Description of the context
To address the changing needs of Ukrainian municipalities and national-level stakeholders during wartime, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) in 2024 initiated a broader programme in support of multilevel governance and recovery. This programme is called “Polaris: Supporting Multi-level Governance in Ukraine”. It is implemented by SALAR International and planned for four years (July 2024-May 2028).
Polaris Programme aims to work with both short and long-term focus, addressing the needs of the multi-level governance system in Ukraine and in parallel strengthening municipalities’ public service provision, as well as their direct engagement in the recovery and reconstruction processes, in line with the requirements of Ukraine’s EU accession.
Role Description
This is a senior position with overall responsibility for leading the programme’s work on strengthening Ukraine’s national and regional associations of local self-government. The Team Leader plays a central role in supporting these associations to become democratic, transparent, member-driven, and politically independent organisations that can effectively represent their members, facilitate multi-level dialogue, and contribute meaningfully to decentralisation, recovery, and EU-integration processes.
The position requires a high level of diplomatic skill, political sensitivity, and strong communication abilities. The Team Leader interacts regularly with political leaders of LGAs, national institutions, regional authorities, thematic experts, and international partners. Beyond technical expertise, the role requires grounded experience in democratic practice—including personal engagement within elected bodies, membership-based organisations, and civic leadership—ensuring the ability to understand political realities from the inside. The ability to build trust, navigate complex political dynamics, and maintain neutrality while facilitating dialogue among actors with differing interests is essential.
The Team Leader provides strategic leadership, coordination, and quality assurance for the expert team working on LGA capacity development. This includes guiding associations through democratic governance reforms, strengthening their regional networks, facilitating interregional thematic forums, and supporting associations in forming common positions in areas where collective advocacy is needed. A strong record of democratic institution-building, coupled with personal insight into how representative bodies function, is central to this role.
Application: Send your application with max 3 page CV and max 1 page cover letter (in PDF) to
For more information, please download the Terms of Reference.
Deadline: 15 January 2026.
