(closed)Vacancy: Project Director

Project title: New Economy of Ivano-Frankivsk (NEF) – supporting emerging innovative economic activity clusters in Ivano-Frankivsk

Background 

This 3-year EU-funded project aims to facilitate economic transformation of Ivano-Frankivsk to higher added-value economic activities leveraging existing economic clusters and emerging innovation ecosystem. 

Project is implemented by Ivano-Frankivsk City Council in partnership with economic development agency PPV Knowledge Networks, urban laboratory Metalab, platform for civic initiatives Teple Misto and Innovation Center Promprylad.Renovation between April 2022 and March 2025. This position is placed in the team of Teple Misto. 

More information about the project is available at www.neweconomy.if.ua 

Teple Misto is an Ivano-Frankivsk platform for civic initiatives established in 2014. It launched numerous social impact initiatives (UrbanSpace100 restaurant, Urban Space Radio, Small Grants Program, Teple Misto Business Community, Promprylad.Renovation and others). It has a long history of capacity building initiatives for entrepreneurs, CSOs, youth and others. For more information please visit https://warm.if.ua 

The partners have grouped the project activities into 6 working packages (WP). WP0 Crisis Response includes most of the activities aimed to support our existing and new target groups in new war/post-war conditions.  WP1 clusters activities related to direct innovation support, with primary target audiences engaged in the activities. The WP2 includes capacity building activities that provide data for the informed decision-making and city-level policy development. The soft and hard infrastructure development activities are grouped in the WP3. Two other packages to ensure effective communication (WP4) and management of the action (WP5).  

Scope of work 

We strive to find a person who would lead the project implementation  and shape the innovation ecosystem in Ivano-Frankivsk. We are looking for a connector with good interpersonal skills,  who enjoys working in a cross-sectoral manner. 

This position would fit a person interested in risk taking, working in the dynamic experimental process of creating an innovation ecosystem in Ivano-Frankivsk. The city is at the early stage of the economic transformation. While being a rather conservartive non-metropolitan economy, Ivano-Frankivsk is striving and rapidly developing one. 

In this position you would lead the experiment, cooperate with flagship regional economic development initiatives. You will be working in close cooperation with the city council, Promprylad.Rennovation Innovation Center, METALAB Urban Laboratory and Teple Misto platform for civil initiatives in an EU-funded project. Together with strong partners you will be working on building the ecosystem that could be replicated as a model elsewhere in Ukraine.  

The project requires contracting an Project Director to manage and supervise the Project as described in the below responsibilities:

• Overseeing the day-to-day activities related to the management and implementation of the Project, including procurement, project monitoring and evaluation, financial management, progress and financial reporting, leading staff of the Project. 
• Coordinate project staff in Teple Misto, ensure the efficient functioning of the project team Coordinate project partners and ensure that clear working arrangements are established between partners and with all stakeholders. 
• Overall supervision of project activities. 
• Undertake external high level communication, building strategic partnerships with stakeholders locally, nationally and, when necessary, internationally. 
• Represent the project in general to national and international audiences in Ukraine and internationally, including interviews to media and public presentation of the project progress and results.
• Participate and represent the Project as a non decision-making member in quarterly Project Steering Committee meetings and serve as a facilitator of the committee meetings. 
• Coordinate the preparation of progress reports, annual reports, project completion report and other reports that may be required by the stakeholders. 
• Supervise collection and submit data to OPSYS as per project LFA and interim indicators.
• Coordinate the preparation of annual work plans and budgets and present them to the Steering Committee for approval. 
• Review Terms of References for procurement of services, consultancies; review deliverables of the consultants and provide feedback as necessary. 
• Identify implementation arrangements and needed resources to implement the project and ensure proper management of funds, including accounting, financial control and audit procedures acceptable to the donor as well as the procurement of goods, works and services in accordance with donor guidelines and public procurement law of Ukraine. 

The position is part of the Teple Misto team, will work in close cooperation with Metalab team; reporting directly to the Head of Department of Investment Policy, Projects, International Relations and Tourism Promotion of Ivano-Frankivsk City Council. 

Expected Start Date: as soon as a quzlified candidate is identified.  

Contract Period: approbation period – up to 3 months, contract until March 2025. 

Location of the position: Innovation Center Promprylad.Renovation, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine with the possibility to work remotely

Salary: Appropriate compensation will be offered to the right candidate. 

Qualifications

The person suitable for this position should have the following qualifications:  

• Leadership experience in multistakeholder processes, experience in leading cross-sectoral collaboration would be a significant advantage; 
• Good grasp of innovation processes and systems, understanding of the role of academia, public research players, technology transfer activities, role of various funding players and programmes, various formats and types of innovation ecosystem players. 
• Experience of European or regional innovation-related projects and programmes would be an advantage.  
• Experience in projects with policy components would be an advantage. 
• Master degree, degree from a university in the EU would be an advantage.
• Effective communication, interpersonal, management, facilitation and negotiation skills proven through successful interaction with stakeholders, including government officials, regional/local authorities, experts and CSOs/communities; ability to build relations and partnerships in different sectors;
• Effective presentation skills proven through experience in delivering presentations at public events, preferably on innovation-related topics; 
• Demonstrated ability in team coordination and collaboration; 
• Fluency in Ukrainian and English; 
• Computer literacy. 

Personal qualities that would match the team values and dynamics:

• Leading by example, ability to clearly and openly explain expected quality of the process and results;
• High level of integrity;
• Win-win approach and thinking of interests and needs of the project as a whole;
• Respect to individual team members and partner organizations.

Deadline for submitting your candidate: Suitable candidates will be invited to an online or offline interview on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Please send your application that includes your recent CV, a motivation letter and expected salary range to the following address info@warm.if.ua