Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is an international non-governmental organization, which promotes and supports durable solutions to the problems faced by refugees and internally displaced people all over the world.

DRC Ukraine is looking for a highly qualified Legal Aid Officer for it’s Area office based in Kharkiv.

Overall purpose of the role

• Deliver high quality legal aid services to the beneficiaries;
• Contribute towards enhancing DRC’s capacity to carry on evidence-based advocacy;
• Contribute towards implementation of high-quality mobile outreach program and awareness raising program,
• Ensure the quality of the planning, implementation and follow up of all technical aspects of the sector activities being implemented by DRC,
• Develop and maintain good relations with the persons of concern, relevant stakeholders and other humanitarian actors, to support adequate implementation and coordination of DRC’s sector activities.

Main responsibilities

Programming & Operations:

• Provide high quality one-on-one legal counseling to IDPs and conflict-affected population on their legal rights and remedies in the displacement context,
• Organize and facilitate community-level group awareness-raising programs on recent legal developments addressing the information and legal needs of IDPs and conflict-affected population,
• Provide administrative and other para-legal assistance to enable IDP and conflict-affected population to access welfare benefits, livelihood opportunities and government and non-government benefits and privileges,
• Provide in-court representation where necessary,
• Support preparation of monthly/quarterly/annual highlights/reports and proposals and budgets for donors,
• Participate in coaching and capacity building of the implementing partners,
• Contribute contextual and needs analysis as well as recommendations/feedback relevant to developing new programmatic avenues and innovative approaches,
• Participate in analyzing legal issues for drafting information materials, advocacy letters, briefing notes,
• Assist in conducting legal and protection assessments as part of DRC field office staff,
• Facilitate and follow up incoming and outgoing protection referral cases,
• Represent DRC at meetings and other relevant technical coordination meetings

Logistics/Finance:

• Support the monitoring of financial commitments and expenditures against budgets and provide timely feedback on budget follow-up,
• Plan and coordinate proactively logistics and movements of staff from and to different operational areas,
• Initiate procurements and ensure their execution,
• Ensure distribution plans are prepared and shared with logistics in a timely manner.
• Any other functions to be assigned by the Legal Team leader,
• Comply with all relevant DRC policies and procedures,
• Understand and ensure the observance of the DRC Code of Conduct

Required experience and competencies

• Minimum 2 years of proven legal experience, preferably in the field of humanitarian response for an INGO. Bachelor degree in law. License to Practice.
• Desirable practical experience in sector area working for an INGO,
• Field experience,
• Excellent skill in MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint,
• Commitment to learning and implementing organizational policies and procedures,
• Full professional proficiency Russian and Ukrainian,
• Conversational written and spoken English is strongly preferred but not mandatory.

We offer

Contract length: Three months with possibility of extension based on performance

Start date: As soon as possible

Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for National Staff.

Application process

All applicants must send 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: 25 June 2023

We reserve the right to conduct further interviews before the deadline for submission of applications.

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