The National Democratic Institute for International Affairs 

Countering Disinformation Program:

The National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) is a non-profit organization working to strengthen democracy worldwide. NDI programs in Ukraine are supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Sweden, Canada, the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and the United Kingdom Good Governance Fund.

NDI-Ukraine is currently seeking to fill the position of Program Assistant for the Countering Disinformation Program, based in Kyiv. 

About the Countering Disinformation Program:

Disinformation thwarts the democratic aspirations of Ukrainians by denying them the right to make informed decisions about their future, exacerbating existing societal divides and fueling cynicism about political life. Since 2017, NDI has conducted iterative rounds of sophisticated qualitative and quantitative public opinion research to better understand the impact of disinformation on Ukrainians. 

The program aims to identify audiences vulnerable to disinformation and work with partners to build their resilience, understand what specific countermeasures are most likely to be effective with particular segments of the audience, and increase the capacities of democratic actors to protect vulnerable groups of citizens against disinformation. 

In its programming, NDI aims to increase the resilience of Ukrainians against disinformation by partnering with local and international organizations working on disinformation, the Ukrainian Government, media organizations, CSOs, and political parties, and works on facilitating effective and productive dialogue among these actors.

Job Title: Program Assistant, NDI Ukraine, Kyiv-based position

Task and Responsibilities:

• •  Assist in arranging logistics for NDI activities, including online and in-person conferences, workshops, study visits, and consultations for NDI’s civil society, media, and governmental partners;

• •  Contribute to the design and development of all the program activities and events, including qualitative and quantitative public opinion polls;

• •  Prepare meeting/activities notes, background information, and briefing papers when needed;

• •  Assist with and provide backup for the day-to-day operations of the program, responding to routine program inquiries, ensuring prompt and accurate internal communication;

• •  Cultivate and maintain regular communication with program partners, participants, and vendors;

• •  Contribute to the analysis of the information context in Ukraine, which may include monitoring the national and international media and developing regular newsletters and desk research; 

• •  Provide oral interpretation and written translation from English into Ukrainian and vice versa as required;

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

• •  Work with the NDI’s Subgrants team to support project implementing partners;

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

• •  Prepare drafts of contributions to weekly, quarterly and annual reports under the supervisor’s review and edits;

• •  Perform other duties as assigned by the manager or supervisors.

Qualifications and Requirements:

• •  Bachelor’s Degree in Communications, Political Science, Social Sciences, International Relations, or related fields;

• •  Two years of relevant work experience in a related field is preferred;

• •  Familiarity with trends relevant to Ukraine’s information environment, including the media landscape, malign foreign influence tactics, and media consumption trends;

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

• •  Demonstrated experience with logistical and administrative support functions;

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

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

• •  Strong computer skills (Microsoft Office Programs, Google Workspace, Zoom);

• •  Demonstrated interest or experience in quantitative or qualitative research desired.

Interested applicants should submit CVs and motivation letters in English by email to the following email address: [email protected]. Please indicate the position (CD Program Assistant) you are applying for in the subject line of the e-mail.

The deadline for the submission of the required documents is September 17, 2023. Only selected candidates will be invited for a written test and a subsequent 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.