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 800 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 Protection Technical Lead to join our team in Kyiv.

The overall purpose of the role:

DRC has one of the most diverse protection programs in Ukraine, comprising of programming in legal, GBV, PSS, and general protection, covering the north, east and south of the country.

As a Protection Technical Lead (PTL) you will play a critical role in determining the strategic direction of DRC’s protection programming and ensuring high quality implementation of protection programs. The PTL will provide overall technical leadership to all aspects of DRC’s protection programming, including guaranteeing technical support and oversight to DRC’s protection teams and activities, and producing technical documents and providing trainings when necessary The PTL will need to have a high level of understanding of the protection environment in Ukraine and be able to advise on program development and strategy, and message to external stakeholders to influence resource and programming priorities.

Your main responsibilities will be:

Program Strategy and Program Development

• Ensure that DRC’s protection programming and strategy is aligned both to DRC’s technical capacities and value add as well as the contextual needs of persons of concern.
• Support in the development of high quality, evidence-based proposals, in addition to reviewing and supporting the development of high-quality reports.
• Ensure that there is strong protection information management leading to robust data on protection needs in Ukraine to inform program development and response, and advocacy priorities, and ensuring that PIM products are disseminated to all relevant stakeholders.

Program Quality and Technical Support

• Develop technical documents such as guidelines, SOPs, assessment and program tools, etc. which enable DRC to implement high quality programming aligned with global and national standards.
• Establish strong relationships and effective coordination with Area Managers, Area Programme Managers, and Protection Managers, ensuring needs are known and addressed as needed.
• Provide in depth training, ad hoc support, and regular oversight to protection program teams to ensure that teams have the relevant knowledge and capacity to effectively implement all DRC protection projects to a high standard.
• Develop capacity development tools and plans for DRC’s strategic protection, and developing a monitoring and oversight framework to ensure high quality implementation of activities by partners.

External Representation and Coordination

• Represents DRC at relevant coordination fora such as the National Protection Cluster, Strategic Advisory Group, technical working groups etc.
• Support the Head of Programme to engage with various stakeholders such as donors to communicate DRC’s protection programming and priorities and support advocacy and resource mobilization.

Team Management

• Manage DRC Ukraine’s Protection Technical Unit, setting clear objectives and providing guidance and support as needed.
• Establish regular coordination and management practices with the Technical Unit to ensure that high quality and relevant support is provided to program teams, and that priorities are adjusted as necessary.

About you

To be successful in this role we expect you to have at least 3-5 years of protection management experience. Moreover, we also expect the following:

• Master’s degree in international relations, humanitarian or development studies, business administration, social work or another relevant field
• Previous experience in technical roles an asset
• Demonstrated multi-country experience in complex crisis environments
• Knowledge and experience working with donors such as BHA, OCHA country based pooled funds, ECHO, etc.
• Full professional proficiency in English

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: One-year contract depending on performance and funding after successful completion of 3 months’ probation period
• Band: F- management
• Designation of Duty Station: Kyiv (non-family duty station)
• Start date: December 2024

Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for national and international employees.

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: 2nd November 2024

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and we encourage qualified candidates to apply as soon as possible. DRC reserves the right to close the vacancy before the indicated closing date if a suitable candidate is identified.