HR Manager Ukraine

Your mission

War Child is looking for a:HR Manager Ukraine
The HR Manager builds and runs War Child’s people function in Ukraine. In the first year, the role leads the transition of the Ukraine team from consultancy arrangements to employment under Ukrainian law, working with an external legal firm to put in place compliant contracts, personnel records, policies and processes. The role then operates and maintains this framework – HR administration, recruitment, payroll inputs, military registration, occupational health and safety and HR compliance – while advising managers across the employee lifecycle and promoting staff wellbeing, safeguarding and an inclusive working culture. The role works closely with the Country Director, Finance, the regional and global HR team and external advisers

About the role

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the transition to employment and the HR set-up: Together with the Country Director and the external legal firm, lead the transfer of current consultants to employment contracts under Ukrainian law, including closure of consultancy agreements, employment contracts and annexes, job descriptions and position titles aligned with the National Classifier of Occupations, and onboarding into employment. Implement and then maintain the tools prepared by the legal firm (employee file and onboarding checklists, HR compliance calendar, legal risk register, document retention matrix).
• Manage HR administration and personnel records under Ukrainian law: Prepare and maintain HR orders (hiring, transfer, leave, termination), the staffing table, timesheets, the annual leave schedule, personnel files and electronic employment records. Submit employment notifications to the State Tax Service before the start of work, process sick leave and other statutory leave through the Pension Fund of Ukraine portal, and keep HR
  records in line with document retention, confidentiality and personal data protection requirements (Law of Ukraine “On Personal Data Protection” and War Child’s data protection policy).
• Oversee military registration and reservation: Act as the internal person responsible for military registration of staff. Coordinate and quality-check the external provider (the legal firm) that maintains military records, ensure staff data and changes reach the provider on time, and coordinate reservation (deferment) of eligible employees where the Representative Office qualifies.
• Develop HR policies and ensure compliance: Adapt War Child’s global policies to Ukrainian law with the legal firm and develop the required local documents (e.g. Internal Labour Regulations). Roll them out, train managers and staff, and keep them up to date with legal changes, including those introduced under martial law. Coordinate HR audit and donor requirements and act as the main point of contact for external legal advice on HR matters.
• Lead recruitment, selection and onboarding: Coordinate recruitment for new and vacant positions, including JDs, vacancy texts, advertising, screening and shortlisting. Advise on interview questions and assessments and take part in interviews. Oversee safer recruitment, background checks and Misconduct Disclosure Scheme references within the limits of Ukrainian law, job offers and onboarding, ensuring fair and transparent processes aligned with safeguarding, integrity and donor requirements.
• Coordinate payroll inputs and employee benefits: Provide timely and accurate HR inputs to Finance for payroll and social security (new hires, changes, leave, sick leave, terminations). Manage staff insurance and maintain oversight of benefits, allowances and additional days off provided under War Child policy.
• Coordinate occupational health, safety and duty of care: Ensure that occupational health and safety obligations are met (OHS documentation, safety briefings, workplace risk assessment, medical checks where required) through the external OHS provider, acting as its internal focal point. Work with the security focal point on duty of care for staff travelling to high-risk areas, air-raid procedures and documentation when staff are unable to work for safety reasons.
• Advise managers and staff and manage employee relations: Act as an HR business partner to managers and senior leadership. Advise on employment terms, working time, absence, salary scales and performance. Guide disciplinary, grievance and termination processes in line with Ukrainian law and War Child policy, and support mediation and resolution of workplace conflict.
• Support performance, learning, wellbeing and inclusion: Help managers implement the performance-management cycle and learning and development plans. Develop initiatives that support staff wellbeing and a healthy working environment in a high-stress context, with attention to justice, equity, diversity and inclusion.
• Lead HR planning, data and reporting: Lead annual HR planning, objectives and budget in line with country and organisational HR strategies. Maintain HR information systems and data, provide accurate HR reports and analysis to leadership, and contribute to regional and global HR initiatives.
• Each staff member is responsible for contributing to creating a culture committed to our mission, vision, internal safeguarding standards, JEDI ((Social) Justice Equity Diversity Inclusion) principles and the CHS (Core Humanitarian Standard) framework and are expected to actively promote this in their work.
• These duties provide a framework for the role and should not be regarded as a definitive list. Other reasonable duties may be required consistent with the grade of the role.

What you will do

ROLE-SPECIFIC OR CONTEXT RESPONSIBILITIES

• In the first 12 months, complete the transition of current consultants to employment (planned from January 2027, to be confirmed) and prepare the HR framework for the planned growth of the team to approximately 13–14 positions in 2027.
• Act as the key HR liaison with Ukrainian authorities (State Tax Service, Pension Fund of Ukraine, Territorial Recruitment Centres, State Labour Service) within the agreed authority and power of attorney.
• Take part in Ukraine humanitarian HR coordination forums, share learning and keep up to date with changes in Ukrainian labour law.
• Supervise and develop the HR Officer, if this position is included in the approved Ukraine structure.

Your profile

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, EXPERIENCEEducation

• University degree in human resources management, law, psychology, business administration or a related field.
• Training in Ukrainian HR administration and labour law (кадрове діловодство) is an asset.

Experience

• At least five years of HR experience across the employee lifecycle, including at least three years of hands-on HR administration under Ukrainian labour law (HR orders, personnel files, electronic employment records, notifications to authorities).
• Practical experience with military registration of employees; experience with reservation (deferment) is a strong asset.
• Experience setting up HR processes in a new or growing office, or managing HR change (e.g. moving contractors to employment).
• Demonstrated experience advising managers on people-management matters.
• Experience with an (I)NGO or international organisation in a humanitarian context is desirable.

Languages

• Fluency in Ukrainian and professional working proficiency in English.

(Technical) Knowledge

• Up-to-date knowledge of Ukrainian labour legislation, including martial-law changes, military registration rules, occupational health and safety basics and personal data protection.
• Knowledge of HR policy, recruitment, employee relations, performance management, learning and development, HR systems and data.
• Understanding of payroll inputs, taxes and social contributions, benefits and insurance, HR audit and donor requirements, and safeguarding and PSEA standards.
• Experience with Ukrainian HR and accounting software and government e-services (e.g. BAS/1C, M.E.Doc, Pension Fund and tax authority portals, Diia) and advanced Microsoft Office skills.

Competencies

• Integrity and confidentiality
• Accuracy and attention to detail; ownership of deadlines · Clear, practical communication – explains rules simply to managers and staff
• Trusted adviser: supportive but firm on compliance
• Planning and organisation; balances setting up processes with day-to-day work
• Resilience and empathy in a high-pressure, fast-changing context

What we offer

How to Apply

Interested candidates are invited to submit their CV and cover letter in English through our career's website no later than 30/10/2026.

Please note that applications will only be accepted through our careers website. To ensure a fair and consistent recruitment process, applications submitted via email will not be considered. ____________________________________________________________________________
By submitting your application you certify that all of the statements made in your application are true, complete, and correct and are made in good faith. You understand that falsifying, misrepresenting or intentionally withholding information will be grounds for rejection of your application or withdrawal of any offer of appointment or, if an appointment offer has been accepted, this will be ground for employment sanctions, such as, but not limited to, instant dismissal. In addition, you understand that you need to submit a Criminal Record Certificate and that, if you fail to submit it, no employment relationship can be established.

Disclaimer

• Only applications received via our website are processed.
• If we appoint a suitable candidate before the given closing date, we reserve the right to remove the vacancy from our website before that date. In such a case, any responses received after that time are not processed.
• It could be that during our selection process the closing date for the vacancy is extended. If so, and you have not yet heard from us, your application will remain active.