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 800 staff in Ukraine and implements 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 highly-qualified Protection Manager to join our team in Dnipro.

Interested candidates are encouraged to apply as early as possible, as applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and the vacancy may be filled before the deadline.

About the job

The Protection Manager will be based in Dnipro and will be responsible for managing protection activities the Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia oblast. This position will report to the Area Programme Manager with technical supervision from the DRC Country Protection Technical Lead.

Your main duties and responsibilities will be:

• Manage protection programs in Southeast Ukraine and directly line manage the protection team in Dnipro and Zaporizhia.
• Plan, coordinate, and monitor protection activities, including legal aid, protection monitoring, individual protection assistance (IPA), community-based protection (CBP), psychosocial support (PSS), GBV prevention and response, and victim assistance.
• Liaise and coordinate with the Protection Cluster, partner organizations, UN agencies, and other humanitarian actors in the region.
• Ensure quality, coherence, and timely delivery of all projects in line with DRC’s strategy, including narrative and financial reporting, and budget monitoring.
• Develop operational tools and training modules, and contribute to donor reporting.

Program development and strategy

• Representation of DRC and active participation in sectoral and relevant sub sectors/working groups.
• Oversee knowledge sharing across teams to ensure that monitoring and evaluation results are understood and used to improve programs.
• Drive the development and growth of relevant programs within the DRC program objectives and contribute to country-wide strategy development.
• Guided by the DRC Programme Handbook, continuously monitor and develop relevant accountability initiatives within relevant project programs, as well as strengthening the effort to document the impact of activities.
• Ensure compliance with internal and external reporting requirements including procurement.

Accountability

• Guided by the DRC Programme Handbook and in collaboration with the Monitoring and Evaluation department, continuously monitor and develop relevant accountability initiatives for the project program, as well as strengthen the documentation of activities’ impact.

People Management

• Recruit and line manage protection project staff.
• Provide regular constructive feedback to direct reports, support and guide them in performance management of their team members.
• Assess training and development needs within the Protection team, develop and implement capacity-building plans.

As Manager the post-holder is responsible for the following:

• Accountable for achieving DRC’s strategic goals and objectives within the area of responsibility
• Accountable for making significant decisions on what the unit does: its purpose, functions and role, and for making commitments and decisions that require the expenditure of significant unit resources.
• Accountable for people management of direct reports, generally at least 3 employees. This includes hiring & firing, objective setting, probation, performance appraisal, development of staff, managing performance, including poor performance, etc.
• Accountable for making sound decisions based on DRC policies, MOPs, standards, and the advice of technical experts in DRC.

About you

To be successful in this role we expect you to have the following:

Required:

• Minimum 3 years of experience in humanitarian or non-governmental organizations in the field of social and legal protection.
• Previous experience managing protection programs and a team of staff.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to work effectively with vulnerable populations, team members, and stakeholders with diverse backgrounds.
• Strong writing and editing skills for external audiences, including authorities and donors.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer, Outlook/Exchange, and Windows operating systems.
• Excellent reporting skills (including in English) and ability to analyze protection-related data.
• Professional working proficiency in English (written and spoken) is required.

Desired:

• Higher education in international relations, human rights, social work, social or humanitarian sciences, or a related field.
• Strong personal integrity and understanding of confidentiality and ethical principles.

In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’ five core competencies:

• Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process.
• Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback.
• Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.
• Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly.
• Demonstrating integrity: You uphold and promote the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation to our values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.

We offer

• Contract length:3-month probation period, with the possibility of extension depending on performance and funding
• Band: F-managerial
• Designation of Duty Station: Dnipro, with frequent travel to field locations
• Start date: ASAP

Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for employees on national contracts.

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: October 25th, 2025

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and DRC reserves the right to proceed with the recruitment before the deadline if a suitable candidate is identified.