Tiered Approach

In line with the commitment to safeguard capacity and support personnel already in the Organization, a majority of UNDP UNCDF/UNV vacancies are advertised using a tiered application process whereby:

• Tier 0: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV IP staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments, whose posts will be abolished, or contracts will be terminated or not renewed during 2026.
• Tier 1: Other UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments
• Tier 2: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA), personnel on regular PSA contracts, and Expert and Specialist UN Volunteers
• Tier 3 or no tier indicated: All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates

Please make note of the Tier(s) indicated in the vacancy title, if any, and ensure that you satisfy the eligibility to apply.

Background

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is a UN agency that works in about 170 countries and territories, helping eradicate poverty, reduce inequalities and exclusion, and build resilience. It thereby helps them sustain progress and achieve Sustainable Development Goals. In Ukraine, UNDP operates with three programme priorities: Democratic Governance and Inclusive Social Fabric, Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Recovery and Growth, and Sustainable Environment and Energy Transformation.

Since the start of the hostilities in 2014 and the full-scale invasion in 2022, UNDP in Ukraine has been present on the ground, through its hubs around the country, supporting regional and local authorities and civil society partners in their emergency response and crisis management efforts.

Lessons from the past years informed the development of UNDP’s Country Programme Document (2025-2029) and the scale-up of the Area-Based Recovery (ABR) Framework. The Framework’s programmatic pillars of Reconstruction, Returns, Resilience, and Reforms are focused on ensuring community recovery and creating conditions for the return to a development pathway in Ukraine.

To accelerate reconstruction and recovery in Mykolaiv Oblast, aiming to normalize conditions for the current population, support the reintegration of IDPs and returning refugees, and address the specific needs of vulnerable groups to ensure no one is left behind, UNDP, in cooperation with Mykolaiv Oblast and City authorities and the Government of Denmark, has launched the Mykolaiv Strategic Partnership. Partnership interventions are grouped under the following outcomes:

1)    Strengthening the capacities of local authorities to plan and lead the reconstruction and recovery process, fulfil their responsibilities under decentralization reforms, and prepare for the process of EU accession.
2)    Improving living conditions through the physical reconstruction of critical and social infrastructure and increase the provision of and access to quality public services, aligned to strategic plans of authorities.
3)    Facilitating rapid economic recovery to provide sustainable employment or livelihood opportunities.

In this context, the Rule of Law and Access to Justice Officer will provide advisory and technical support on the thematic area workstreams to support the implementation of access to justice initiatives in Mykolaiv Oblast and target areas. Regular duty travel to local communities (hromadas) is required.

The incumbent will accelerate gender equality and women’s empowerment in all implementations and promote UNDP’s mandate as a gender-responsive organization with zero tolerance to any kind of discriminatory and abusive behaviour, including sexual harassment, sexual exploitation and abuse.

Duties and Responsibilities

I. Coordinate effective project planning, implementation and monitoring
•     Contribute to effective Project planning, implementation and monitoring in the area of access to justice, including drafting of relevant Project documents (memos, briefs, talking points, meeting debriefs, minutes), monitoring frameworks, analytical reports.
•     Conduct desk reviews and research on best practices regarding women’s and men’s access to justice in Ukraine and internationally; analyze statistical data and draft conclusions and recommendations.
•     Monitor legislative and policy developments (national and regional strategies/action plans) relevant to access to justice.
•     Prepare analytical papers on access to justice reforms, decentralization, and implementation at local level.
•     Provide technical review and inputs to research commissioned by the Project on access to justice, rule of law, community security, and youth engagement.
•     Coordinate and oversee the implementation of the Project small-grants facility by assessing proposals and ensuring the quality of outputs produced by beneficiaries.
•     Support national institutions in developing and implementing action plans to strengthen access to justice for women and men.
•     Pilot innovative or alternative forms of access to justice within the national legal framework.
•     Support the management in developing TORs, concept notes, fundraising briefs and other documentation to operationalize and steer programmatic initiatives and activities.
•     Contribute to Project donor reports and on M&E activities.

II. Establish partnerships and open channels of communication
•     Liaise with Project partners and facilitate communication on Project-related activities including organizing joint thematic learning and networking events on access to justice topics, focusing on the needs and experiences of women and men.
•     Develop and maintain close working relationships with local Civil Society and community groups, including those working on the issues of gender equality, to facilitate project implementation, as well as identify issues, risks, priorities, and opportunities that support effective project monitoring and implement small grant activities.
•     Initiate, support and coordinate establishment of local and regional networks of civil society, security and justice service providers and local administrations representatives for regular exchange of the best practices and lessons learned in women’s and men’s access to justice.
•     Create and facilitate a strong connection and experience sharing on expert level and organizational level with national and foreign organizations and networks working on access to justice.

III. Facilitate knowledge and capacity building, knowledge sharing and advocacy relevant to the assigned thematic area
•     Strengthen capacities of local, regional and national actors on access to justice focusing on the situation of women and men, including judicial mediation.
•     Ensure systematic collection and analysis of monitoring data disaggregated by sex, age and other identifiers.
•     Monitor the key interventions of the project on access to justice particularly for vulnerable groups such as IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons), veterans, girls and boys, elderly persons, and survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).
•     Identify trends using project mapping and available data sources, synthesize and document best practices and lessons learned that are generated from the project and implementing partners.
•     Contribute to external communication, including press releases, information notes, news articles, blogs, and social media content.

IV. Ensure the mainstreaming of gender equality and women’s empowerment considerations in the field of expertise, and promoting a safe, enabling environment free of discrimination and abusive behaviour in line with corporate standards
•     Assist with ensuring the Programme contributes to the promotion of gender equality by reaching, involving, and benefiting both women and men.
•     Use the principles of gender-responsive communications in line with the UNDP corporate standards.
•     Be aware of relevant gender issues and concerns in the field of expertise.
•     Support the promotion of team culture of gender equality and zero tolerance to any sexual misconduct in the team through leadership and personal example.
•     Demonstrate respect for gender equality in professional interactions, identify and address sexism and gender discrimination.
•     Assist with informing and briefing personnel and partners about corporate sexual harassment and sexual exploitation and abuse policies.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

    Institutional Arrangement

The Rule of Law and Access to Justice Officer will work under the direct supervision of the Rule of Law Specialist and the overall guidance of the Head of ABR. The incumbent will closely cooperate with colleagues in the ABR Rule of Law thematic team, including other access to justice thematic experts to ensure coordination across the portfolio. 
 

Competencies

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Law, International Relations, Political Science, Social Science or related field is required; or
• A first-level degree (Bachelor’s degree) in the areas stated above in combination with additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• Minimum 2 years (with Master’s degree) or 4 years (with Bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience in the field of access to justice, law enforcement, legal aid, or rule of law or related area.
• Experience in the use of computers, office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and web-based management systems, and advanced knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages.
• Demonstrated professional experience in implementing access to justice or rule of law initiatives at national, oblast, or community level.
• Proven experience in coordinating or managing justice related projects, including preparation of analytical reports, briefs, monitoring frameworks, or small grant oversight.
• Experience in building partnerships or facilitating cooperation with justice sector actors, local authorities, civil society, or community groups.
• Practical experience delivering or supporting capacity building for justice, legal aid, police, or community level actors (e.g., trainings, workshops, mentoring, knowledge products).
   

Required Language(s) :    

•  Fluency in Ukrainian and English is required

Other  

• Ability and readiness to undertake regular field missions to project locations in target oblast(s).

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination. 

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles. 

Right to select multiple candidates

UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Scam alert

UNDP does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process. For further information, please see www.undp.org/scam-alert.