The posting
About the role
War Child is looking for a:
Country Director Ukraine (Internals Only)
The Country Director provides overall leadership and strategic direction for War Child’s operations within the country. The role leads the participatory development, delivery and regular review of the Country Strategy and annual plans, ensuring alignment with War Child’s global strategy and the local context. The Country Director is ultimately accountable for programme quality, sustainable and locally led partnerships, financial health, safety and security, people leadership, risk management and compliance. The role represents War Child externally, builds the relationships needed to realise the Country Strategy, and ensures that programme, operational and support functions meet organisational and donor standards.
What you will do
Country leadership, strategy and programme accountability
- Lead the participatory development, implementation, monitoring and regular updating of the Country Strategy and annual plans, ensuring alignment with War Child’s global strategy and responsiveness to the local context.
- Hold final accountability for the country programme, including programme quality, delivery, learning, sustainability and compliance with organisational and donor requirements.
- Lead the Country Management Team in annual planning, performance review and reporting, using context analysis and evidence to adapt priorities and delivery.
- Drive the transition towards locally led and partner-led programming, ensuring shared decision-making, mutual learning and practical capacity strengthening with local actors.
- Maintain a strong understanding of political, social, humanitarian and operational developments, and ensure that programme and operational strategies are adjusted when required.
People leadership and organisational culture
- Lead, coach and develop the Country Management Team, ensuring clear accountabilities, effective performance management and succession or capacity-building plans.
- Foster an inclusive, safe and motivating workplace that supports staff wellbeing, collaboration, learning and participation in decision-making.
- Ensure that country-level people practices are applied consistently and in line with War Child policies and applicable local law.
Partnerships, representation and fundraising
- Build and sustain strategic relationships with government authorities, donors, UN agencies, INGOs, national and local organisations, and relevant coordination platforms to realise the Country Strategy.
- Represent War Child externally and strengthen its visibility, credibility and influence in support of children and young people affected by conflict.
- Lead country-level institutional fundraising, including strategic donor engagement, a healthy funding pipeline, high-quality proposals, income projections, donor reporting and stewardship.
- Provide final oversight and escalation support for programme and project proposal development, ensuring proposals are evidence-based, feasible and aligned with the Country Strategy.
Safety, risk, compliance and operational stewardship
- Hold overall accountability for safety and security management, including continuous context monitoring, risk analysis, security planning, security decision-making and incident management.
- Ensure compliance with registration, legal and regulatory obligations, including relevant government processes, and maintain constructive relationships with relevant authorities.
- Provide final oversight for budgets, financial controls, logistics, office management and resource allocation, ensuring value for money, effective risk mitigation and compliance with policies, procedures and donor rules.
- Ensure that partners receive appropriate support to meet agreed standards of operational excellence, including safeguarding, financial controls, security and compliance requirements.
ROLE-SPECIFIC OR CONTEXT RESPONSIBILITIES
- Ensure country registration, stakeholder engagement and operating arrangements remain appropriate to the local legal, political and security environment.
- Determine, in consultation with the Country Management Team and regional leadership, the most appropriate operating model for the context, including office footprint, direct implementation and partnership arrangements.
- Maintain effective links with the regional structure, contributing to shared learning, collaboration, emergency response and the application of Alliance-wide standards.
- Ensure the Country Office and its partners uphold minimum global standards for safeguarding, security, financial control, integrity and “Do No Harm”.
Your profile
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, EXPERIENCE
Education
- Relevant degree (e.g., International Relations, Social Sciences, Development Studies or Management).
Experience
- Extensive senior management experience in international humanitarian and/or development contexts.
- Experience working in conflict-affected settings highly desirable.
- Demonstrated experience in programme leadership, institutional fundraising, strategic partnerships and working with local actors.
Languages
- Excellent English, oral and written.
- proficiency in Ukrainian Language
(Technical) Knowledge
- Strong expertise in programme management, partnership development, context analysis and security management.
- Sound experience in HR and financial management, risk management, compliance and operational oversight.
Competencies
- Result-focused, dynamic and inspiring leadership style.
- Strong communication, influencing, coaching and diplomatic skills.
- Ability to make sound decisions in complex, high-pressure and sensitive environments.
What we offer
- Location : Kiev - Ukraine
- Type of Contract : Local contract with salary and secondary labour conditions based on the in-country salary scale, local T&C's will apply.
Why You Should Apply
- Meaningful Impact : Contribute directly to improving the lives of children and families affected by conflict through quality education and long-term, sustainable change.
- Professional Growth: Join a dynamic organisation that values learning, innovation, and professional development, with opportunities for capacity building and growth through the role and War Child’s global network.
- Global Reach : Play a key role in scaling a ground-breaking programme across multiple conflict-affected contexts worldwide.
- Collaborative & Inclusive Culture : Work alongside passionate, mission-driven colleagues in a diverse, inclusive and respectful workplace that prioritises safety, fairness and equal opportunity for all.
How to Apply
Interested candidates are invited to submit their CV and cover letter in English through our career's website no later than 13/10/2026.
Please note that applications will only be accepted through our careers website. To ensure a fair and consistent recruitment process, applications submitted via email will not be considered.
____________________________________________________________________________ By submitting your application you certify that all of the statements made in your application are true, complete, and correct and are made in good faith. You understand that falsifying, misrepresenting or intentionally withholding information will be grounds for rejection of your application or withdrawal of any offer of appointment or, if an appointment offer has been accepted, this will be ground for employment sanctions, such as, but not limited to, instant dismissal. In addition, you understand that you need to submit a Criminal Record Certificate and that, if you fail to submit it, no employment relationship can be established.
Disclaimer
- Only applications received via our website are processed.
- If we appoint a suitable candidate before the given closing date, we reserve the right to remove the vacancy from our website before that date. In such a case, any responses received after that time are not processed.
- It could be that during our selection process the closing date for the vacancy is extended. If so, and you have not yet heard from us, your application will remain active.
