Youth Engagement Associate, NPSA-6, DS-Mykolaiv, National position, (Advertisement extended), Ukraine

## Youth Engagement Associate, Mykolaiv, Ukraine - Organization:UNDP - United Nations Development Programme - Field location:Mykolaiv - Office:UNDP in Mykolaiv Lessons from the past years informed the development of UNDP's Country Programme Document (2025-2029) and the scale-up of UNDP's area-based work in Mykolaiv in partnership with the Government of Denmark. The programmatic pillars of reconstruction, returns, resilience and reforms, are focused on ensuring community recovery and creating conditions for the return to a development pathway in Ukraine. Addressing the country's complex reconstruction and recovery requires a holistic, systems-based response that empowers all parts of society - including government, local authorities, the private sector, and citizens - with the capacity and resources to respond effectively. To ensure a whole-of-society approach, the framework offers an integrated, participatory, and inclusive methodology to advance recovery in communities most affected by the war. In this context, the Youth Engagement Associate will strengthen local dialogue and trust-building by fostering inclusive participation of young women and men in decision-making and recovery planning. Through supporting youth networks, civic activism, and volunteerism, the incumbent will enhance community resilience and social cohesion in war-affected areas. Regularduty trips to partner hromadas throughout Mykolaiv oblast will be required to ensure effective outreach, coordination, and monitoring of youth-led initiatives. Duties and Responsibilities 1.Contribute to and support local dialogue and trust-building within communities, with a special focus on engaging young women and men and fostering interaction between them and local authorities through joint decision-making, public consultation, and hearings, especially in communities most affected by the war and displacement - Support the establishment of local platforms for networking, knowledge sharing, and partnership building with youth and volunteer networks, national and local authorities, non-governmental, private sector and international development organizations or projects. - Support advocacy effort to ensure the participation of youth CSOs, leaders, and networks in meetings and consultations with regional and local administrations, departments of state institutions and city/town councils, including but not limited to community engagement mechanisms supported by UNDP; promote establishment and building capacities of youth CSOs for the monitoring of local policies, budgets and development of respective advocacy plans. - Support organizing and carrying out regular regional and local consultations on youth inclusion and youth-led recovery planning and its implementation in partner oblasts and provide substantive inputs for the preparation and publishing of analytical reports as needed. - Assist efforts geared towards supporting the authorities at local, district and oblast levels to implement youth-oriented communication strategies and public awareness approaches. 2.Contribute to the development of civic activism and a culture of volunteerism among young people. - Contribute to the recovery, development and overall sustainable functioning of student self-government bodies, youth councils, youth-led CSOs, youth activists, and other relevant youth-oriented stakeholders through capacity-building initiatives that enhance local capacities to monitor the fulfilment of local development programs, projects and strategies and their adaptation to current realities in relation to the preservation and strengthening of the social fabric, inclusion, and local recovery in broad sense. - Support the activities of social, cultural, volunteer networks and informal interest groups at the community level, including but not limited to local recovery planning and response to the war through a range of tools and mechanisms (including managing grants). - Facilitate and provide full support to development of the educational institutions' curriculum and recommendations on extra-curriculum activities in schools to promote tolerance education, self-governance and proactive engagement into civil life. - Identify, synthesize and document best practices and lessons learned that are generated from the project and implementing partners. 3.Ensure the mainstreaming of gender equality and women's empowerment considerations in the field of expertise;promote a safe and enabling environment free of discrimination and abusive behaviour corporate standards. - Assist with ensuring the project contributes to the promotion of gender equality by reaching, involving, and benefiting both women and men. - Use the principles of gender-responsive communications in line with the UNDP corporate standards. - Be aware of relevant gender issues and concerns in the field of expertise. - Support the promotion of team culture of gender equality and zero tolerance to any sexual misconduct in the team through leadership and personal example. - Demonstrate respect for gender equality in professional interactions, identify and address sexism and gender discrimination. - Assist with informing and briefing personnel and partners about corporate sexual harassment and sexual exploitation and abuse policies. 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 Youth Engagement Associate works under the direct supervision of the Civic Engagement Specialist. LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination Cross-Functional & Technical competencies 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. Knowledge Facilitation Ability to animate individuals and groups, internally and externally, and to design and facilitate activities, to share and exchange knowledge, information and ideas. Knowledge of tools and approaches to stimulate active participation, contribution, and exchange. Partnerships Management Build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies. Conflict Prevention, Peacebuilding and Responsive Institutions Community engagement for prevention, response, and social cohesion Conflict Prevention, Peacebuilding and Responsive Institutions Dialogue, Mediation and Reconciliation Required Skills and Experience Min. Education requirements - Secondary Education is required. - University degree (bachelor´s degree) in Social Sciences, Political Sciences, Psychology, Youth Work, or other relevant areas will be given due consideration, but it is not a requirement. Min. years of relevant work experience - A minimum of 6 years (with secondary education) or 3 years (with University degree) of progressively responsible project experience in youth work and engagement or other related fields. Experience, Knowledge, and Skills - Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel) and advance knowledge of