Job Description: Researcher

Location: Kyiv

Contract: Full Time, Fixed Term consultant contract for 12 months

Start date: 1 November 2023 (TBC)

Report to: The Researcher will report to CFCS at RUSI and will be hosted by BRDO in Kyiv.

About CFCS at RUSI 

The Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies (CFCS) at RUSI specialises in the intersection between finance and global security. Our work covers a range of state- and non-state-based security threats, which we examine through a financial lens. Since CFCS’s inception in 2014, we have been driving change through our partnership-based approach and the development of viable solutions.

Our work has helped to unveil the scale and complexities of international illicit finance, as well as to identify realistic policy responses across both the public and private sectors. We focus on putting our evidence-based research into practice through capacity-building and collaborative workshops.

Supervising and Monitoring Ukraine’s Reconstruction Funds (SMURF) is a CFCS-led initiative in partnership with the Better Regulation Delivery Office (BRDO) in Ukraine that aims to strengthen the integrity and resilience of the financial system in Ukraine.

About BRDO

BRDO - one of the largest and most impactful policy think tanks in Ukraine. The organization focuses on better regulation, economic growth, SME development and now on addressing problems caused by the large-scale invasion, including issues of the reconstruction of Ukraine. The organization has been instrumental in developing and advocating more than 200 of initiatives adopted by the Government and Parliament of Ukraine. These initiatives brought about annual savings for businesses and taxpayers of more than USD 1 bln through better, streamlined, and digitized policies, regulations, and procedures.

RISE Ukraine coalition is a broad-based effort of more than 50 Ukrainian and international civil society organizations that partnered up to work together to ensure transparent, accountable, efficient, and sustainable reconstruction of Ukraine. One of the key initiatives of RISE Ukraine and its members OCP, BRDO, Ti Ukraine has been advocating for and building together with the Government of Ukraine the DREAM: Digital Restoration EcoSystem for Accountable Management to be used by stakeholders such as governmental and municipal institutions of Ukraine, international donors, contractors, watchdogs, and investigative journalists to facilitate efficient management reconstruction and its supervision and monitoring, as well as helping address possible fund spillover and combat money laundering.

About the role

Through evidence gathering, research and policy engagement, the Researcher will aim to achieve positive change to policies and legislation affecting government, private sector and civil society actors in Ukraine, on the integrity and resilience of Ukraine’s financial system to combat potential reconstruction-related money laundering connected with the flow of reconstruction funding. 

The Researcher will share knowledge and insights to shape policies that help to address integrity challenges in Ukraine’s reconstruction funding, and devise strategies to ensure they are taken on board and put into practice by policymakers in governments, the private sector and civil society organisations. 

 Key tasks 

• • Identify areas of weakness in the integrity and resilience of Ukraine’s financial system, and gather, analyze and monitor data, policies and best practices of relevance for supporting and strengthening responses and remediation;
• • Produce regular written outputs in the form of reports, research briefings and op-eds.The papers will be based on desk-based research and in-person interviews.
• • Contribute to public-private sector workshops in Ukraine/online, both as a guest and organizer to ensure that key topics related to financial integrity and resilience are reviewed and knowledge is shared;
• • Design and conduct an effective consultation process and produce a document summarizing the conclusions reached as well as the recommendations and steps forward for the work with the Ukrainian Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU, known as the State Financial Monitoring Service) and supervisors of regulated sectors charged with policing the financial system against money laundering;
• • Constant management of ongoing advocacy activities and processes, including monitoring of the institutions involved as well as the coordination of a weekly meeting of the SMURF working group to update CFCS and BRDO team members on progress made as well as to discuss relevant strategies and opportunities.

The above list is not exhaustive, the Researcher will be required to undertake such duties that may be reasonably expected within the scope of this role. 

Person Specification 

Essential skills and experience: 

• • Experience in working on policy/research in the international and/or national policy context, including sound knowledge of national and international AML institutions and mechanisms;
• • Excellent knowledge of national and international standards in the areas of AML/CFT and anti-corruption;
• • Significant experience in drafting reports, policy briefs, and recommendations;
• • Experience in data collection based on qualitative methods of research;
• • Self-starter with a proactive and positive approach to work, with the ability to work independently and as part of a team;
• • Excellent time management skills with the ability to prioritise work effectively and manage delivery expectations;
• • Exceptional organisational and multi-tasking skills, attention to detail and an ability to prioritise, with a proven track record of working towards and meeting multiple competing deadlines;
• • Ability to use initiative, exercise discretion and decision-making effectively;
• • Ability to collaborate with colleagues across CFCS and BRDO and externally to achieve programme and project-specific objectives;
• • Possesses strong interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to engage with a variety of internal and external stakeholders from differing professional and cultural backgrounds;
• • Full proficiency in English and Ukrainian.

Application Process 

To apply, please send the below document at [email protected] 

• • Your CV.
• • Cover Letter of no more than 2 pages explaining your interest in the role and any significant relevant skills and/or experience

The closing date for applications is 6 p.m. on 8^th October 2023. (TBC)  

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and the closing date brought forward if needed. Early application is encouraged. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.