European NGOs working together for conflict resolution in Ukraine

Location: Berlin, with occasional traveling  

Starting date: the earliest date possible, full time (40h per week)

Application deadline: 19 September 2021

The position is within a project “Dialogue for understanding and justice: strengthening civil society’s contribution to conflict resolution in eastern Ukraine” implemented by a Berlin-based NGO DRA e.V. with the financial support from the German Federal Foreign Office.

BACKGROUND:

The international civil society platform CivilMPlus was established in 2017 and has since then united over 25 independent European NGOs and experts for joint actions aimed at conflict resolution in eastern Ukraine. CivilMPlus aims at empowering civil society in its vital role of restoring peace, international law and advocating for human rights protection in eastern Ukraine. The Platform stands firmly on the position that the restoration of Ukraine’s sovereignty and support to its democratic development based on people-centered approaches are the prerequisites for sustainable peace, security, and prosperity in Europe.

Within the framework of the CivilMPlus platform, European NGOs implement joint projects on transitional justice, dialogue, reconciliation, and safe reintegration in eastern Ukraine. In the course of its advocacy and information work, the platform strives to increase the impact of civil society actors on negotiation and decision-making process, and on the process of the release of conflict-related detainees. To the extent possible, CivilMPlus facilitates the rights-based dialogue between civil society and youth in Russia and Ukraine.

The CivilMPlus project work is a part of a bigger project that focuses on strengthening the intersectoral linkages and cooperation between civil society actors in Ukraine and other countries to support the conflict resolution in eastern Ukraine. Other components of the project include monitoring the human rights situation in the conflict zone, promoting strong civil society structures on the local level in the conflict region on the basis of Drukarnia, a civil society center in Sloviansk, information and advocacy work on various levels.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. CivilMPlus development

• Ensuring smooth and effective communication with CivilMPlus members and bodies to advance confidence building, information exchange, agenda setting and joint decision making
• Promoting and coordinating the platform’s strategic development in cooperation with the Board of CivilMPlus
• Supporting the platform’s members with planning and implementing joint activities
• Representing the platform on the international level, promoting joint advocacy and information work on different levels and in different countries.

2. General project management

• Day-to-day coordination with CivilMPlus members who coordinate subprojects and joint activities, to provide advice and administrative support
• Contributing to the strategic project development in cooperation with other project team members and partners
• Communicating with donors, including the work on projects proposals and reports
• Ensuring effective project administration, including the achievements of the targets
• Supporting financial management of the project, participating in budget planning and monitoring activities, control of expenses
• Organizing events, including conferences, seminars and presentations.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

• Experience in the field of strengthening civil society peace-building work/ conflict management, and/or human rights
• Experience in managing complex international projects and events,
• Experience in financial planning and administration of public funds, careful handling of receipts, documents, and figures,
• Experience in applying for funding,
• Work experience in medium-sized and large organizations (NGOs, foundations, administrations, etc.) is welcome.

REGIONAL AND SPECIAL EXPERTISE:

• Strong knowledge of political developments and civil society actors in Ukraine and beyond,
• Knowledge of cooperation formats between civil society and national and international institutional actors such as governments, parliaments, executive bodies, agencies of OSCE, UN, EU and CoE, etc.,
• Good understanding of political context around violent conflict in eastern Ukraine and other post-socialist countries, as well as of international policies of conflict resolution, esp. the ones of Germany, France and the EU,
• Knowledge in methods of mediation is a strong asset,
• Experience in advocacy and diplomatic work is highly appreciated.

OTHER KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:

• High resilience, ability and willingness to quickly familiarize yourself with new tasks and topics,
• Diligence, independence, reliability, ability to act upon an own initiative,
• Excellent communication skills,
• Fluency in Russian and German Is required, good knowledge of English and Ukrainian are a strong asset,
• Strong computer skills, understanding of social media tools,
• Respect for diversity and ability to work in the intercultural environment.

The position is initially limited until March 31, 2023 (the end of the project). An extension will be sought. The position is remunerated with an appropriate NGO salary. CivilM+ and DRA e.V. offer a diverse and international working environment, competent colleagues and room for taking initiative and professional development.

Please, send your CV and a cover letter in ONE PDF document (no larger than 2MB) to [email protected] with the subject ‘CivilMPlus’. The application deadline is September 19, 2021. Interviews online are possible by prior arrangement.

We welcome applications from people with disabilities. For more information, please visit  https://civilmplus.org .