Background
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) works in about 170 countries and territories, helping to eradicate poverty, reduce inequalities and exclusion, and build resilience so that countries can sustain progress. As the United Nations’ development agency, UNDP plays a critical role in helping countries achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The war in Ukraine has resulted in significant loss of life, widespread displacement, and devastating destruction of infrastructure, placing recent socio-economic achievements at risk. In this context, UNDP’s core engagement in Ukraine prioritizes safeguarding development gains, supporting the restoration of critical functions, and facilitating the country’s pathway back toward achieving the SDGs as quickly as possible.
The ongoing war has inflicted profound damage on Ukraine’s economy, infrastructure, and social fabric, creating unprecedented humanitarian and environmental challenges. According to the latest Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA4), released in February 2025, the total cost of reconstruction and recovery amounts to USD 524 billion over the next decade. For 2025, recovery and reconstruction priorities total USD 17.32 billion across public investment projects and non-investment programmes, identified through the Public Investment Management (PIM) system introduced by the Government of Ukraine in 2024. [MG1] These priorities feed into a nationally coordinated pipeline of recovery interventions, relevant to the European Investment Bank (EIB)-funded Ukraine Early Recovery Programme (UERP), Ukraine Recovery Programme (URP), and Ukraine Recovery Programme III (URP-III).
The EIB-funded recovery programmes supported by UNDP Technical Assistance (TA) focus on five recovery priority areas: education facilities, healthcare infrastructure, housing, water and sewage systems, and public/administrative buildings. Since early 2017, UNDP in partnership with the EU and EIB has been providing TA to both UERP and URP with the implementation of 438 sub-projects in more than 170 communities, contributing to the successful completion of 117 sub-projects in 12 oblasts and benefiting around 4 million Ukrainians, including more than 460,000 internally displaced persons and other vulnerable groups.
Building on the successful implementation of previous EIB-financed recovery programmes – the UERP and URP – the new URP III aims at further supporting investments in critical public infrastructure in regions and communities affected by the RF’s military aggression and providing basic public services to affected populations. The UNDP Technical Assistance for the Ukraine Recovery Programme (URP and URP-III) is a 24-month initiative, funded by the EIB. It ensures that EIB-financed recovery investments are delivered efficiently and transparently, in full compliance with the EIB Environmental and Social Standards and the EIB Guide to Procurement, while applying build back better principles and ensuring that no one is left behind.
The UNDP TA team will support the Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine (MDCT) and local authorities in planning, preparation, procurement, implementation, and monitoring of recovery sub-projects across multiple oblasts in Ukraine, with priority given to war-affected communities, addressing critical capacity gaps and operational bottlenecks. UNDP provides integrated technical assistance throughout the sub-project cycle, including engineering and procurement monitoring, environmental and social risk management, financial management support, integrity and anti-corruption measures, and stakeholder engagement. By combining UNDP’s national presence and technical expertise, the UNDP project is expected to accelerate the implementation of over 300 EIB-funded sub-projects, contributing to the restoration of essential public services, strengthening of infrastructure resilience, and improved living conditions for conflict-affected populations, including IDPs and vulnerable groups.
In this regard, UNDP Ukraine invites applications from highly qualified and experienced Ukrainian professional for the post of the Project Manager.
The overall objective of this assignment is to ensure proper management and implementation of project activities within the UERP/URP framework loans provided by the EIB.
The incumbent will 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
The Project Manager will be responsible for overall management, coordination, and delivery of UNDP’s Technical Assistance under theUNDP Technical Assistance to the Final Beneficiaries of the EIB Early Recovery and Ukraine Recovery Programme, ensuring the achievement of planned outputs, adherence to donor requirements, and compliance with UNDP operational standards.
1) Project Management and coordination:
2) Technical Leadership and Oversight
3) Monitoring, reporting, and results management:
4) Ensuring the mainstreaming of gender equality and women’s empowerment considerations in the field of expertise:
5) Partnerships, communication, and visibility:
The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
4. Institutional Arrangement
The Project Manager reports to the Team Leader, Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development Portfolio, and works under overall guidance of the Deputy Resident Representative.
The PM will supervise the EIB Technical Assistance team (Operations Analyst, Stakeholder Engagement Analyst, Project Analyst, M&E Analyst, Risk Mitigation and Compliance Analyst and Engineering Analyst as well as other team members).
The PM serves as the main liaison with MDCT, EIB and municipalities, and ensures that UNDP-managed activities are synchronized with the overall EIB URP Programme Implementation Plan.
Competencies
| Core | |
| Achieve Results: | LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact |
| Think Innovatively: | LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems |
| Learn Continuously: | LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences |
| Adapt with Agility: | LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands |
| Act with Determination: | LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results |
| Engage and Partner: | LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration |
| Enable Diversity and Inclusion: | LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity |
| Thematic Area | Name | Definition |
| Business Direction and Strategy | System Thinking | Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system. |
| Business Management | Project Management | Ability to plan, organize, prioritize, and control resources, procedures, and protocols to achieve specific goals |
| Business Management | Communication | Ability to communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience. Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels |
| Business Direction and Strategy | Negotiation and Influence | Ability to reach an understanding, persuade others, resolve points of difference, gain advantage in the outcome of dialogue, negotiate mutually acceptable solutions through compromise and create win-win situations |
| Finance | Financial Planning and Budgeting | Ability to create and manage processes to achieve UNDP's long and short-term financial goals, including through planning, budgeting, forecasting, analyzing and reporting. |
| Partnership Management | Relationship Management | Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding. |
| 2030 Agenda: People | Gender | Gender and Crisis |
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
| Min. Education requirements |
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| Min. years of relevant work experience |
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| Experience, Knowledge and Skills |
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| Desirable Criteria |
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| Required Language(s) |
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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
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