Regional Director – Ukraine Response

Contract length: 6 months with possibility of extension, contingent on funding

Hours: Full-time

Location: Remote, available on Central European time zone

Travel: 30%

Reporting to: Head of International Programs

Salary range: 6,500-7,300 USD/month

Deadline for applications: June 27, 2022*

*Due to the urgency of this vacancy, screening and interviews will commence immediately and the candidate can be selected at any stage before the closing date.

CLEAR Global is an equal-opportunity employer, committed to having a diverse team where individuals of all backgrounds collaborate and learn from one another. We believe we can be most effective with diverse experience and expertise in our team. We recruit on merit, actively seek diverse applicant pools and encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, age, gender identity and expression, national origin, race and ethnicity, religious beliefs, marital or parental status, or sexual orientation, and welcome all types of diversity.

We offer in addition to salary:

• an innovative work environment with a diverse and passionate team,
• 20 days of annual leave and 10 days of floating holidays,
• the flexibility of home-based/remote work,
• accommodation and per diems when on deployment.

The Role

The people displaced by conflict in Ukraine, and those trapped by it, find their situation compounded by a crisis of communication. Speakers of minority languages, third country nationals, and refugees face particular challenges accessing vital information and making themselves heard.

CLEAR Global, formerly known as Translators Without Borders, is working across Ukraine, Poland, Romania, Moldova and other countries in Europe to facilitate effective two-way communication between those affected by the crisis and those aiming to support them. This includes activities such as translation and plain language assessments, use of program technology to strengthen accountability to affected people (AAP), and research, data and advocacy to make the case for prioritization of language and appropriate technology across the response.

The Regional Director – Ukraine Response provides the overall leadership of CLEAR Global’s program of evidence-based information and communications support to people affected by the crisis in Ukraine, including displaced people in Ukraine, and in the neighboring and final destination countries. They provide strategic leadership of innovative program strategies, and have overall responsibility for timely and effective identification, planning and implementation of activities, partnership development, fundraising and external representation. They will lead a multidisciplinary team of professionals, who work remotely, with a mix of regional and country-level focus.

The role supervises the Regional Program Director, Country Program Managers in Poland, Ukraine and Romania/Moldova, and the Regional Operations Manager.

Responsibilities

Program development and delivery

• Oversee the program team in the development and implementation of an ambitious, innovative program of evidence-based, tech-enabled, information, communication, accountability, and language support, in collaboration with the Regional Program Director
• Support the program team to ensure CLEAR Global provides the most effective two-way communication and language support as the situation evolves
• Mobilize funds to deliver a global multi-annual response program with support from CLEAR Global’s International Program and Fundraising teams
• Provide oversight for timely and adequate program budgets development, management and reporting in line with CLEAR Global and donor requirements, with support from Finance colleagues

Team leadership

• Recruit, lead, empower and manage the high-performing team needed for the successful implementation of the program
• Promote, model and take proactive steps to ensure a positive, innovative and supportive work environment
• Work across the organization to ensure that CLEAR Global’s response is well integrated and makes the most of the experience and expertise of all other global and country teams
• Actively promote understanding of CLEAR Global’s Code of Conduct and safeguarding and PSEA policies, and associated reporting procedures, and uphold CLEAR Global’s values (below) in all engagement with communities, partners and colleagues
• Oversee security support when team members are living in or working in insecure environments
• In collaboration with CLEAR Global’s global HR team, ensure compliance with HR procedures

Advocacy and coordination

• Lead on context and trend analysis for the response
• Lead CLEAR Global’s advocacy and media efforts on the response in close cooperation with the global Senior Advocacy Officer and Communication Senior Officer, to ensure that language issues are highlighted within the global response
• Act as spokesperson on the response, as delegated by the Head of Advocacy or Chief Executives, and proactively and constructively engage with reputable journalists to promote coverage and understanding of language issues in the media
• Build the organization’s profile within the Ukraine response community globally, ensuring professional and productive engagement with government authorities, UN agencies, governments, national and international civil society partners and affected communities
• Advocate for information and communication in languages and formats that are accessible to marginalized language speakers and other potentially vulnerable groups, and use evidence and analysis from our work and that of others to ensure that issues relating to language and effective two-way communication are taken on board in key strategic and planning decisions

Qualifications

The Regional Director – Ukraine Response, should be an innovative self-starter with a strong sense of initiative, an understanding of the humanitarian sector and solid management credentials. They should be enthusiastic about the importance of increasing access to knowledge and agency through language. The right candidate is an energetic team player and leader who agrees with CLEAR Global’s basic beliefs and values and who can work virtually with team members based throughout the world.

Requirements

• 10+ years of program management experience, including institutional donor grants and budget management
• 5+ years of international humanitarian aid experience and demonstrated understanding of advocacy, communication and community engagement work
• 3+ years of experience as a Country Director, Program Director, or Chief of Party with a strong reputation for developing collaborative working relationships with local counterparts and relevant state actors and agencies, international organizations, and donors
• Demonstrated experience in mobilizing, organizing resources and establishing priorities
• Proven ability to manage staff and build cohesive, productive teams and work collaboratively in consortia and across teams within the organization
• Resourceful, able to get more out of small budgets and small teams
• Good interpersonal skills; able to work well in a team-oriented, collaborative, cross-functional environment
• Strong ability to multitask, prioritize, and work independently with minimal supervision
• Excellent writing and presentation skills in English; Ukrainian a plus
• Fluency in other languages a plus
• Language, services, interpreting or translation experience a plus

Background

In an emergency, CLEAR Global provides language support to facilitate vital two-way communication between the people affected and humanitarian responders. This happens both remotely and on the ground. Remotely, CLEAR Global works with a global network of linguists to translate text, audio and audiovisual content from and into the languages of crisis-affected people. We also provide information, guidance, and language mapping support to humanitarian organizations. On the ground, country program teams offer a range of support, from research and training to glossary development and pictorial communication tools. We are also leading the development of language technology for marginalized languages. This has the potential to shift the power dynamic in emergencies and international development contexts, placing control of communication and information access in the hands of the people in need of support.

About CLEAR Global

CLEAR Global exists to help people get vital information, and be heard, whatever language they speak. We believe that everyone has the right to give and receive information in a language and format they understand. We work with nonprofit partners and a global community of language professionals to build local language translation capacity, and raise awareness of language barriers. Our network of over 80,000 community members translate millions of words of life-saving and life-changing information a year.

Core values

CLEAR Global employees and volunteers are people who believe passionately about the value of this work and take personal responsibility for achieving the mission. CLEAR Global’s mission and organizational spirit embody the core values established in its strategic framework:

• Excellence: As the leading voice for communicating humanitarian information in the right language, CLEAR Global is a leader in the translation industry and in the non-profit sector.
• Integrity: CLEAR Global believes that every person, whether it’s the people who we serve, our volunteers or our staff, has value, deserves respect and has inherent dignity.
• Empowerment: CLEAR Global believes in using language to empower people around the world to control their own development and destiny.
• Innovation: CLEAR Global recognizes and celebrates the power of innovation to address humanitarian and crisis issues around the world.
• Sustainability: CLEAR Global recognizes that meeting our mission necessitates establishment and maintenance of a solid financial and organizational infrastructure.
• Tolerance: Our staff and volunteers are highly knowledgeable and skilled; value each other, our partner and our recipients; create a supportive work environment; and, conduct themselves professionally at all times.

CLEAR Global may re-advertise the vacancy, cancel the recruitment, offer an appointment with a modified job description or for a different duration at its discretion.