SIPPO Country Representative Ukraine

Огляд

Swisscontact is represented in 40 countries with over 1000 employees. The foundation is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. In Ukraine, Swisscontact is currently active with 3 projects: EdUP, a public-private partnership to improve professional education in Ukraine; an Agriculture Entrepreneurship program; SIPPO. Swiss Import Promotion Programme (SIPPO) is a well-established mandate of the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) with the overall objective to integrate developing and transition countries into world trade. The programme aims to support Business Support Organizations (BSOs) in 12 countries in exploring and accessing new markets and opportunities for their export-ready companies. Since April 2017, SIPPO is being implemented under the direction of Swisscontact.

Обов'язки

• representation of the programme to all involved stakeholders and the local SECO office
• reporting to the SIPPO Head of Programme (HoP) in Berne, Switzerland
• coordination of SIPPO activities with the Swisscontact Country Director, Ukraine (for operational and stakeholder-related issues)
• strategic alignment with other Swisscontact projects in Ukraine that are relevant to the three SIPPO sub-sectors
• active networking with relevant stakeholders from the public sector, trade organisations, and sector associations (BSOs)
• organisational development within BSOs and knowledge transfer to improve export promotion services
• close collaboration with international and national sector experts
• team leadership of three Export Promotion Managers
• finalisation of SIPPO’s Phase 3 (01/2026–12/2029) Country Strategy with support from the Global Services Team (GST) in Berne

Вимоги

• proven track record in development cooperation, including private sector engagement in conflict-affected contexts
• solid knowledge of and proven experience in market systems development and sustainable trade promotion
• experience in initiating and facilitating multi-stakeholder initiatives, driving partnerships and building networks
• value-chain knowledge in one or more focus sectors in Ukraine: processed food, natural ingredients, technical wood
• broad understanding of the functioning and tasks of business support and/or trade promotion organisations, sector associations, public actors and other institutions cooperating within the trade community
• work experience in multi-stakeholder management, especially in trade-related activities and sustainable sector development
• good communication, negotiation and motivation skills
• experience in humanitarian aid and/or conflict-affected contexts and familiarity with relevant frameworks (e.g. do-no-harm, enhanced human rights due diligence)
• comfort with developing and implementing strategies and concepts
• proven track record in conflict-sensitive programme management, including planning, monitoring, evaluation and reporting
• experience in monitoring and results measurement of complex programmes (MRM)
• experience with CRM tools, including management and maintenance
• readiness to share experience and knowledge, with openness to learning from peers
• proven experience in team leadership and in identifying synergies with other projects
• Ukrainian residency (mandatory)
• university degree in economics, international commerce, agronomy, political/social sciences, law or similar
• minimum 10 years of work experience in development cooperation, trade and trade promotion
• 3–5 years of work experience in the private sector, ideally in one of the selected sectors
• demonstrated leadership experience
• strong communication skills and ability to influence stakeholders at various levels
• experience in facilitation of training modules, including online formats
• ability to write concise and clear content for reports
• proven intercultural skills
• excellent English language skills (C1 CEFR level, written and spoken)
• proven ability to work across programmes and with diverse teams on complex topics
• proactive, solution-oriented and hands-on mentality

Умови

• work in Kyiv, Ukraine
• full-time position
• contract duration: 8 months (05/2025 – 12/2025), with possible extension for 4 years (01/2026 – 12/2029)
• starting date: 01.05.2025