Specialist (rank) in research of the project "Economic recovery and employment"/Research Officer EREO Project in Chemonics Group UK Ltd./ PFRU 2

General information

The program "Partnership for a strong Ukraine" Phase-2 (PFRU-2) is a multi-year donor program implemented under the management of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Commonwealth of Nations and Development Affairs (MFA) of Great Britain in cooperation with the Ukrainian government. The goal of PFRU-2 is to provide the Ukrainian state with better conditions for managing the inclusive recovery and revival of Ukraine in partnership with civil society and the private sector in the face of Russian aggression.

Main tasks and responsibilities (main functions):  

Research Specialist in the Economic Recovery and Employment (EREO) project will be responsible for the management, development and implementation of research projects, including data collection and development of research tools, in order to adapt EREO project interventions aimed at stabilizing and restoring the local economy in the war-affected territories of Ukraine. Research Specialist in close cooperation with the team The EREO project will ensure that robust evidence and inclusive data are taken into account when developing interventions within the framework of all three areas of the project - Business Enabling Environment (BEE), Workforce Development (WFD) and MSME Sustainability. the ability to transform technical research into practical program development.The Research Specialist will also play an important role in coordinating activities with the cross-cutting Learning by Experience, Adaptation and Policy (LAP) component, ensuring the integration of Gender Equality, People with Disabilities, Social Inclusion (GEDSI) and adherence to data quality standards.

Specific duties of this position:

• Development and management of studies using mixed methods, data collection and analysis to adapt EREO's three work areas, including public opinion polling, labor market analysis, business environment assessment.
• Lead (individually or in a team) the development of research frameworks and tools to analyze local business ecosystems, constraints to the work of MSMEs and dialogue mechanisms between the state and by private sectors in EREO target regions and communities.
• Coordinating and participating in the analysis of regional labor demand and labor shortage using open data (DSZU, job search portals), express surveys, focus groups and interviews with employers, business support organizations and vocational schools.
• Support in conducting or ordering studies on mapping business support organizations (BSOs), institutionsvocational education and MSMEs in order to identify potential partners for PFRU interventions.
• Preparation of analytical documents, studies on the use of state support programs by local enterprises and MSMEs, identification of obstacles and opportunities for improving the coherence of national support programs with local realities.
• Supporting the analysis of policies related to MSMEs, employment and workforce development programs, highlighting institutional incentives, narrow places and opportunities for reforms.
• Ensuring the integration of GEDSI, conflict sensitivity and regional features in the development of studies, data collection and their interpretation.
• Participation in the development of monitoring systems and learning by experience in order to evaluate the effectiveness of EREO project interventions.
• Performance of other analytical or coordination tasks as assigned by the manager in order to ensure the timely and effective implementation of project activities PFRU-2, EREO and other projects of the program. 

To effectively support his/her team, he/she will use:

• Analytical and critical thinking.
• Experience in research and evaluation.
• Attention to detail and data accuracy.
• Management of projects and time.
• Coordination between teams and adaptive communication skills.
• Analysis and data visualization.
• technical writing and reporting skills.
• ethical, inclusive, culturally sensitive research practices.

Qualifications:

• Master's degree or higher in economics, social sciences, public policy, labor market research, business administration, or related field.
• Minimum 3 years of experience in socioeconomic or public policy-oriented research, preferably in the areas of employment, MSME/business support, or local economic development.
• Proven ability to design and conduct surveys, focus groups, interviews and research using mixed methods in collaboration with a group of partners.
• Proficiency in data collection and analysis tools such as Excel, PowerBI, SPSS, R; knowledge of data visualization platforms (Miro, Figma) will be an advantage.
• In-depth knowledge of the Ukrainian institutional landscape related to the economy, labor market and MSME support (e.g. Ministry of Economy, DSZU, OVA, vocational education institutions).
• Knowledge of GEDSI integration principles and ethical data collection in humanitarian or stabilization contexts.
• Strong skills effective presentation of complex research results, both technical and non-technicalaudiences, as well as strong cross-cultural communication and sensitivity skills.
• Experience in managing projects funded by the UK Foreign Office (or other donors) would be an advantage.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities, coordinate activities with other teams, meet tight deadlines and maintain quality work under pressure.
• Fluency in English and Ukrainian is a must (written and oral).

Place of work:

Kyiv (Ukraine)

Subordination:      

Economic Recovery and Employment (EREO) Project Research Specialist will report to the Senior Research Manager(s) of the Governance and Service Recovery Project.

Employment Term / LOE:

This position is full time.

Application details:

Apply via the following link by December 4th. For roles requiring knowledge of the English language, English-language resumes are preferred (but not required). We encourage applications from people with disabilities. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. Please do not call. Chemonics will contact the finalists. 

