Protection Officer (Capacity Building of Legal Aid Partners)

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 400 staff in Ukraine and will continue significant scale-up in 2023 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 Officer (Capacity Building of Legal Aid Partners) for its activities in Kyiv. 

Overall purpose of the role:

Protection Officer (Capacity Building of Legal Aid Partners) is responsible for raising capacity, supervising and mentoring the implementation of the local partners activities in the different locations, providing high quality training, information, and developmental support, provide guidance and technical support to the team members and ensure the overall quality of the intervention and compliance with Humanitarian Standards and Principles and relevant SOPs.

Responsibilities:

Implementation and progress tracking:

• Manage the implementation of high-quality program activities in line with sub-grant agreements and with DRC technical requirements.
• With the support of the Legal Manager, develop a capacity building plan based on the analysis of the needs assessment, trends of legal assistance provision, and discussions with local partner’s.
• Monitor progress of activities against planned achievements, outcomes and impact; evaluate the continued relevance and appropriateness of the intervention.
• Contribute to the progress reports; support partners in preparation of timely, high-quality thematic reports and inform partners on managerial decisions.
• Provide an on-going support to the partner team by creating Capacity Building opportunities.
• Under supervision and in close coordination with Legal Manager, responsible for advocacy and development of training materials under the project.
• Closely coordinate with partner lawyers and gather facts and data for advocacy and find thematic areas for human rights trainings.
• Conduct regular and ad-hoc visits to fields to monitor partner implementation and ad-hoc troubleshooting.
• Ensure that all necessary requirements to provide a successful training session are prepared in a timely manner including material, equipment, venue and transportation in coordination with the Finance/Admin and Supply chain teams.

Program support to Partner:

• Participate in and assist  lead project kick-off meetings with partner when new sub-grants are awarded, involving MEAL staff, Finance and Administration staff, Communications department etc.
• Assist partner staff with understanding required policies and procedures as per the sub-grant agreement and best practices (program reporting, procurement, financial reporting, etc.)
• Assist partner and programme staff to strategize ways to ensure program delivery meets targets or adjust work plans accordingly.
• With guidance from Legal Manager ensure partner staff are aware of donor guidelines and policies and that these are adhered to at all times, immediately raising any suspected non-compliance with Grants department.
• Keep track of relevant partner technical, operational, finance, HR or grants issues and where necessary facilitate support from relevant technical or operations team to ensure continuous support and involvement at all stage of the programme cycle.
• With the Legal Manager organize for the monthly review meetings.
• Resolve issues that arise during the engagement cycle, updating the Legal Manager on key concerns and referring high risk or complex issues to senior decision makers.
• Ensure proper documentation of all training and capacity building session, keep track of the attendance sheets, training reports and training tracker.
• Conduct regular coaching and mentoring sessions with local partner staff and mobilize other team members to provide technical or operation input and expertise.

Partnership Duty of Care:

• Empower partners to take the lead in their own development.
• Facilitate training in technical development topics.
• Provide support in organizational development to ensure partner organizations have sufficient resources and structures that promote staff well-being, safety, and compliance.
• Offer feedback to local partners' focal points on the capacity-building process.

Coordination and representation:

• Arrange and attend meetings with partners and stakeholders and develop and maintain collaborative and effective partnerships with NGOs/CSOs and government counterparts.
• Work close with the implementing partners’ focal persons.

Required experience and competencies:

• Minimum 2 years of practical experience in legal sector.
• Experience working with (I)NGOs would be of advantage.
• Proven technical knowledge and skills in the field of Law.
• General background in CB-related programs.
• Excellent communication and organization skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office programs.
• Fluency in Russian and Ukrainian.
• English (Intermediate or higher).

Education:

Graduate degree in Law or a related field is required. An advanced degree or specialization in areas related to HLP, social protection, human rights, or humanitarian law would be a significant asset.

All DRC roles require the post-holder to master DRC’s core competencies: 

• Striving for excellence: Focusing on reaching results while ensuring efficient processes.
• Collaborating: Involving relevant parties and encouraging feedback. 
• Taking the lead: Taking ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.
• Communicating: Listening and speaking effectively and honestly. 
• Demonstrating integrity: Upholding and promoting the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation to DRC’s values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment. 

We offer:

• Contract length: 12 months, with a 3-month probation period. 
• Designation of Duty Station: Kyiv.
• Start date: ASAP.
• Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for Expatriate Staff.

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: 26th November 2023.

We reserve the right to conduct interviews and select candidates prior to the application deadline.