Department(s): Parliamentary

Job Title: Senior Program Assistant 

Reports to: Program Manager 

Location: Kyiv, Ukraine

Application Deadline: November 7, 2021

The National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) is a non-profit organization working to strengthen democracy worldwide. NDI programs are supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), UK, Sweden, Canada, the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and other donors. NDI and its partners have been working in Ukraine since 1992.

Position Summary: The National Democratic Institute (NDI) seeks a Senior Program Assistant (SPA) to support the Parliamentary program in Ukraine. With the support of USAID and in close partnership with the European Parliament, NDI is working with the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to strengthen and promote cross-party cooperation, consensus building, coalition building and capacity of parliamentary factions, individual MPs and parliamentary staff. The SPA will be responsible for providing advanced logistical and administrative support for the implementation of program activities under the supervision of the program manager, and ultimately the Resident Country Director. This position requires a high degree of discretion, strong organizational skills, good judgement, and an interest in political analysis. Working proficiency in English is required.

Job Responsibilities:

• With general guidance from supervisor, work with increasing independence to support routine implementation functions of NDI’s parliamentary program activities in Ukraine; 

• Independently arrange logistics for NDI activities, such as parliamentary consensus-building exercises, workshops, study visits and consultations for Members of the Parliament and parliamentary staff. This could also include communicating with participants, supporting visiting consultants, coordinating participant travel, arranging activity venues and accommodations, preparing supplies and printed materials, among other tasks;

• Support the development of program materials by conducting research, participating in brainstorming sessions, compiling background/briefing materials for external consultants, translating materials, etc.;

• Work with NDI’s Administration and Finance team to prepare payments and reconciliations of program expenditures;

• Provide high-quality written translation and oral interpretation for Ukrainian to English and vice versa;

• Act as a trusted liaison for communicating  with Members of Parliament, parliamentary staff and other local and international stakeholders to convey and receive key information about ongoing technical support efforts and activity preparation; 

• Update and adapt with limited oversight or guidance tracking documents, contact databases, electronic filing to capture requisite program information;

• Contribute general analysis of political and civic context in Ukraine, which may include monitoring the national and international media, developing regular newsletters and preparing oral and written updates/analysis; 

• Perform complex monitoring and evaluation tasks for program activities, in line with NDI’s performance monitoring framework;

• Prepare drafts of contributions to reports under supervisor’s review and edits; and  

• Perform other duties as assigned by the Senior Program Manager, or other managers.

Qualifications/Requirements: 

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university required, preferably in political science, social sciences, international relations or related field; 

• Two years experience in a related field is required;

• Ability to provide general analysis of trends in Ukrainian politics and identify intersections with NDI programs; 

• High-level organizational skills with clear attention to detail;

• Demonstrated experience applying established organizational and donor policies to logistical and administrative support functions;

• Fluency in Ukrainian is required; Advanced  written and oral communication skills in English are required;

• Increasing ability to work both independently and as a member of a team;

• Working knowledge of Google Apps (Gmail, Calendar, Google Drive, and G+), and PC-based word processing and spreadsheet applications; 

• Willingness to work beyond usual working hours, when necessary; and

• Ability to travel within and outside Ukraine, when necessary.

Submission Guidelines: Suitable and qualified candidates are requested to send a CV and motivation letter in English to the following email address: [email protected], with the subject line (Ref: Senior Program Assistant - Parliamentary). Your CV and motivation letter should demonstrate your interest and qualifications for this position, and be submitted as a single PDF file. 

Deadline: The deadline for submitting applications is November 7, 2021. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for the written assessment, and finalists only will be invited for an interview.

NDI welcomes and supports a diverse, inclusive work environment. As such, our commitment is to promote equal employment opportunities for all applicants seeking employment and employees. NDI makes employment decisions based on organizational needs, job requirements and individual qualifications without regard to any grounds such as age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, etc.