Capacity Development Advisor (Ukraine / Azerbaijan).
The starting salary package for this position is £49,474.50 GBP per annum (approx. $62,872 USD) including all allowances.
About the role
MAG in Eastern Europe, building on strong local capacities in both Ukraine and Azerbaijan, is gradually building a portfolio of partners inside these countries with whom the organisation is starting to put in place effective capacity development. MAG is seeking an experienced Capacity Development Advisor to deliver sustainable and effective national capacity development, supporting national authorities and partners to improve their abilities in mine action activities.
This role reports directly to the Country Director (CD) of Ukraine and has a secondary reporting line to the Country Director (Azerbaijan). It will focus on two primary areas within the Eastern Europe region.
About the Ukraine programme
Since the Russian invasion of 24thFebruary 2022, Ukraine has been subjected to heavy artillery bombardment, missile, and air strikes, as well as the use of landmines and cluster munitions. The scale of the conflict and the use of high impact and indiscriminate weapons requires an urgent and extensive response. MAG responded to the crisis in 2022 and now employs nearly 200 staff in our Ukraine programme, in a range of operational and support/administrative activities with further scale-up planned during 2024. The programme has a representation office in Kyiv, and operational offices in Mykolaiv (also covering accessible areas of Kherson) and now in Kharkiv.
In Ukraine, the CDA will oversee ongoing work with a prominent local NGO, the Ukrainian Deminers Association (UDA). Additionally, they will work on identifying another local demining NGO to initiate capacity development efforts in the near future.
About the Azerbaijan programme
In December 2021, MAG established a programme in Azerbaijan funded by the US State Department’s Office for Weapons Removal and Abatement (WRA) and the Canadian government’s Peace and Stabilisation Operations Program. The widespread use of landmines and UXO during conflicts between Azerbaijan and Armenia has created a renewed and urgent need to improve the country’s humanitarian mine action response.
Now funded by the US Dept of State and the EU, the current projects involve MAG working to improve our national partner NGO’s ability to deliver high-quality humanitarian mine action activities to address new and legacy contamination, and in turn make affected regions safer for vulnerable communities and internally displaced people.
In Azerbaijan, the role will focus on strengthening relationships with both an established partner and a newer partner who currently has limited capacity to secure international donor funds. This will involve building upon initial capacity assessments and conducting comprehensive evaluations across various support services and mine action staff for operational tasks. The role will ensure coordination and support are aligned with national standards and regulations.
The Capacity Development Advisor (CDA) is expected to allocate 70% of their time to working with Ukraine and 30% with Azerbaijan. Initially, the role will involve an on-site deployment in Azerbaijan for the first 1-2 months, followed by remote support for 4-5 months, and concluding with another in-country visit, the duration of which will be determined based on programme needs. The remaining time will be dedicated to working with Ukrainian NGOs and possibly the Ukraine National Mine Action Centre.
About you
You should have experience working and living abroad, preferably in sensitive conflict or post-conflict settings, and possess the ability to work independently with minimal supervision. You should be able to demonstrate a track record of fostering constructive relationships with key stakeholders including government counterparts, other implementing partners, international donor organisations, UN bodies, civil society, and private sector representatives.
Our preferred candidate demonstrates a proactive approach, adaptability to address evolving needs, and thrives within a multicultural team environment. You should be able to demonstrate your experience of Capacity Development within other similar organisations and have proficiency in English, alongside outstanding communication and interpersonal abilities.
The postholder should be willing and able to live and work in a remote and insecure environment with extremely restricted movement.
Benefits and further information
MAG staff are rewarded with comprehensive benefits – you can read the candidate information sheet in the application pack for further details:
- Salary: £49,474.50 GBP per annum including all allowances and this increases with service.
- Accommodation: MAG will provide accommodation in-country.
- eave: We recognise our staff work hard and need the appropriate time out to stay motivated. You’ll have a minimum of eight weeks out of the programme per year
- Flights: MAG provides three international flights home per year
- Insurance: Programme based staff are automatically covered by MAG’s comprehensive insurance package including: Personal accident and medical expenses insurance; Death by natural causes insurance and access to 24-hour medical assistance.
MAG will support the successful applicant with any visa or work permit required, including application, administration and costs, however applicants will need to be able to obtain these within a reasonable time period to be considered for the role, due to programme needs.
Please note that as part of MAG’s commitment to safeguarding, this post is subject to background checks before an offer of employment is confirmed. For more information on MAG’s approach to safeguarding here and background checks here. You can also find more information in the candidate information pack, available through the link below.
MAG is committed to the principles of diversity, equality and inclusion. If you think you would be suited to one of our roles we would welcome your application regardless of your background. We strive to provide an inclusive and supportive working environment where all employees feel respected and supported in fulfilling their potential.
How to Apply
For further information and the application form, please download the candidate information pack:
Candidate Pack
Please return the application form to humanresources@maginternational.orgby the closing date of 1st July 2024. Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we are not able to respond to every application. If you have not heard back from us within 3 weeks of applying, it means that your application has not been successful.