financed by the German Ministry of Economical Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through the KfW Development Bank. The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources (MENR) of Ukraine is responsible for the overall implementation and operation of the project. The
project is delivered through an international consortium composed of AHT GROUP AG (lead), Danube-Carpathian Program of WWF International, Frankfurter Zoological Society and the Ukrainian Society for the Protection of Birds (USPB).

2. Description of the position and terms

The implementation of this project requires a smooth operation through reliable and continuous technical and administrative management activities, especially within the project office in Lviv. The Project and Office Assistant (POA) is member of the Project implementation Unit (PIU) and under the guidance of the Team Leader. The POA maintains also close working relationship with other members of the team as well as the pool of short term international and national experts and coordinates and implements all administrative tasks of the project and supports the project in any administrative aspects. The POA is employed on full time basis.
The expected time for commencement of the assignment is as soon as possible (with a beginning phase of 2 years including the possibility of prolongation, totaling up to 43 months on full time basis).

3. Main duties and responsibilities

The Project and Office Assistant is responsible for organizing and implementing but also overlooking all administrative activities of the project including (but not limited) to the following:
• Co-support and overlook all day-to-day administrative and technical tasks of the project and the project office
• Contribute to the overall and daily operation and management of the office and the project
• Provide technical support towards the implementation of project activities but also throughout the development of project reports
• Facilitate the cooperation with the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources (MENR) but also the focal points of the eight target protected areas of the project.
• Support with the preparation and translation of reports and project related documents from English – Ukrainian and vice versa (dominant task).
• Provide logistical support transportation, accommodation, translation,
communication to the expert missions.
• Interpretation English – Ukrainian and vice versa during meetings and workshops.
• Runs the official correspondence of the project and PIU mainly in in-country/local
relations
• Organisational support for workshops, i.e. calculation of costs, booking, list of participants etc., and study tours if in the region

4. Required profile and qualification

All candidates for the position must provide evidence of the following:
Education, knowledge and experience:
• Master degree in either conservation, geography, business administration, economy, linguistics, logistics, other or a nature conservation related field will be considered as an asset, preferably partly international education
• More than three years working experience in the fields of office administration, project administration or related fields
• Preferably international project experience
• Experience in arranging travel arrangements on national and international level
• Experience in organizing events, workshops and conferences
• Excellent oral communication and writing skills in Ukrainian and English
• Experience with using MS Office Software tools
• Good interpersonal and communications skills.
• Ability and interest to work across multiple cultures with tact and diplomacy
• Interest in and passion for conservation

5. How to apply

We invite eligible candidates to express their interest by submitting the following materials to
prove their qualifications to respond to the objectives of this role.
• A cover letter where the applicant shall describe his / her motivation to apply for this position
• A CV with a photo
• List of three reference/referee contacts
Expression of interest should be submitted, in English only, electronically in one combined pdf file to [email protected]
The deadline is 12th October 2018. A shortlist of qualified candidates will be formally invited to an interview on 22nd -26th October 2018 (preliminary dates).