The growing complexity of public sector governance in the digital era demands a fundamental rethinking of how services are designed, delivered, and governed. Co-creation has emerged as a central paradigm, promoting collaboration between governments, citizens, and diverse stakeholders to improve inclusiveness and responsiveness. In parallel, the integration of digital technologies, particularly AI and data-driven approaches, is reshaping the competencies required in public administration. These developments bring not only new technical expectations but also raise ethical, regulatory, and sustainability challenges. This study examines how such interdisciplinary demands are reflected in public sector labor markets through a comparative case study of Poland and Ukraine – two countries actively undergoing public sector digital transformation, but situated within different political and institutional contexts. Based on an analysis of 120 job vacancies, we examine required knowledge areas and skill sets across six dimensions: Co-creation, Ethics, Evidence-based decision-making, Sustainability, AI, and Legal & Regulation. Our findings highlight notable differences between the two cases – Poland’s stronger orientation toward participatory governance and Ukraine’s emphasis on digital and AI transformation. At the same time, the analysis reveals substantial gaps in the articulation and integration of cross-cutting competencies, underscoring the need for systemic investment in workforce development and interdisciplinary education aligned with emerging public sector challenges.