Legal Officer, Electoral Processes and Democratic Governance, Ukraine

Context

 The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance — International IDEA is an intergovernmental organization of 35 member states, with a mission to support sustainable democracy worldwide. The Institute pursues this mission by providing comparative knowledge to reform-makers, assisting in conceptualizing and implementing democratic reforms, and influencing policies and politics at national and global levels. International IDEA shares comparative knowledge and supports policy reforms in the following key thematic areas: electoral processes, constitution building, political participation and representation, and democracy assessments. It also addresses the important issues of gender, diversity, and conflict and security as they relate to democracy.

International IDEA has a mandate to support democracy worldwide. Since its establishment in 1995, the Institute has sought to fulfil this mandate by expanding its geographic footprint. Increasing demand for the Institute´s support in countries in Europe, coupled with key developments that have highlighted the weakness of democratic institutions in some European countries, has motivated the Institute to establish a Regional Europe Programme (REP).

The REP has a strategic objective to support democracy in Europe, with an emphasis on Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans. In Ukraine, International IDEA aims to support state and civil society organisations in enhancing the resilience and quality of democratic institutions and processes. Key areas of our engagement relate to electoral processes and political finance, parliamentary strengthening, and promoting the expertise and capacity of civil society organisations to participate in decision-making processes. To date, the programme has supported important reforms in the fields of the integrity of elections and political finance, constitutional review and reform processes, local and regional democracy assessments. It has delivered this support through country and regional projects.

International IDEA is currently looking to expand its programming in Ukraine. The Programme’s key areas of focus are provision of support to parliamentary strengthening and to enhancing electoral integrity; other areas of work may include activities to foster greater civic engagement in democratic processes, support to strengthening the culture of constitutionalism, digitalization, promotion of gender equality and women’s participation in political and public life.

The Legal Officer provides legal and regulatory advisory support across electoral and democratic governance processes in Ukraine, including post conflict and emergency contexts. The role contributes legal analysis, legislative review, and compliance advice related to elections, electoral institutions, voter registration, dispute resolution, and institutional cooperation, while supporting programme planning, implementation, and risk management in line with international standards.

Duties and Responsibilities

 • Advises on legal frameworks governing post-war electoral processes and transition from martial law;

• Provides legal analysis and recommendations on out-of-country voting frameworks;

• Supports legal aspects of institutional cooperation with national authorities and international partners;

• Conducts legal feasibility assessments related to electoral preparedness scenarios;

• Advises on legal aspects of voter registration, digital electoral infrastructure, and data protection;

• Supports legislative reform processes related to elections, parliamentary strengthening, and democratic governance;

• Provides legal advisory support to International IDEA programme activities in Ukraine, including analysis and interpretation of national legislation and regulatory frameworks relevant to elections, democratic governance, and public administration.

• Reviews, drafts, and provides technical advice on electoral laws, regulations, and constitutional provisions to ensure they conform to international standards; participates in working groups on development of relevant legislation;

• Designs and supports mechanisms for handling election disputes, including training judicial officials and building capacity in case management;

• Provides on-demand legal counsel to electoral commissions, delivering workshops on legal compliance, and training electoral stakeholders;

• Supports the establishment or strengthening of electoral management bodies, political party oversight bodies, and civil society organizations in legal and electoral matters;

• Produces analytical papers, guidelines, and reports on legal issues like political finance, abuse of state resources, and electoral rights;

• Reviews and provides legal clearance of project-related documents, including prourement and contracting processes.

• Supports programme staff by providing legal input into planning, coordination, and implementation of project activities.

• Advises on legal risks and compliance issues related to programme implementation and institutional cooperation.

General Profile

 • Demonstrates strong legal expertise in electoral law and democratic governance, combined with the ability to provide practical, solution-oriented legal advice in support of electoral processes and institutional reforms;

• Possesses sound judgement and the ability to operate effectively in complex electoral, institutional, and regulatory environments, including in contexts of legal uncertainty or heightened political sensitivity;

• Works collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams and external stakeholders, including electoral management bodies, parliamentary institutions, and civil society organisations, to support legally sound and credible electoral processes;

• Can be expected to travel to any geographical area involved in their projects, including to support election-related activities as required;

• Acts in accordance with International IDEA’s core values; Respect, Integrity and Professionalism;

• Integrates gender equality, diversity, and social inclusion (GEDSI) considerations into all tasks and activities, in alignment with the Institute’s Core Values and commitment to the GEDSI policy.

Reporting line

 • Programme Manager, Ukraine.

Education and Experience

 • Master’s degree in Law or Public Administration;

Minimum five (5) years of relevant professional experience working in legal advisory roles, preferably within international organizations, public institutions, or donor-funded projects;

• Experience working on issues related to electoral law and democratic governance;

• Demonstrated experience in legal review and producing analytical papers;

• Experience of working in an international context, e.g. in an intergovernmental organization, considered an advantage;

• Experience in networking and communicating with different stakeholders such as government, public institutions, electoral bodies, UN, NGOs and other organizations is considered an advantage.

Terms of Contract:

• Local Post.

• Fixed term appointment until 31 December 2026.

• Remuneration - USD 3,006 Gross per month

Please note as this is a local post, International IDEA will bear no costs relating to the relocation of the selected candidate to the duty station. This position is open to those legally authorized to live and work in Ukraine for the duration of the contract. International IDEA is not able to support work permit applications. 

Use of AI in Recruitment
International IDEA places strong emphasis on human input in recruitment. Candidates must disclose any use of AI tools. All application materials, written assessments, and interview responses (as applicable) must be entirely human-generated and reflect the candidate’s own knowledge, skills, and experience. The use of AI to generate content or misrepresent qualifications is not permitted. AI‑powered assistive technologies (such as screen readers or speech‑to‑text tools) may be used for accessibility purposes to ensure equal access to the recruitment process.

Applying for this position:

• Applications should be submitted online no later than 23:59 (CET) 13 April 2026. 

• Please note that all applications must be made in English.

Selection Process:

• Evaluation of qualified candidates will include a written test assessment and up to two (2) interviews.

• Candidates selected to proceed to the next stage of the process will be contacted once all applications have been carefully reviewed.

• All candidates will be notified of the status of their application via email once the process has been finalized.

Due to the anticipated volume of applications, International IDEA will review applications on a rolling basis, and the vacancy may close earlier than the advertised deadline. Applicants are therefore encouraged to apply early.

International IDEA is an equal-opportunity employer which seeks to further diversify its staff in terms of gender, culture and nationality.