The EU4Reconstruction is looking for a Project Manager to support institutional development, in particular implementation of corporate governance in municipal enterprises in big cities.
Background
The EU4Reconstruction. The European Union (EU), together with Denmark, Germany, France and Lithuania, launched EU4Reconstruction, a €37 million Team Europe Initiative that unites the strength, experience and solidarity of the EU to support Ukraine’s ongoing recovery and reconstruction.
The initiative aims to strengthen governance, improve public investment management, and enhance coordination across levels of government, with a strong emphasis on EU values. The Team Europe Initiative is divided into two parallel and communicating streams; one stream will be composed of GIZ (Lead Organisation) and Expertise France (Partner Organisation) and the other will gather the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark (Lead Organisation) and CPVA (Partner Organisation).
EU4Reconstruction will reinforce the leadership of the Ministry for Communities and Territories Development, strengthen the State Agency for Reconstruction and Development of Infrastructure (SARDI), empower local governments to manage reconstruction professionally and sustainably, and support civil society and independent media to play an active role in oversight, ensuring public trust and reducing corruption risks.
The programme will strengthen the policy dialogue around reconstruction and recovery and will focus in particular on the governance of public investment management, public infrastructure management at national, regional and local levels and how to link this with necessary capacity development to make the system work. Part of this process will ensure that the stakeholders in the programme and their policy and regulatory setup are prepared for EU accession. This will, in particular, ensure resources are allocated effectively, transparently, accountably and with broad inclusion in infrastructure planning and execution, reflecting the subsidiarity principle.
This assignment concerns specific sub-output of Stream 2 of the EU4Reconstruction programme, namely “The largest municipal enterprises are capacitated to enabling management in accordance with the OECD standards of corporate governance and corresponding legislation is prepared”.
Ukrainian cities require a comprehensive transformation of their approaches to strategic planning, development management, and performance monitoring. As a result of the war, significant demographic shifts, and growing reconstruction needs, municipalities face challenges that demand professional support to update their strategies, define investment priorities, and modernize governance systems.
There is an urgent need for high-level expert assistance to strengthen municipal ownership practices and corporate governance of municipally owned enterprises, particularly those responsible for critical infrastructure services such as water supply and wastewater services, district heating, and municipal transport. Ensuring professional, transparent, and accountable governance of these enterprises is a key enabler for effective recovery and reconstruction, as well as an essential condition for improving service continuity, financial sustainability, and investment readiness at the local level. This transformation aims to clarify the roles and responsibilities of the owner, supervisory boards, and executive management; reduce fragmentation and undue political interference in operational decision-making; and establish effective mechanisms for oversight, accountability, and integrity.
The introduction of modern corporate governance practices such as ownership policies, supervisory board frameworks, performance management systems (including KPIs), internal control and compliance mechanisms, and regular reporting and assessment procedures will enable municipalities to improve the performance and resilience of municipal enterprises and to manage reconstruction-related investments more effectively.
By applying measurable performance indicators, transparent reporting, and risk management tools, municipalities will be better positioned to meet the expectations of citizens, donors, and partners, build public trust, and ensure the efficient use of resources in delivering recovery and infrastructure modernisation projects.
The position
Title: Project Manager to support the institutional development of municipal enterprises EU4Reconstruction Stream 2
Duty Station: EU4Reconstruction Office, Kyiv.
Contract: Full-time position under contract with the Danish Embassy. All staff will have to pass a security check.
Conditions: A competitive salary commensurate with qualifications and experience, in line with Danish Embassy staff policies, along with a comprehensive benefits package including a performance-based bonus, health insurance, and five weeks of paid annual leave.
Team and Reporting: The Project Manager will report directly to the Team Leader for Capacity Development of Municipalities and will work in close cooperation with other Project Managers within EU4Reconstruction Stream 2. The Project Manager will lead and coordinate a large pool of external experts and contractors supporting the implementation of corporate governance reforms in municipal enterprises in five selected large municipalities.
Key Responsibilities
- Plan, coordinate, and provide operational support to activities in the area of corporate governance and municipal enterprise development, including the preparation, updating, and implementation of work plans in line with EU4Reconstruction objectives and relevant national reforms.
- Coordinate analytical and methodological work aimed at assessing corporate governance systems, integrity frameworks, institutional capacity, and operational performance of municipal enterprises using evidence-based approaches.
