Head of the social and legal protection project group/ Protection 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 junior protection specialist/project position in Kharkiv." teams for social and legal protection of the DRB in Kharkiv, contributing to the provision of assistance in the field of general protection of the population, legal assistance, case management and assistance to victims of the conflict in the eastern part of Ukraine. Under the guidance of the Socio-Legal Protection Project Manager, you will lead and supervise the work of the Socio-Legal and Legal Assistance project team, coordinate case management and assistance activities for vulnerable populations and those affected by mines and explosive remnants of war, and ensure quality, timely and accountable implementation of protection measures in accordance with DRB standards and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

Your main duties and responsibilities will be to:

• Manage and supervise protection activities, including support for vulnerable groups (monetary and non-monetary assistance), referral mechanisms, protection monitoring and evaluation activities, legal awareness and counseling
• Manage and supervise the work of the team protection and legal support, providing guidance and support, conducting team meetings, conducting performance evaluations and recruitment/onboarding of new protection staff
• Coordinate case management activities for individuals at high risk of rights violations, including case allocation among staff, supervision and debriefing, ensuring compliance with SOPs, confidentiality principles, secure reporting and proper documentation
• Manage the implementation of measures to support victims (Victim Assistance), including assessment of individual needs, planning and provision of material and non-material assistance, coordination with medical, rehabilitation and social services, as well as monitoring the results of the support provided
• Plan and conduct protection monitoring measures, including household surveys, focus group discussions and interview key informants, document protection concerns raised by stakeholders and, where necessary, advocate at the level of coordination forums
• Support the compilation of monitoring reports withprotection, contribute to the development of protection monitoring tools and formats when necessary
• Develop work plans for project activities and track progress against project targets and indicators
• Provide budget control support by monitoring project costs against budgets and providing timely feedback to the Social Protection Manager
• Plan and coordinate project logistics and team relocation plans, and initiate procurement to support the project in collaboration with relevant support departments
• Coordinate with other organizations and stakeholders in the region, maintain an up-to-date service map, represent DRB in relevant coordination forums and provide actionable suggestions for new proposals

About the candidate

To be successful in this position, we expect you to be an experienced legal protection professional with strong team management skills and a deep understanding of protection, case management and victim assistance in humanitarian situations. You are able to plan and control complex field activities, support and mentor staff, coordinate activities with various stakeholders and ensure high quality documentation and reporting in a rapidly changing environment. 

In addition, we also expect the following:

Necessary requirements:

• Higher education in international relations, social law, social sciences or other relevant field
• 2-3 years of experience in implementing public protection programs in complex crisis situations, including at least 1 year of management experience by staff
• Experience in general public protection activities such as protection monitoring, legal education/consultation, case management and/or victim assistance
• In-depth understanding of humanitarian and protection principles, including confidentiality, informed consent and secure information sharing
• B2-C1 English proficiency
• Fluency in Ukrainian language
• Proficient in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook programs

Desirable:

• Prior experience working in an international NGO, preferably in the field of protection programs in the eastern part of Ukraine
• Experience in leading mixed teams (population protection, legal support, assistance to vulnerable population groups) and providing technical coaching or supervision
• Experience in developing or adapting protection monitoring tools, standard operating procedures or service mapping
• Knowledge of humanitarian organization standard operating procedures, reporting requirements and donor-funded humanitarian projects

In this role, we expect you to demonstrateyou will develop the five core competencies of DRB:

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

Collaboration: engage stakeholders and encourage feedback.

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

Communication: listen and speak effectively and honestly.

Demonstrate 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: until the end of April 2026
• Position level: Gm
• Place of work: Kharkiv
• Start of work: January 2026

The salary 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 a current resume (no more than four pages) in the system.

Applications sent by email will be considered there will not be.

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 an acceptable candidate is determined earlier