Country Director for Ukraine

Country Director for Ukraine

Contract Length: 2 years

Country Programme: Ukraine

Based: Kyiv

Starting date: 3Q 2026

Line Manager: Regional Director for Eastern Europe and Afghanistan

People in Need (PIN) is a Czech-based international non-governmental organization (NGO) that has provided humanitarian and development assistance across more than 40 countries since 1992. Today, PIN stands as one of the largest organizations of its kind in Central and Eastern Europe, supporting vulnerable communities in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. PIN empowers civil society, advocates for human rights, and promotes social inclusion both at home and abroad.

About the Ukrainian Programme of People in Need

People in Need (PIN) began operations in Ukraine in 2003 with human rights programs and expanded to humanitarian assistance in 2014. With the full-scale invasion in February 2022, we significantly scaled up our programming across the country. Since then, PIN has reached almost 4 million people, working through a network of local partner organizations.

Today, PIN has its offices and teams in 8 oblasts in Ukraine with more than 500 local and international staff working in Lvivska, Kyivska (head office), Sumska, Kharkivska, Dnipropetrovska, Mykolaivska and Khersonska, Zaporizka, and Donetska oblasts.

PIN's assistance addresses both immediate and longer-term needs of war-affected people, focusing on safe water and sanitation, shelter repairs, protection services, and education in emergencies. Our recovery programming delivers more systemic solutions, including support to district heating systems and renewable energy initiatives.

PIN also provides comprehensive assistance to veterans and their families, including business grants and mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), strengthens the quality of education in schools, and advances systemic improvements in social care for the most vulnerable. Funding comes from a diverse range of institutional and private donors.

About the role:

Country Director (CD) will provide leadership and management to country program team and oversee program quality and program development. CD will represent PIN to donors and will ensure coordination with relevant local stakeholders and partners.

Main Duties & Responsibilities:

Senior Management and Strategic Planning

  • Represent PIN at national level, and be responsible for strategic leadership of the country programme;
  • Overall supervision of the program implementation and regular updates of PIN Ukraine Country Programme Strategy;
  • Lead the Senior Management Team, and oversee coordination of the whole country programme.

Project Development and Representation

  • Oversee program and project development in line with country programs strategy and Relief and Development Department strategy;
  • Network and position PIN with donors and key stakeholders to actively seek funding opportunities, help to increase the quality of proposals, understand donor priorities and ensure coordination;
  • Represent PIN at meetings with government partners, regional and local authorities, donors, local civil society, other INGOs, coordination bodies and other relevant stakeholders.

Human Resource Management

  • Plan HR needs, capacity building needs for senior staff and ensure sufficient human resources.
  • Line management of senior team members including Deputy Country Director for Programs, Deputy Country Director for Systems and Operations, Head of MEAL, Risk Management Director and Communication and Advocacy Director;
  • Monitor implementation of key policies to ensure equality and diversity within the team;
  • Support, motivate and consult the country programme’s staff.

Quality & Risk Management

  • Ensures that procedures described in PIN policies, including the Safeguarding Policy, are in place and functional;
  • Ensures that all support departments and functions are in place;
  • Sets up effective internal coordination and communication;
  • Ensures the high quality of submitted proposals; according to the size and structure of the country programme;
  • Approves project proposals, contracts and payments according to given thresholds;
  • Manages the most important risks and coordinates risk mitigation measure;
  • Ensures PIN works in line with international Social and Environmental standards;
  • Ensures compliance with PIN Data Protection Policy;
  • Protects PIN from any reputational risks.

Safety & Security

  • Adhering to the PIN Safety and Security Policy and country-relevant procedures;
  • Strives for the maximum safety and security of PIN’s staff and assets and ensures an awareness of risks and mitigation strategies;
  • Ensures a balance between the accepted level of risk and the urgency of programmes (as per the Risk Management Policy);
  • Executes crisis management; leads the Incident Management Team (IMT).
  • Ensures that the Do-no-harm approach and maximum protection of PIN’s beneficiaries is applied.

