Background 

The Norwegian Refugee Council has been present in Ukraine since 2014, helping more than 700,000 people with food, shelter, water, sanitation, and legal assistance. Following the escalation of conflict since 24 February 2022, NRC is scaling up its efforts inside Ukraine and in neighbouring countries Poland, Moldova and Romania to provide aid to tens of thousands people forced to flee. NRC is responding majority through local partners and to a lesser extent with direct implementation, by applying an integrated approach combining our sectoral areas of expertise such as legal aid (ICLA), protection from violence, education, livelihoods and food security, shelter, with a large part of delivered through the use of cash as a modality. 

Role and responsibilities

As a member of the Perekhid Initiative’s Technical Assistance Facility (TAF), the Social Protection and Strategic Liaison Specialist will play a vital role in implementing the Initiative’s strategic objectives. Launched in January 2023, the Perekhid Initiative emerged from the urgent need to integrate humanitarian aid with social protection systems in Ukraine. The Initiative focuses on strengthening these systems to address chronic needs, thereby allowing humanitarian cash to assist those in dire need.

The TAF supports the Perekhid Initiative by serving as the secretariat to the Initiative’s Steering Committee and developing strategic roadmaps to link Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA) with the Shock-Responsive Social Protection System (SRSP). As part of the TAF team, the Specialist will be instrumental in providing expert advice, ensuring accountability to affected populations, fostering consensus, and identifying opportunities to integrate MPCA and SRSP.

The role will be embedded within the Ministry of Social Policy (MoSP), reflecting a model adopted by other countries undergoing similar transitions. This position will contribute significantly to the sustainable transition of humanitarian caseloads into an inclusive, shock-responsive national social protection system. 

1. Generic responsibilities

As a Senior Specialist for Social Protection and Strategic Liaison, your core responsibilities will include:

• Providing support to the Team Leader and Steering Committee in understanding the intricacies of Ukraine’s social protection institutions, legal landscape, and key stakeholders, especially concerning the linkage between the humanitarian Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA) response and social protection.
• Facilitating dialogues with key stakeholders within the Government of Ukraine (GoU) and other relevant entities around the Perekhid Initiative to execute upon work plan priorities.
• Leading analysis on behalf of the TAF on the political economy and dynamics behind humanitarian and social protection policy issues, engaging TAF and Steering Committee (SC) stakeholders to navigate these dynamics.
• Providing expert inputs on various shock-responsive social protection topics.
• Supporting the Steering Committee with relevant analysis and inputs for their decision-making process under the leadership of the Team Leader.
• Developing strategies to improve the effectiveness of social protection policies and programs within the context of Ukraine’s legal landscape.
• Identifying and establishing relationships with key stakeholders in Ukraine’s government, non-governmental organizations, and international partners.
• Preparing comprehensive reports and presentations to inform and influence the decision-making process of the Steering Committee.

1. Competencies 

In order to effectively execute the roles and responsibilities of the Specialist for Social Protection and Strategic Liaison, specific professional and behavioural competencies are required. These competencies are essential to driving success within the organization: They are relevant for all staff and are divided into the following two categories:

 1. Professional competencies 

Context-related skills, knowledge and experience: 

• An advanced degree in Social Policy, Public Administration, or a related field.
• Proven experience working with Ukraine’s Social Protection Institutions and other relevant government ministries.
• Demonstrable understanding of Ukraine’s political economy, particularly as it relates to social protection decisions and dynamics between government ministries.
• Strong negotiation and stakeholder management skills.
• Proficiency in Ukrainian and English languages.
• Experience managing and working with distributed teams is highly desirable.
• This role is open for Ukrainian Nationals Only 

2. Behavioural competencies

The following are essential for this position:

• Communication: Excellent oral and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex concepts clearly and effectively.
• Resilience: Ability to maintain composure and deliver results under pressure or in challenging circumstances.
• Initiative: Highly proactive with the ability to identify opportunities and implement innovative solutions.
• Collaboration: Proven ability to work collaboratively within a team and with external stakeholders.
• Cultural Sensitivity: Respect for diversity and ability to work effectively within a multicultural environment.
• Problem-Solving: Excellent problem-solving abilities, demonstrating creativity and strategic thinking in overcoming challenges.

1. Performance Management

The employee will be accountable for and evaluated on the responsibilities and competencies, based on NRC’s Performance Management Framework. The following documents will be used for performance reviews:

• The Job Description
• The individual Work- and Professional Development Plan 
• The Mid-term/End-of-trial Period Performance Review Template
• The End-term Performance Review Template
• The NRC Competency Framework

The position is subject to NRC’s overall objectives as they are expressed in the current strategy documents, action plans, and budgets. Deviations from the above must be reported on a regular basis. The job description is subject to the employer’s directives and may be changed at any time after discussion with the employee.