Project Coordinator, Ukraine

Sesame Workshop seeks to contract a Project Coordinator for an Early Childhood Development (ECD) program for young children and parents affected by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Under the guidance of the Ukraine Program Director, Sesame Workshop (SW) seeks an experienced individual to support with the implementation of an ongoing SW ECD program in response to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The Coordinator will be responsible for tasks including, but not limited to, planning trainings and events across various locations in Ukraine, building relationship with national suppliers and vendors, setting up activities in ‘American Spaces’ centers across Ukraine, and attending meetings on behalf of Sesame Workshop in coordination with the Ukraine Program Director.

Please note: This is a full-time limited term contractor position that will commence immediately with a duration through August 2024, and a possibility of extension. This position is based in Ukraine and is open to Ukrainian national applicants.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Project Implementation:

• Support the implementation of the ongoing ECD program in Ukraine across various locations
• Scope out new vendors and lead on local procurement including processing and monitoring contracts and payments as needed in a contract database; Coordinate with US based Project Management team on systems and processes
• Support the development of processes for Ukraine based activities
• Organize and coordinate in person trainings including scheduling, venues, accommodation, food/beverage and printing materials
• Act as a focal point in country with the project facilitators who will be recruited and support processing of payments in coordination with the US based office
• Support the set-up of the Caregiver spaces across the various project locations in Ukraine in coordination with the Director of Education
• Maintain regular communication with the US based Sesame Workshop team and provide information for weekly, quarterly project updates and reports
• Carry out monitoring, evaluation and learning activities in coordination with the MEL advisor
• Provide other administrative process and planning support to the team, as required

Other responsibilities could include:

• Represent Sesame workshop at working-level meetings and external events such as conferences, stakeholder meetings, and conference calls, including but not limited to meetings with donors, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the Ukraine Education Cluster Meeting, and the Ukraine Education Cluster ECD Working Group in coordination with the Ukraine Program Director
• Provide technical input for designing activities, content, mass media Scripts, etc.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Ukrainian National with the ability to travel inside Ukraine
• Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs, Business, Education, Development or relevant field
• 2-years of relevant professional experience in an operation, program coordination, and/or administrative support role ideally in an international non-profit setting
• Demonstrated ability to work in a highly matrixed organization with a sense of urgency
• Experience creating and using organizational tools like Gantt charts and project management software/online tools
• Strong written and oral communication skills in English and Ukrainian
• Strong relationship management skills
• Experience with Microsoft Office suite (PowerPoint, Excel, Word) and the Internet
• Poised and professional communicator who can interact with colleagues of various levels
• Self-directed and takes initiative to accomplish goals
• Commitment to Sesame Workshop’s mission and core values
• Globally minded and able to work across multiple cultures and geographies and in a hybrid work environment
• Experience and/or interest in humanitarian aid or international development, education, early childhood development or media a plus

WELCOME SESAME INITIATIVE

Welcome Sesame is a strategic initiative introduced by Sesame Workshop in 2022 to ensure program quality, timely deployment, management support, and continuous learning to bolster our programs designed to reach young children and caregivers affected by conflict and crisis around the world, including refugee and displaced communities in the US. Over the last five years, Sesame Workshop’s programming and content library in this area has grown significantly, and we are now working with partners in the Middle East, Bangladesh, Latin America, East Africa, and beyond. Most recently, that programming has included rapid responses bundling educational media in relevant topics and languages for children displaced by crises in Afghanistan and Ukraine. We now refer to this overall set of programs as “Welcome Sesame.” More information on where and how we work can be found on our website here.

ABOUT SESAME WORKSHOP

Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit organization behind Sesame Street, the pioneering television show that has been helping kids grow smarter, stronger and kinder since 1969. Today Sesame Workshop is a global educational force for change with a mission to reach the world’s most vulnerable children. We’re in more than 150 countries, serving children through a wide range of media and philanthropically funded social impact programs, all grounded in rigorous research and individually tailored to the needs and cultures of the communities we serve