Security situation in Ukraine:

Humanitarian workers continue to operate throughout Ukraine, although the front-line areas are being shelled almost constantly, and main cities are being targeted with missiles and UAVs quite regularly. PIN security SOPs require PIN staff to proceed to shelter should the risk level be assessed by the Security Department as the highest (launch of missiles or drones) and remain there until the air raid siren is cancelled, which cumulatively can be as often as every day, occasionally for several hours at a time (although shorter periods are as well occurring). Even though air strikes target military, energy and water infrastructure, it is often that the strikes are highly inaccurate and hit civilian infrastructure en masse. Strikes aren’t exclusive to the frontline areas and cover to different extent all the regions of Ukraine. Ukrainian air defence capabilities are severely depleted by lack of missiles provided by western allies, hence a significant number of missiles and drones reach their targets. Outside of the areas in the vicinity to the contact line, services such as medical care, shops, public transportation as well as restaurants or leisure facilities remain operational.

Requirements:

  • Significant previous experience with managing finance, logistics and procurement and HR in humanitarian, recovery or development setting;
  • Experience with team management and supervision, and interest in building staff capacity;
  • Experience of working in a humanitarian and/or development organization, including in developing and delivering processes/procedures and policies compliant with main international donors (previous experience with ECHO, NDICI, US Government or UN is an asset);
  • Excellent communication skills, fluent spoken and written English;
  • IT literacy, advanced knowledge of MS Excel;
  • Strong coordination, critical analysis and problem-solving skills;
  • Responsible and systematic, and ability to organize and plan effectively;
  • Ownership, independence, proactive approach, flexibility;
  • Ability to work in difficult conditions and under pressure;
  • Ukrainian language is an advantage.

We offer:

  • Working environment in a well-established humanitarian organization in a challenging context;
  • Strategic role with direct contribution to PIN’s funding diversification;
  • Close collaboration with senior leadership in a country programme;
  • Salary & Benefits:
    • Salary based on PIN’s salary scale and HR policies; expected salary range between 4200 - 4400 EUR  super gross based on experience,
    • Subsistence Allowance of 1440 EUR/month;
    • Hardship of 400 EUR/month;
    • Housing Allowance of 1000 EUR/month;
    • RnR allowance of 300 EUR/cycle.
  • Time off and Rest:
    • 25 days of holiday annually;
    • 10 sick days
    • 5 days of RnR up to three cycles per calendar year
  • Travel benefits:
    • Reimbursement of travel expenses with travel to the country of residence once every 6 months of work;
    • Reimbursement of costs of visas and vaccinations; assistance with the visa application procedure;
    • Reimbursement for the medical check-up before and after the deployment;
    • Travel health insurance covering medical care, incl. the repatriation.
  • Health and Well-being:
    • 24/7 Medical Support available online;
    • Free psychological consultations available online
  • Professional Development: 
    • Free access to e-learning platforms and PIN Learning Hub; PIN’s global Induction Training, and tailored capacity-building opportunities, including Hostile Environment Awareness Training (HEAT).

 

People in Need is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behavior at work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct and is committed to promoting the welfare of children and adults with whom People in Need involves. People in Need expects all staff to perform job duties and responsibilities in accordance with People in Need code of conduct and key policies (available at: https://www.peopleinneed.net/key-policies-4142gp). People in Need Staff will undertake the appropriate level of training.

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks.

We are committed to ensuring diversity and gender equality within our organization and encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply.

How to apply:

If you are interested in this position, send us your CV and short cover letter via our application form.
Please note only the shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Interviews will be conducted on rolling basis and the vacancy will be closed when filled.


People in Need is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behaviour at work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct and committed to promoting the welfare of children and adults with whom People in Need involves. People in Need expects all staff to perform job duties and responsibilities in accordance with People in Need code of conduct and key policies (available at: https://www.peopleinneed.net/key-policies-4142gp). People in Need Staff will undertake the appropriate level of training.
All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks.
We are committed to ensuring diversity and gender equality within our organization and encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply.