Economic recovery Team Leader (Urban and Rural Livelihoods Team Leader) in Danish Refugee Council / Danska Rada u spravah bizhenciv v Ukrayini

Danish Refugee Council (RCC) is an international non-governmental organization that promotes and supports long-term solutions to the problems faced by refugees and internally displaced persons worldwide.

DRB is currently looking for a Rural and Urban Development Project Manager in Kharkiv.

About this position

Under the leadership of the Economic Development Project Manager, the Rural and Urban Development Project Manager will manage the work of economic development staff and assistants, and will support the implementation of economic recovery measures in both urban and rural areas. This includes sectoral cash assistance to subsistence and smallholder farmers, support for vocational training, and grants and capacity building assistance for MSMEs and agribusinesses. The work involves close cooperation with communities, civil society organizations and local authorities in order to identify vulnerable people, carry out service mapping and exchange information about available services. The position is based in the DRB office in Kharkiv, and field activities are carried out throughout Kharkiv Oblast and Sloviansk.

Your main duties and responsibilities will be:

Assessment of needs

• Monitoring changes in needs in target areas and reporting to sector manager
• Participate in multi-sectoral evaluations, manage evaluation teams and support analysis and recommendations.

Project and proposal development

• Provide accurate data for proposals: activities, budgets, objectives, team composition and partner compliance.

Project launch

• Assist in the preparation of implementation plans and forecasts
• Participate in kick-off meetings and ensure stakeholder engagement and clear communication.

Project Implementation

• Plan and monitor daily activities to ensure timely and quality delivery within scope and budget
• Maintain documentation, ensure data protection compliance and provide accurate reporting
• Provide support in recruitment, onboarding and member performance management teams
• Ensure accountability to affected populations (AAP) is integrated into all activities.

Project closure

• Archive documentation and share lessons learned
• Participate in project closure meetings and staff transition planning.

Expertise in economic recovery / technical expectations

• Ensure adherence to DRC standard operating procedures (SOPs) and donor requirements in all economic recovery activities
• Review SOPs, develop training materials and adapt methodologies based on lessons learned
• Build partner capacity and monitor basic needs activities when necessary.

Team management and capacity development

• Perform line management of staff and assistants, including recruitment and performance management
• Identify capacity gaps and provide technical support and training

Internal coordination and collaboration

• Contribute to understanding of DRC processes within the team
• Participate in internal coordination meetings and support cross-sector interaction

External coordination

• Represent DRC in coordination forums when necessary
• Collaborate with local authorities and keep track of additional of services

About the candidate

You must have at least 3 years of experience in livelihoods, economic recovery, business development, vocational training, employment services or similar community economic projects, preferably in an international non-governmental organization and ideally in an emergency setting. You should also have a strong interest or experience working with conflict-affected populations and be able to communicate clearly and empathetically with people in distress. Strong analytical and interpersonal skills as well as integrity and high ethical standards are required. You must be able to build and maintain positive relationships with communities, stakeholders and humanitarian partners to ensure the effective implementation, coordination and long-term quality of DRC's economic recovery efforts. 

In addition, we also expect the following:

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in agriculture, agribusiness, rural development, economics, business administration, vocational education or related field
• Experience in managing field staff and providing mentoring
• Ability to comfortably discuss sensitive topics and work with people who are in a difficult situation; deep understanding of privacy and humanitarian ethics (including PSEA)
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills; proven ability to engage vulnerable people and diverse stakeholders
• Strong organizational and time management skills; ability to prioritize and manage multiple activities
• High personal integrity and responsibility; compliance with the code of conduct and confidentiality
• Proficiency in MS Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and standard Windows/e-mail systems
• Professional command of English and fluency in Ukrainian

Desirable:

• In-depth understanding of the state of development of the country and general social context

We expect you to demonstrate the five core competencies of a DRB in this position:

Strive for excellence:Focus on achieving results while ensuring efficient processes.

Collaboration: engage stakeholders and encourage feedback.

Initiative: to take responsibility and initiative while showing a desire to innovate.

Communication: listen and speak effectively and honestly.

Demonstrating integrity:maintain and promote the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation to DRB's values ​​and Code of Conduct, including prevention of sexual exploitation, abusive behavior and harassment.

We offer:

• Contract duration: 3-month trial period, after which the contract can be extended depending on funding and quality of work
• Position level: Gm
• Work location: Kharkiv
• Start of work: January 2026

Wages and working conditions will correspond to the employment conditions of the national staff of the Danish Refugee Council in Ukraine.

Application process

All candidates must upload a cover letter and an up-to-date resume (no more than four pages) in English to the system.

Applications sent by email will not be considered.

Application deadline: December 13, 2025

We encourage candidates to apply as early as possible, interviews will be held until a suitable candidate is found. DRB reserves the right to select a candidate before the application deadline if a suitable candidate is identified earlier