Repatriation Program Director

Kyiv, Ukraine - The candidate must be based in Ukraine

UGS (UGS.foundation) is a US and Ukraine-registered charity that helps Ukrainian high schoolers from modest backgrounds apply to top global boarding schools and colleges. Since 2015, we’ve helped 250+ Ukrainians receive $50M+ in scholarships.

The UGS Repatriation Program Director will lead the development, implementation, and management of a comprehensive program dedicated to supporting the repatriation of Ukrainian international students who have studied abroad through UGS and beyond. 

This role requires a strategic thinker and an operational leader who can build and sustain a robust system for student return, establish and maintain relationships with key partners, employers, and hiring organizations, and oversee creating and managing a tech platform to support these initiatives.

The ideal candidate will possess a deep understanding of the challenges of the Ukrainian hiring environment and a vast personal network with key hiring stakeholders. 

This role has these main components: 

1. Work proactively to understand the unique needs of the returning students and strive to meet them. 

2. Coordinating internship opportunities during the summer, further enhancing the students' professional development and easing their transition back to Ukraine. 

3. In the long term, help build out a platform that matches students and graduates with short—and long-term employment opportunities in Ukraine. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop a comprehensive roadmap for the repatriation process, from the initial planning stages to successful integration back into Ukraine.

• In the long term, build and manage a scalable system to facilitate the smooth return of students to Ukraine, ensuring all logistical and cultural considerations are addressed.

• Oversee the day-to-day operations of the repatriation program, including budget management, resource allocation, and risk mitigation.

• Collaborate with stakeholders to identify and address the specific needs of Ukrainian students studying abroad through UGS.

• Establish new and develop partnerships with employers from Ukraine's commercial, government, and non-profit sectors.  

• Manage the databases of UGS interns and UGS alumni. 

• Help UGS students find summer internships in Ukraine and help UGS alumni find their first jobs in Ukraine.

• Organize internship/job fairs and other internship/employment-related events online in Ukraine.

• Develop new strategic UGS initiatives focused on developing internship and job opportunities for UGS students in Ukraine, including in the sphere of science and arts.

• Develop UGS alumni relations and support UGS interns and alumni in other ways as may be necessary.

Qualifications and other requirements:

• Commitment to UGS's mission and values (visit our website at UGS.foundation).

• Developed personal network with key hiring stakeholders in Ukraine in private, government, and non-profit sectors.

• A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree from a Ukrainian or international educational institution. 

• English fluency (7.5 on IELTS or 100+ on TOEFL).

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English and Ukrainian.

• Strong interpersonal and presentation skills and the ability to work with multiple UGS stakeholders, from high school students to strategic partners. 

• Experience in working with students is a plus.

• High degree of independence and ability to manage processes without supervision.

• Startup mindset, ability to work under time constraints and adapt to quick changes.

• A registered Ukrainian ‘FOP’ (the state registration as an entrepreneur) is in place.