PFRU-2 Recruitment - Candidate Application

Background

font-weight: 400">The Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine – Phase 2 (PFRU-2) is a multi-year, multi-donor funded program managed by the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and governed in collaboration with the Government of Ukraine. PFRU-2’s aim is to set improved conditions for the Ukrainian state, in partnership with civil society and the private sector, to lead on inclusive national recovery and revitalization in the context of Russia’s aggression.

Principal Services and Responsibilities (Essential Functions): 

The Research Officer to the Economic Recovery & Employment Opportunities (EREO) Project will be responsible for leading, designing and executing research projects, including data collection, researchtools development, to inform the EREO project interventions and adaptations aimed at stabilising and revitalising local economies in war-affected areas of Ukraine. Working closely with the EREO project team, the Research Officer will ensure that interventions under all three workstreams — business enabling environment (BEE), workforce development (WFD), and MSME resilience — are informed by robust evidence and inclusive data. The position requires strong skills in data analysis, research tools development and experience in applied socio-economic research, familiarity with Ukraine’s business and employment landscape, and the ability to bridge technical research with practical programme design. The Research Officer will also play an important role in coordination with cross-cutting teams (LAP), ensuring GEDSI mainstreaming, and maintaining data quality standards.

Specific responsibilities for the role:

• Design and manage mixed-methods research, data collection and analysis to inform EREO’s three workstreams, including perception surveys, labour market analyses, and business environment assessments.
• Lead or co-lead the design of research frameworks and tools to analyse local business ecosystems, MSME constraints, and public-private dialogue mechanisms across EREO target regions and hromadas.
• Coordinate and contribute to the implementation of regional labour demand and workforce gap analyses, combining open-source data (SES, job portals) with rapid surveys, FGDs and interviews of employers, BSOs, and vocational schools.
• Supporting in conduct or commissioning mapping studies of business support organisations (BSOs), vocational institutions, and MSMEs to identify capable partners for PFRU interventions.
• Prepare analytical summaries or research on the utilisation of state support programmes by MSMEs and local businesses, identifying barriers and opportunities for better alignment between national support schemes and local realities.
• Support policy analysis related to MSME, employment, and workforce development programmes, highlighting institutional incentives, bottlenecks, and reform opportunities.
• Ensure integration of GEDSI, conflict sensitivity, and regional diversity considerations across research design, data collection, and interpretation.
• Contribute to the design of monitoring and learning frameworks for assessing the effectiveness of EREO’s project interventions.
• Perform other analytical or coordination tasks as assigned by the manager to ensure the timely and effective implementation of PFRU-2, EREO and other programme projects. 

Core Competencies:

A successful Research Officer to the EREO Project will be actively engaged across each of the core competencies listed below. They will effectively support their team by:

• Analytical and critical thinking.
• Research and evaluation expertise.
• Attention to detail and data accuracy.
• Project and time management.
• Cross-team coordination and adaptive communication skills.
• Data analysis and visualisation.
• Technical writing and reporting.
• Ethical, inclusive and culturally sensitive research practice.

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree or higher in economics, social sciences, public policy, labour studies, business administration, or a related field.
• Minimum of 3 years of experience conducting socio-economic or policy-oriented research, ideally in the domains of employment, MSME/business support, or local economic development
• Demonstrated ability to design and implement surveys, FGDs, interviews, and mixed-methods research in collaboration with multiple partners.
• Proficiency in data collection and analytical tools such as Excel, PowerBI, SPSS, R; familiarity with data visualisation platforms (Miro, Figma) is an asset.
• Strong knowledge of Ukraine’s institutional landscape related to economy, labour, and MSME support (e.g. Ministry of Economy, SES, RMAs, vocational schools).
• Knowledge of GEDSI integration and ethical data collection principles in humanitarian or stabilisation contexts.
• Strong ability to communicate complex research findings effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences, with strong cross-cultural communication skills and sensitivity.
• Experience managing FCDO-funded (or other donor-funded) projects will be an asset.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, coordinate activities with other teams, meet tight deadlines, and maintain quality under pressure.
• Fluency in English and Ukrainian (written and spoken) is required.

Location:         

Kyiv, Ukraine

Reporting:       

Research Officer EREO Project will report to Senior Research Manager (Governance and Service Recovery Project).

Duration of Assignment / LOE:

This is a full-time position.

Application Details: 

Apply using the following link by December 4th. For roles requiring English language skills, English language CVs are preferred (but not required). We encourage to apply people with disabilities. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. No telephone inquiries, please. Chemonics will contact finalists. 

PFRU-2 Recruitment - Candidate Application