How to join Ukraine’s defense industry after military service

This explainer covers how to find a job in Ukraine’s defense industry, how to apply the experience and skills gained during service, and where to get support at different stages.

The Ministry of Defence of Ukraine is developing opportunities for defenders who have completed their service and want to continue their careers in the defense industry.

The ZBROYA government services portal brings together practical tools for job searching, career counseling, training, and professional development.

What opportunities the ZBROYA portal offers veterans

To find a job in the defense industry, you can use one or more of the following tools:

• apply for career counseling, and consultants will contact you after you fill out the form;
• browse current defense industry job openings on the partner platforms Lobby X, Robota.ua, Work.ua, and DOU;
• explore training and professional development opportunities (the state training voucher, the professional adaptation program, KSE ProTech, and the People’s FPV course);
• get psychological support through links to book consultations with the Vilnyi Vybir NGO and the Vesta Charitable Foundation;
• go to the “Legal Assistance” section, which brings together relevant services and useful contacts.

You can start your job search in whichever way suits you: request career counseling, browse vacancies on your own, or first identify what knowledge and professional skills you may need to move into a new field.

Choosing a defense industry career based on military experience

The experience gained during service can become an important foundation for working in the defense industry. At the same time, it is not always clear how to adapt these skills to a civilian profession and present them properly to an employer.

To help with this, ZBROYA offers career counseling from Lobby X specialists.

During an individual consultation, you can:

• identify your strengths and professional interests;
• assess the experience and skills gained during service;
• identify potential roles in the defense industry;
• prepare or improve your résumé;
• tailor your military and combat experience to employer requirements;
• find relevant vacancies;
• determine whether you need training, reskilling, or an internship;
• prepare for a job interview;
• receive support during your job search.

To receive career counseling, follow these steps:

1. Go to the ZBROYA portal.
2. Open the relevant section for defenders who have completed their service.
3. Select “Career Counseling”.
4. Click “Apply”.
5. Fill out the form.

Consultants will then contact you.

The ZBROYA portal also provides links to career consultations offered by the Free People Employment Center NGO and Superhumans.

Where to find defense industry vacancies in Ukraine

If you know exactly what kind of job you are looking for, you can go straight to the vacancies.

ZBROYA brings together links to four platforms with current defense industry job openings: Lobby X, Robota.ua, Work.ua, and DOU.

This makes it possible to start searching right away for vacancies that match your experience, specialization, and professional interests.

Do veterans need training to work in the defense industry?

Not necessarily. Training can be the next step if the chosen profession or a specific vacancy requires you to gain new skills, deepen your existing knowledge, or change your specialization.

The options available on the ZBROYA portal include:

• the state training voucher for retraining or professional development;
• the State Professional Adaptation Program;
• KSE ProTech, free technical training with employment opportunities;
• People’s FPV, a free online course on basic assembly and setup of training FPV drones.

If an assessment of your experience shows that you need additional competencies to move into the position you want, training or reskilling can be the next stage of your career transition.

Preparing defense companies to hire veterans

Successful employment does not depend on the candidate alone. Companies also need to prepare their teams and internal processes to integrate defenders who have completed their service.

ZBROYA holds training sessions for representatives of defense industry enterprises on employing and professionally integrating staff with military and combat experience.

The sessions cover practical issues:

• preparing teams to work with defenders who have completed their service;
• adapting HR processes;
• integrating employees with military and combat experience;
• psychological support;
• ethical and appropriate communication;
• using the experience gained during service to strengthen companies’ teams and production capabilities.

A study of defense manufacturers’ needs for employing and integrating defenders who have completed their service is also under way. Its results are expected to clarify what companies need and help improve the relevant support tools.