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

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.

DRC is currently seeking highly qualified Specialist of the project on economic development of rural and urban areas who will join the team in Kharkiv. This position will report to the Rural and Urban Economic Development Project Team Leader.

General purpose of the role

The Rural and Urban Economic Development Project Specialist performs his/her activities accordingly to the job description, standard operating procedures, as well as the current regulatory documents of the Representation of the Danish Council for Refugees in Ukraine

Under the leadership of the head of the project group for economic development of rural and urban areas Project specialist for economic development of rural and urban areas will support the implementation measures for economic recovery both in cities and in 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 activities are held throughout the Kharkiv region and in Sloviansk.

Your main responsibilities in the position will be:

Assessment of needs

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

Project planning and proposal development

• 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 at the regional level, espabout the compliance of the proposed activities with the identified needs.

Project launch

• Participate in operational briefings with other team members to ensure a clear understanding of activities and planned indicators, as well as in cooperation with other sectoral teams of the same project, participate in informing key interested (or involved) parties before the actual launch of activities, with the aim of ensuring clear and coordinated external communication.

Project implementation

• Support the head (or manager) of the economic recovery project in preparing and updating monthly work plans; carry out daily activities according to the operational schedule, reporting on achievements, challenges and proposed solutions; and also, 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 cooperation with the Monitoring and Evaluation Team (MEAL), facilitate the integration of principles Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP), ensuring awareness, engagement and opportunities for communities to express concerns and receive feedback, as well as mobilizing communities and building strong, dignified and culturally sensitive relationships with community structures through ongoing engagement.

Project closure

• Ensure proper archiving of all Verification Tools for completed activities and participate in the centralization and dissemination of the acquired experience and good practices in accordance with the recommendations of 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: assessment of population and market needs; 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 populations, and take gender and protection into account in all activities. Assist with beneficiary registration and aid distribution as needed or in the absence of the Emergency Humanitarian Response/Basic Needs Team.

Internal coordination and cooperation

• Under the leadership of the direct manager (and the manager ofector) 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 problems. Support internal referral efforts between different DPR sectors working in the same district/community. Participate in forums to inform all program teams about MEAL department performance. At the request 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 the 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 communicate 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 we expect you to have minimum 2 years work experience in livelihoods, economic recovery, business development, vocational training, employment services or similar economic projects at community, 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 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 a related field. Relevant work experience may be considered equivalent.
• Clear understanding of privacy and humanitarian ethics (including protection from sexual exploitation and violence).
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills; ability to prioritize between multiple tasks.
• Professional proficiency in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and standard Windows/email system.
• Fluency in Ukrainian and intermediate level of English (B1)

Desirable

• Strong sense of personal integrity and understanding of confidentiality and ethics.

All DRB positions require the incumbents to possess key competencies defined by the DRB:

• Strive for excellence: Focus on achieving results while ensuring the effectiveness of processes.
• Collaboration: Engaging relevant parties and encouraging them to provide feedback.
• Initiative: Personal control of the situation and taking initiative, while striving for innovation.
• Communication: Ability to listen and speak effectively and honestly.
• Integrity: Compliance and promoting the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation to DRB's values and Code of Conduct, including protection against sexual exploitation, violence and harassment. 700">Contract:After a successful 3-month trial period, with the possibility of extension depending on the results of work and funding.

  Category:H

  Place of work:Kharkiv

  Start date:January 2026

  Salary and conditions are in accordance with the Employment Conditions of the Danish Refugee Council 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 by mail will not be considered.

  Application deadline: December 13, 2025

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