UKRAINE - MEAL COORDINATOR (F/M) - KYIV

## About us

**Desired start date:** 17/08/2026
**Duration of the mission:** 1 year
**Location:** Kyiv - Ukraine

**SOLIDARITES INTERNATIONAL (SI)** is an international humanitarian aid association which, since more than 40 years, has been providing assistance to populations affected by armed conflicts and natural disasters by meeting their basic needs for food, water and shelter. Particularly committed to the fight against diseases linked to unsafe water, the leading cause of death in the world, SI's interventions provide expertise in the field of access to drinking water, sanitation and hygiene promotion, but also in the essential area of food security and livelihoods. Present in 26 countries, the SI teams – 3200 people in total, made up of expatriates, national staff, permanent staff at HQ, and a few volunteers - intervene with professionalism and commitment while respecting cultural norms.

## About the mission

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces, SI has been responding to the needs of the population living in areas under Government control.

SI’s main strategic objective for 2026 is to strengthen and clearly position its comparative advantage in Ukraine. The ambition is for SI to build a recognized and demonstrable expertise in WASH and Shelter. The program strategy for 2026 therefore focuses on two core sectors—WASH and Shelter—and is structured around two strategic axes:

1\. Respond to both acute and chronic emergencies

2\. Contribute to creating the conditions for dignified return or sustainable stay in stable areas through a recovery-oriented approach

To maximize the impact of its interventions, SI aims to further enhance sectoral integration and promote localized approaches.

In 2026, SI’s country program in Ukraine is expected to operate with a budget of approximately 10 million euros, with three field bases (Mykolaiv, Dnipro, Kharkiv), one coordination office in Kyiv, and a total of 110 staff, including around 20 expatriates.

The main donors in 2026 will be, in order of funding volume: CDC, AFD, and ECHO. Additional donors have been approached to expand and diversify the portfolio further, in line with SI’s programmatic priorities.

**General objective:**

Lead and strengthen the MEAL for the mission by ensuring high-quality program monitoring, technical support, data-driven decision-making, and integration of cross-cutting issues (gender, do-no-harm, accountability). Support operational planning, capacity building, institutional knowledge management, and contribute to program effectiveness, compliance with donor requirements, and continuous learning.

## About the job

**The main challenges:**

New processes and a more decentralised approach to MEAL activities were developped at the end of 2025 and 2026 and need to be strenghtened. An ongoing consortium led by SI includes another organisation that conducts activities not within the usual mandate of SI (protection) and require the MEAL coordinator of SI to be familiar enough with protection The switch from emergency response to a more protracted conflict combined with reduced funding is creating the need for MEAL to provide methodological support when it comes to prioritization and requires a focus on evaluation/monitoring of SI added value and the relevance of its activities. Turnover of Deputy Field Coordinators for Programs (direct line manager for MEAL teams on field bases) in Spring 2026 makes close follow up, field visits and building of a strong relationship between MEAL coo and field teams particularly important so that roles and responsibilities are clear and that MEAL teams receive consistent support. MEAL activities are mainly conducted remotely due to security constraints.

Some data management projects including data visualisation are under development and will need follow up. Partnerships with local organisations are under development and still quite new for the mission so the MEAL coordinator to be very present to develop key processes for monitoring, data management, accountability, etc.

**Security constraints:**

There are few security constraints in Kyiv, though the context can evolve quickly and there are periodic attacks that generally target known areas (SI accommodation and office is deliberately chosen to reduce the proximity to target areas). Nevertheless, air alarms are still very frequent and can last for hours, which can cause stress. SI security rules and set-up is a very effective protection against the effects of the attacks and the risk to staff is therefore very low in Kyiv.

National curfew is in place between midnight and 5am. Noise of explosions can sometimes be heard. Security briefings are given pre-departure, upon arrival, and upon travelling to field bases (where additional security protocols may be in place). SI Ukraine offers 24/7 psychological support to any staff affected by the stress of the security situation, and takes staff wellbeing and safety extrem