Stakeholder and Partnership Specialist at IREX

Who We Are

 At IREX we strive for a more just, prosperous, and inclusive world—where individuals reach their full potential, governments serve their people and communities thrive.

But around the globe, persistent poverty, repression, and injustice prevent too many people form achieving their full potential.  To address these problems, we focus on people, not on vaccines, roads, or wells. We support individuals and institutions to create change in their own communities—and to create person to person bridges between nations.

IREX works with partners in more than 100 countries in four areas essential to progress: cultivating leaders, empowering youth, strengthening institutions, and increasing access to quality education and information.

IREX Ukraine seeks an experienced, innovative and collaborative Stakeholder and Partnership Specialist (SPS) for the Ukraine National Identity Through Youth (UNITY) Program, funded by USAID and implemented by IREX. This activity supports youth innovation and entrepreneurship, fosters active participation in decision-making processes, and facilitates youth engagement in problem solving at the national and local levels.  Through fostering an enabling environment and restoring access to formal and non-formal educational opportunities, the program empowers young people to realize their dreams, ideas, and contributions towards Ukraine’s democratic and European future.

Working in close collaboration with technical teams under the supervision of Strategic Communications Manager, the Stakeholder and Partnership Specialist coordinates UNITY cooperation with key stakeholders, including national and local governments, youth-led NGOs, educational institutions, and private sector. S/he will identify opportunities for transferring UNITY-generated tools, resources, and methodologies to relevant, reliable, and capable partners to facilitate sustainability of UNITY results and transfer of knowledge to local actors, as well as help translate proven solutions into policies that support youth development. S/he will spearhead new and existent partnerships to achieve UNITY’s objectives, including partnerships with the private sector, CSOs, local philanthropists, regional foundations, and municipalities. The Stakeholder and Partnership Specialist will ensure that other donor/implementer programs are appropriately leveraged and identify new relationships with CSOs, local government and private sector using his/her knowledge in understanding of Ukraine’s political economy and local networks in youth development. The SPS will work as part of UNITY Communications team and contribute to communicating results and impact of the Program. S/he will maintain a broad understanding of UNITY’s comparative advantage and operating environment in Ukraine. This is a role that combines communications, strategy, program design and development, and coalition and relationship building.

Are you the next member of our team?

Your Background & Skills

• Bachelor’s Degree in business administration, public policy, sociology, international affairs, education, or a related field.
• Minimum of 3+ years of relevant experience
• Experience of working on policy issues in Ukraine and strong advocacy skills.
• Experience in partnerships for an international NGO is a plus, including government relations, experience working on programs focused on youth, education, and/or employment/entrepreneurship preferred.
• Very good command of English Language and Ukrainian is required.
• Demonstrated network of international and local public and private sector representatives.
• Ability to think and plan strategically in the context of broad organizational goals.
• Superb organizational and communications skills, particularly public speaking.
• Ability to translate strategy and shape complex, innovative ideas into concrete initiatives with the people, revenue, and partners necessary to achieve results.
• Demonstrated skills in solving problems in fast-paced environments, including development of strong coalitions.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and clients simultaneously under tight deadlines.
• Demonstrated commitment to creating a learning environment within a program.
• Must demonstrate valid proof of unrestricted work authorization in Ukraine.

Your Daily Tasks

• Coordinate cooperation with existing UNITY stakeholders: government, private sector, local and international NGOs, other donors supporting youth or youth-related areas. Keep them informed about UNITY work and outcomes, facilitate synergies and avoid duplication of efforts, identify opportunities for joint initiatives.
• Identify and build relationships with stakeholders that have interest, potential, and capability to sustain, use, and carry on practices and approaches developed by UNITY. Work out the most effective formats for transferring program knowledge and resources to make them beneficial to Ukrainian youth beyond the duration of UNITY Program.
• Track Ukrainian laws, regulations, frameworks, standards, and other government policies designed to support youth as civically and economically active citizens to ensure that all UNITY activities are compliant with current guidance, and to engage policy makers to identify areas of public policy improvement.
• Coordinate UNITY advocacy efforts for the policy changes that support UNITY goals.
• Ensure that UNITY data and research is packaged and disseminated to reach and inform the maximum number of local, regional and national-level policymakers, and that appropriate trainings, workshops, and forums engage policymakers and civil society actors to build their skills in using reliable data for decision making related to youth.
• Propose partnership activities: justify, plan, coordinate, and oversee efforts that would communicate UNITY results and impact and sustain UNITY-initiated practices and approaches.
• Organize presentations and events, assist with presentation and dissemination of program data collected by IREX and UNITY partners to external audiences.
• Work closely with all UNITY Teams to ensure that UNITY results are captured, highlighted, packaged, and positioned to demonstrate Program impact.
• Design, oversee, or execute as needed, the organization of strategic events.
• Continually assess national and regional markets for partnership and business opportunities and help prepare plans to capture them.
• Promote IREX’s participation and represent IREX in conferences and industry functions, identify/facilitate speaking opportunities for self or other IREX experts.
• Identify potential local and private sector resources to provide in-kind and other forms of cost-share for UNITY activities across all objectives.
• Build and manage relationships with influencers and opinion leaders to promote program opportunities and/or demonstrate Program impact.
• Provide, if required, programmatic oversight to selected subgrants and small grants/awards:

1. Provide day-to-day programmatic support;
2. In collaboration with Grants Manager, MEL Specialist, GESI Advisor, lead selection and awarding process for subgrantees;
3. Oversee project performance, specifically analyze the successful completion of short and long-term goals;
4. Liaise with grant/finance manager on reporting and compliance;
5. Identify and draft subgrants and small grants/awards success stories and support production of high-quality communication materials;
6. Participate in preparation of program reports for the donor and internal ones.

• Facilitate the identification, selection, and effective management of consultants for activities associated with partnerships management.
• Prepare activity and program reports, regular updates, success stories.
• Develop and maintain partnerships databases.
• Travel as needed
• Other duties as assigned.

We conduct background checks on all successful candidates.

This position is based in Kyiv, Ukraine and is eligible for telework.

This position is not eligible for Immigration Sponsorship.

NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE

EOE – Equal Opportunity Employer

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/veterans.

To Apply:
Interested candidates are asked to send CVs and Cover letters as soon as possible, indicating position title in the subject line.

Application Deadline:  The Position is open until filled. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Only applicants selected for interviews will be contacted.

2025-01-03T17:11:44.000 2025-02-02T23:59:59.000 Full time / Повна зайнятість TELECOMMUTE Україна IREX