Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is a leading protection agency with a mandate to protect, advocate and promote durable solutions for displacement affected populations.

DRC has been operating in Ukraine since 2014, currently DRC employs over 700 staff in Ukraine and will continue significant scale-up in 2024 to implement emergency response in the Protection, Livelihoods, Shelter/NFIs and Humanitarian Disarmament and Peacebuilding (humanitarian mine action) sectors, using direct interventions, support to duty bearers and civil society organizations (CSOs), and partnerships with CSOs. DRC will continue and adapt its durable solutions portfolio to the evolving context.

DRC is currently looking for a DRC Digital Legal Aid Platform Coordinator in Kyiv.

About the job

The Digital Legal Aid Platform Coordinator is responsible for overseeing the seamless operation of the digital legal aid platform. This includes managing its IT development, creating and ensuring the high quality of legal information content, and promoting and popularizing the platform. The Specialist ensures the quality of assistance provided by lawyers through the platform and facilitates communication and liaison with all relevant stakeholders to ensure steady and continuously improving platform operation. This includes actors outside Ukraine for cross-border legal aid and information provision.

The Digital Legal Aid Platform Coordinator is responsible for strategic planning, coordination with stakeholders, and ensuring the Platform’s compliance with organizational standards and goals. Coordinator must play a key role in driving the success of the Platform by implementing strategies, coordinating activities, and enhancing user engagement.

Your main duties and responsibilities will be

Platform Development:

• Oversee the progress of the development of the software for the DRC Digital Legal Aid Platform
• Facilitate collaboration with new partners to join the platform while maintaining effective oversight of their activities. Coordinate with DRC legal team and support structure to expediate the software development process
• Coordinate the Platform’s team activities and work
• Define the strategic goals of the platform team and oversee their implementation
• Develop strategies, tools, forms and templates pertinent to the Platform
• Identify risks and develop mitigation strategies
• Lead the initial testing and beta testing of the Platform by a large group of selected stakeholders
• Lead the branding and awareness raising for the Platform through innovative means

Legal Research, Analysis and High-Quality Content:

• Analyze the topics of interest, legislative gaps and most popular questions for the target audiences
• Support the development and design of the information and analytical materials to be published and disseminated through the Platform
• In cooperation with the Protection Specialist – Legal Analyst, ensures the quality and timely update of legal information materials for the Platform
• Under the coordination of the Protection Specialist – Legal Analyst regularly revises and updates legislative analysis based on legislative changes, ensuring the analysis remains relevant and effective
• In coordination with legal analysis team, involved in research and analysis of law, by-laws, judicial and administrative practices on issues relevant to the Platform’s legal content
• Advise DRC legal program on cross-border advocacy issues

Coordination, Representation, and Partnership Building:

• Solicit new service providers to join the Platform
• Facilitate technical training for new legal service providers on the Platform
• Build a foundation for a Europe-wide network and connect the network with the Platform
• Coordinate with partner organizations (governmental and non-governmental) to develop joint strategies and programs for improving the country’s digital legal aid program as well as cross-border legal aid services
• Facilitate knowledge sharing and best practice exchange among partner organizations (through cross-border legal aid WG) and DRC overall
• Collaborate with field lawyers and attend relevant advocacy meetings, Cluster and Working Group meetings to oversee legislative gaps, concerns and challenges faced by people of concern (PoC).
• With the purpose of promoting the Platform, represent it in various forums, events, and meetings, and engage with a diverse array of stakeholders, including humanitarian actors, government officials, and beneficiaries. Foster partnerships and respectful collaborations.
• Lead Social Media Marketing Campaign for the Platform
• Support the team in conducting assessments and other monitoring and evaluation exercises relevant to improving the Platform’s operation

Compliance, Quality Control and Reporting:

• In cooperation with Compliance and Quality Control Officer ensure high quality humanitarian legal aid services provided through the Platform
• Ensure the Platform’s compliance with data security, donor and DRC visibility requirements, humanitarian principles, and program strategies
• Ensure the compliance of information systems and processes with the applicable standards and guidelines related to information management and data protection, including the Protection Information Management (PIM) standards and principles and DRC’s internal guidelines.
• Draft information products such as reports, charts and infographics by turning data into graphic products to facilitate the dissemination of information to external stakeholders for the purpose of reporting, and information sharing.
• Contribute legal input for proposals and reports to donors and authorities

User Engagement and Feedback Analysis:

• Analyze user feedback and identify areas for improvement in the Platform’s features and functionality
• Collaborate with the software developer to address user, team and management concerns and implement necessary updates
• Develop a plan for enhancing user engagement and ensuring continuous feedback collection

About you

To be successful in this role we expect you to have at least 2 years’ experience in a previous experience in legal research and analysis in Ukraine, preferably within social protection, human rights or humanitarian aid in Ukraine. Moreover, we also expect the following:

Required:

• Graduate degree in Law or a related field is required
• Experience in an NGO sector is preferred
• Solid understanding of legal framework of Ukraine, social protection, human rights or humanitarian aid legislation, systems, and practices in Ukraine, coupled with the ability to interpret and analyze these within the broader socio-political context
• Knowledge of international human rights law will be an advantage
• Participation in innovative software projects and proven experience in utilizing digital technologies in humanitarian response or crisis management would be an asset
• Proficiency in software development processes sufficient to communicate with and evaluate the work of IT contractor firms
• Strong familiarity with SMM tools and SEO optimization tools
• Report writing and presentation skills, capable of transforming complex legal data into accessible, understandable, and actionable information
• Proven flexibility and adaptability in rapidly changing circumstances, and an ability to anticipate and respond to new challenges and opportunities
• Extensive experience in coordination and representation in a humanitarian context, with a demonstrated ability to handle sensitive issues and maintain productive relationships
• Excellent skills in MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Fluency in Ukrainian/Russian and English is required.

In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’ five core competencies:

• Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process
• Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback
• Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation
• Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly
• Demonstrating integrity: You uphold and promote the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation to our values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment

We offer:

• Contract length: 12 months, with a 3-month probation period
• Designation of Duty Station: Kyiv
• Start date: 3 June 2024
• Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for Expatriate Staff.

Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for Expatriates; please refer to drc.ngo under Vacancies.

Application process

All applicants must upload a cover letter and an updated CV (no longer than four pages) in English.

Applications sent by email will not be considered.

Closing date for applications: 27th May 2024. Candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Recruitment will be conducted on a rolling basis, and a final candidate may be selected before the advertisement closes. Only candidates who meet the criteria will be contacted.

For further information about the Danish Refugee Council, please consult our website drc.ngo.