- Coordinate and manage the work of external experts and consultants engaged in municipal enterprise-related assignments in the areas of corporate governance, strategic and investment planning, and institutional development.
- Ensure the quality, completeness, and timeliness of deliverables produced by experts, consultants, and service providers, including control of contractual obligations, deadlines, and technical requirements.
- Ensure effective inter-institutional coordination and information exchange between the Team Lead, Stream 2 Project Managers, local self-government bodies, and municipal enterprises.
- Monitor progress against Outputs and sub-outputs and prepare regular analytical and management reports for the Stream 2 management of EU4Reconstruction.
- Coordinate cooperation with EUACI Integrity City teams on issues related to corporate governance, integrity frameworks, and municipal enterprise reform in order to ensure coherence of approaches and avoid duplication.
- Support procurement procedures, including the design of interventions, preparation of Terms of Reference (ToR), and initiation of procurements in accordance with Danish MFA rules and standards.
- Provide administrative and financial contract management, including verification of invoices, control of compliance with contractual terms, and facilitation of timely payments.
Support of Institutional Development of Municipal Enterprises
- Support the conduct of comprehensive assessments of institutional, managerial, and operational capacity of municipal enterprises, taking into account municipal development strategies and investment priorities.
- Organise and coordinate technical assistance for the development and updating of corporate development plans, medium-term investment programmes, and reform roadmaps for municipal enterprises, with a focus on infrastructure recovery and reconstruction.
- Facilitate the integration of municipal enterprise activities and investment projects into Public Investment Management (PIM) processes, including investment prioritisation, project selection, and implementation support.
- Coordinate capacity-development activities for local self-government bodies, supervisory board members, and municipal enterprise management in the areas of corporate governance, ownership policy, investment planning, and performance monitoring.
- Engage with municipalities, national associations of local self-government, and relevant reform initiatives (including EUACI and Stream 1) to develop practical instruments for strengthening the performance and governance of municipal enterprises.
- Support the development of monitoring and reporting systems for municipal enterprises, including KPIs, financial and non-financial reporting, accountability mechanisms, and data collection and analysis systems.
- Provide expert managerial, policy, and technical advice aimed at improving transparency, accountability, and the quality of decision-making in municipal enterprise management.
The Successful Candidate Has To
- Be able to operate at both strategic and operational levels, combining understanding of corporate governance reforms with hands-on management of their implementation.
- Develop and manage work plans, budgets, and resources for assigned areas and sub-outputs in line with EU4Reconstruction programme documents.
- Ensure systematic and structured communication with stakeholders, providing updates on progress, key milestones, risks, and challenges.
- Guarantee high quality of results and compliance with procurement and administrative requirements in accordance with Danish MFA rules and standards.
- Coordinate and support the implementation of corporate governance reforms and/or municipal ownership policies.
- Perform other duties related to project implementation as agreed with the Team Leader.
Qualifications & Experience
- University degree in Economics, Public Administration, Management, Law, Public Policy, Corporate Governance, or a related field.
- At least 3–5 years of professional experience in project management, institutional development, work with municipal enterprises, local self-government bodies, or donor-funded programmes.
- Proven practical experience working with municipal enterprises and/or municipalities, including cooperation with city councils.
- Experience or strong understanding of corporate governance reforms, including supervisory boards, ownership models, and internal control mechanisms.
- Experience in the development or support of municipal ownership policies, corporate development plans, or reform roadmaps is a strong asset.
- Knowledge of OECD standards, OECD-DAC principles, and/or EU best practices in public or municipally owned enterprises.
- Strong analytical skills, including experience working with indicators and governance assessments.
- Strong drafting and written communication skills, including preparation of analytical notes, policy recommendations, Terms of Reference (ToR), and reports.
- High standards of integrity and professionalism, with readiness to work in line with donor rules and procedures.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build trust and cooperate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders.
- Fluency in Ukrainian and English, both written and spoken.
Deadline for applications
Interested candidates should submit their documents in English:
1) short motivation letter
2) CV with three reference contacts to [email protected] and cc [email protected], [email protected] before close of business on 20 February 2026.
Please write in the email subject “Project Manager to support the institutional development of municipal enterprises EU4Reconstruction Stream 2_Name”.
Details: Project Manager to support the institutional development of municipal enterprises