As Russia’s war against Ukraine heads into its second year, global development organizations are preparing long-term strategies for working in the region while attending to the daily needs of Ukrainian citizens and refugees.
“The impact on the people inside the country and across the region are far-reaching. It will take years and years to recover as millions start over their lives in new countries,” Lorenzo Violante, regional operations manager of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said. “We will continue to be there on the long journey ahead, which will require ongoing long-term resources.”
Up until now, IFRC has been one of the most active hiring organizations responding to the Ukrainian crisis. We’ve been tracking postings on Devex’s job board related to the conflict since the beginning of the invasion, identifying nearly 2,400 opportunities that were advertised between Feb. 24, 2022 and Feb. 19.
An analysis of key data points from these job postings provides a snapshot of the hiring landscape for development professionals looking to make a direct impact in the region — including the organizations that have been most actively recruiting, the locations of opportunities, and the specialty areas most in demand.
Where are the jobs located?
Roughly 54% of the positions were based fully within Ukrainian borders, with another 5% requiring at least partial time in the country. Many of the other opportunities were in neighboring countries that have seen an influx of refugees, led by Poland, Moldova, and Hungary.
But opportunities were also available outside of the conflict region, as agencies added staffers to other offices as part of their Ukraine response. In the United States, 73 positions were available, the fourth most in any country. The United Kingdom, Switzerland, and Italy were among the other countries outside of the conflict area where numerous roles were based.
Which skills and experience are in demand?
In addition to project management and institutional development — which tend to be the leading subsectors for roles on Devex’s job board in general — about 22% of the opportunities dealt with humanitarian aid. Other subsectors featuring numerous opportunities included human rights and governance, social and inclusive development, and banking and finance.
In terms of job titles, roles related to protection, including officer, assistant, manager, and team leader, were among the most in-demand. Other positions frequently posted included finance, supply chain, and information management officers, and country director.
More than half of all positions were offered in the form of short-term contracts, while a quarter were advertised as full-time staff roles. In terms of career level, opportunities for senior-level job seekers were relatively sparse, as roughly 42% called for entry-level experience and nearly 39% were aimed at midlevel candidates.
Who is hiring the most?
1. Danish Refugee Council
Top roles: Protection officer/assistant; supply chain officer/assistant
The Danish Refugee Council is the most active hiring organization on our job board in response to the Ukraine conflict. It has roughly doubled its staff to over 400 in the country since the onset of Russia’s invasion last February, Julian Zakrzewski, Ukraine country director for DRC, told Devex. Of the 436 DRC job postings related to Ukraine over the last 12 months, 68% were solely based in Ukraine, with Poland being home to most of the others at 21%.
Moving forward, DRC, which has been in Ukraine since 1998, expects to be “looking for staff across all program sectors with a key focus on protection — including lawyers, psychologists, and social workers — and humanitarian mine action being a DRC core capacity and field of experience,” Zakrzewski said.
DRC is currently looking to hire a human resources officer based in Chisinau, Moldova, and a partnerships development officer in Warsaw, among many other roles.
View all current job openings at DRC.
2. UNICEF
Top roles: Programme associate/assistant; child protection specialist/officer
Over the past year, UNICEF said it has provided learning supplies, mental health and psychosocial support, access to safe water, and general health care services to millions affected by the crisis, among many other initiatives. Among the over 200 postings from our job board, there was a particular focus on roles dealing with child protection, mental health, and education.
UNICEF is currently looking to bring on a consultant who is an expert on strengthening social service systems at national and local levels to work in Kyiv.
View all current openings at UNICEF.
3. International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
Top roles: Human resources officer; operations manager
After leaning on its existing network and hiring international staff to address emergencies in the early days of the crisis, IFRC has been shifting its focus more on local, national talent as part of its long-term strategy, Violante said. But he also described a very competitive environment with other organizations that are all looking for the same workers with very specific skills.
“Sometimes, we’ve had to revert to international recruitment because we were not successful in recruiting for a specific position locally, which we really prefer not to do,” he said. Finding talent who also knows the language and context “for some of the more supportive functions, like finance and HR, is a challenge,” he added.
IFRC is currently looking to add a senior human resources officer and a coordination and liaison officer to its staff based in Kyiv.
View all current openings at IFRC.
4. International Medical Corps
Top roles: MEAL specialist; emergency response manager/coordinator
International Medical Corps has been providing supplies, training, and other services in and around Ukraine related to health, mental health, gender-based violence, and WASH. Of the 100 job postings on Devex’s board, 73 came during the first six months of the crisis, but steady opportunities remain available with the NGO.
“As a humanitarian organization focused on medical assistance and training, we initially focused focus on medical positions. Then, as our programs expanded — for example, into healthcare facility repair and strengthening that involved construction — we began to focus on such positions as engineers and construction specialists,” said Svitlana Ogorodnyk, the director of human resources for IMC’s Ukraine office.
IMC is currently looking for a procurement coordinator and a manager of roving logistics to be based in Ukraine.
View all current openings at IMC.
5. World Food Programme
Top roles: Programme officer/associate; monitoring and evaluation officer/assistant
The World Food Programme has been prioritizing food and cash assistance for those affected by the conflict, especially in difficult-to-access areas. The vast majority — 88% — of the opportunities posted by WFP have occurred in the past six months, with many for program officer, associate, and assistant roles.
Current opportunities with WFP in Ukraine include a supply chain officer focused on retail and markets and a programme policy officer.
View all current openings at WFP.
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