Project specialist on the economic development of rural and urban areas in Danish Refugee Council / Danska Rada u spravah bizhenciv v Ukrayini

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

The DRC is currently seeking a highly qualified Specialist of the project on economic development of rural and urban areas who will join the team in Kharkiv. 

General purpose of the role
Under the leadership of the Rural and Urban Economic Development Project Team Leader, the Rural and Urban Economic Development Project Specialist will support the implementation of economic recovery activities in both urban and rural areas. This includes sectoral cash assistance to subsistence and smallholder farmers, support for vocational training, as well as grant and capacity building assistance for MSMEs and agribusiness. 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 events are held throughout the Kharkiv region and in Sloviansk.

Your main duties in the position will be:

Assessment of needs

• Regularly, based on field trips, inform the immediate supervisor about changes in needs in communities/districts in order to improve the planning and implementation of projects.
• At the request of the supervisor and in cooperation with the MEAL team, participate in multi-sectoral geographic assessments of needs to substantiate new proposals and improve planning and implementation of projects. Follow security team guidelines when collecting data. Report any problems immediately.

Project planning and development of proposals

• At the request of the manager, provide accurate and up-to-date information (on the relevant area of activity) that can help in planning and development of project proposals on at the regional level, especially regarding the relevance of the proposed activities to the identified needs.

Project launch

• Participate in operational briefings with other team members to ensure a clear understanding of activities and planned indicators, and in collaboration with by other sectoral teams of the same project to join in informing the key interested (or involved) hundredrin before the actual launch of activities, in order to ensure clear and consistent external communication.

Project implementation

• Support the head (or manager) of the economic recovery project in the preparation and updating of monthly work plans; carry out daily activities according to the operational schedule, reporting on achievements, challenges and proposed solutions; and, upon request, provide quality and up-to-date information for reporting.
• Maintain all necessary documentation and Means of Verification (MoVs) throughout the project implementation and ensure compliance with minimum data protection standards in both digital and physical formats.
• In collaboration with the Monitoring and Evaluation Team (MEAL), facilitate the integration of the principles of Accountability to the Affected Population (AAP), ensuring awareness, engagement and empowering communities to voice concerns and receive feedback, as well as mobilizing communities and building strong, dignified and culturally sensitive relationships with community structures through ongoing engagement. 400">
• Ensure proper archiving of all Verification Tools for completed activities and participate in the centralization and dissemination of lessons learned and good practices as recommended by the MEAL department.

Special / Technical Qualifications and Responsibilities

• Under the direction of the immediate supervisor and in accordance with the SOP of the DRB in Ukraine, participate in specific measures for economic recovery, such as: assessing the needs of the population and markets; registration, analysis and selection of beneficiaries; preparation of a package of documents for payments to beneficiaries; distribution of humanitarian aid (cash and in kind); maintaining accurate registration of payment information; conducting trainings and monitoring visits. Ensure accessibility and inclusion for vulnerable population groups, consider gender and protection issues in all activities. Assist with beneficiary registration and distribution of aid as needed or in the absence of the Emergency Humanitarian Response/Basic Needs Team.

Internal coordination and collaboration

• Under direct supervision supervisor (and sector manager) to ensure coordination with colleagues from other sectors and sub-sectors regarding internal working methods, maintain positive, constructive and caring communication with all staff. Report any questions or concerns. Support internal referral efforts among the different DRB sectors working in the same area/community. Participate in forums to inform all program teams about the results of the MEAL department. For foron behalf of the manager, participate in meetings with the staff of the partnership department to discuss partnership activities.

External coordination

• At the request of the manager, replace the coordinator in sectoral coordination mechanisms, such as cluster or workgroups and share relevant information with colleagues; during the implementation of the project, cooperate with local authorities at the community level and report all information to the direct manager; participate in updating the mapping of additional services provided by other actors in the project area for safe and effective external referrals.

About you:

To be successful in this position, we expect that you will have at least 2 years of work experience in livelihoods, economic recovery, business development, vocational training, employment services or similar community-based 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 vulnerable populations, and be able to communicate clearly and with understanding to people in distress. Strong organizational, analytical and interpersonal skills as well as integrity, confidentiality and high ethical standards. Also, the ability to build and maintain positive relationships with communities, stakeholders and humanitarian partners to ensure effective implementation, coordination and long-term quality of DRC's economic recovery efforts. In addition, we also expect the following:

Required:

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Agriculture, Agribusiness, Rural Development, Economics, Business Administration, Vocational Education or tangent sphere. Relevant work experience may be considered equivalent.
• Clear understanding of privacy and humanitarian ethics (including protection from sexual exploitation and abuse).
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills; the ability to set priorities between many tasks.
• Professional command of the Microsoft Office package (Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and the standard Windows/email system.
• Fluent command of the Ukrainian language and an average level of command of English (B1).

Desirable:

• A strong sense of personal integrity and an understanding of confidentiality and ethics;
• A deep understanding of the country's development and general social context

the employees who occupy them possessed the key competencies defined by the DRB:

• Strive for excellence: Focus on achieving results while ensuring the efficiency of processes. 
• Collaboration: Engaging relevant parties and encouraging them to provide feedback. 
• Initiative:Personal control of the situation and taking the initiative, with a simultaneous desire for innovation. 
• Communication: Ability to listen and speak effectively and honestly. 
• Integrity: Adhering to and promoting the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation to DRB's values ​​and Code of Conduct, including protection from sexual exploitation, violence and harassment. 

Salary and conditions are in accordance with the Employment Conditions of the Danish Business Council refugees for national staff.

Application process:

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

Applications sent by email will not be considered. 

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 Application deadline: April 10, 2026

Please note that the selection of candidates will be on a rolling basis. DRB reserves the right to select a candidate before the vacancy closing date, once a suitable candidate is identified.? 

?If you have any questions or problems with the online application process, please visit drc.ngo/about-us/job-and-career/support-for-job-seekeRs. ??  

The Danish Refugee Council is an equal opportunity employer. We strive to create an inclusive and positive work environment based on mutual respect for all employees. All applicants for employment are considered without regard to race, age, ability, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, or any other factor. At DRB, we celebrate diversity and value our employees for who they are and their unique skills, experience and perspectives. We invite all interested candidates to apply!