Financial Specialist
Job Description: Employee of the Recovery Support Unit at the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine
Employment Type: Full-time. Contract valid for the specified period.
Expected Start Date: October 2024
Host Organization: Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine
Location: Ukraine, Kyiv, Ivana Franka St., 19
Duration: 5 months with the possibility of extension
Mission and Objectives
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has deeply impacted resources and funding for the cultural sector. Since the beginning of Russia’s invasion, cultural institutions, art education establishments, and cultural heritage sites in Ukraine have been daily destroyed or damaged. Over 1,000 archaeological, historical, and art monuments and more than 2,000 cultural infrastructure objects (libraries, museums, theaters, clubs, and educational institutions) have been damaged or completely destroyed. The surviving sites remain under daily threat of bombing and destruction. The Recovery Support Unit at the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine will provide expert-analytical support, strategic guidance and project coordination for the development of models for the restoration and reconstruction of destroyed cultural heritage and infrastructures in Ukraine. This will promote the complete and systematic modernization and transformation of the cultural sector to ensure the provision of cultural services to the Ukrainian population, in line with international highest standards and their fulfillment, including UNESCO conventions. In line with international standards (in particular UNESCO Conventions and Recommendations), the Recovery Support Unit will help to develop the most appropriate operational approach to ensure that culture is mainstreamed into recovery plans, that actions are coordinated among different stakeholders, that relevant data are systematically collected and processed, that funding opportunities for local interventions can be identified in the spirit of decentralization, and that appropriate mechanisms are put in place for this purpose.
Additionally, the Recovery Support Unit will ensure the development of regulatory frameworks for national legislation on the restoration of cultural heritage and infrastructure, the digital transformation, the development and launch of registries; and lead projects on the development of comprehensive models for institutional and infrastructural recovery of cultural institutions.
Task Description
In collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine, the Financial Specialist assists stakeholders, including cultural institutions affected by the Russian invasion, in preparing supporting documentation for securing funding for restoration. This includes help with grant applications, documents for obtaining funds from relevant sources, and other related tasks.
Job Responsibilities (non-exhaustive list):
- Ensure correct financing for projects aimed at the restoration of cultural infrastructure and heritage objects damaged by the military aggression.
- Assist stakeholders, including cultural institutions affected by the military aggression, in preparing supporting documentation for obtaining restoration funding (e.g., grant applications, documents for receiving funds from relevant funds).
- Assist in preparing initial documentation and financial reporting according to donor requirements and Ukrainian legislation.
- Provide consultancy support to project managers on financial matters.
- Conduct research and mapping of national and international funding opportunities to respond to identified needs for financial assistance to interested parties.
- Propose potential sources and mechanisms for financing cultural restoration projects to the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications.
- Collaborate with responsible individuals in Ukrainian regions and other stakeholders.
Candidate Requirements:
- Ukrainian citizenship.
- Individual entrepreneur with the appropriate type of entrepreneurial activity.
- Fluent in Ukrainian and English.
- Higher education in economics or finance, with knowledge of cultural heritage preservation.
- Experience in preparing grant applications, budgets, and financial reporting within international technical assistance projects or projects supported by international donor organizations, foreign embassies, or private funds – at least 3 years.
- Effective and appropriate communication skills with stakeholders, team members, and donor representatives.
- Ability to resolve misunderstandings, adapt to changes, and attention to detail to achieve accurate and reliable results.