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 Protection Officer (Gender Based Violence Officer) in Kharkiv.

About the job

Under the supervision of the Protection Team Leader and in close collaboration with the GBV team, the GBV Officer will be responsible for providing GBV case management services and safe referrals, ensuring a survivor-centered approach at all stages. The GBV Officer will plan and facilitate GBV-related trainings and workshops for partners and stakeholders. The position involves organizing and conducting awareness-raising sessions within communities, as well as structured group sessions with women and girls across Kharkivska and Donetska oblasts including assessments to identify the needs of women and girls, service gaps, and GBV-related risks. In addition, the GBV Officer will provide technical support to team members and contribute to the overall quality and coherence of GBV prevention and response activities. The role requires close coordination with other DRC departments and external partners to ensure timely, effective, and client-centered support, while upholding the highest standards of confidentiality, professionalism, and adherence to humanitarian principles.

Your main duties and responsibilities will be:

• Provide GBV case management services through high quality and confidential interventions in line with minimum standards for service provision and DRC’s case management SOPs. This will include assessment of needs, development of an action plan for recovery, development of a safety plan when needed, conducting referrals to relevant services, implementing the action plan and ensuring appropriate follow up and case closure when appropriate;
• Complete and ensure the safe storage of documentation according to the DRC SOP`s and guidelines ;
• Coordinate with key stakeholders to organize mobile GBV activities in outreach settings;
• Provide safe referrals to health, legal, psychological and other services as required, and provide accompaniment to services when requested;
• Implement GBV trainings for GBV and non-GBV actors;
• Be the focal point for the management of the WGSS, including planning and implementing group activities (life-skills sessions, recreational activities, etc.);
• Conduct the community-based awareness-raising sessions in safe and suitable locations;
• Participate in case conference meetings if required.
• Support assessments to understand the needs of women and girls as required, including leading consultations with women and girls and carrying out interviews with stakeholder.
• Produce quality reports and documentation on activities and ensure their timely submission to the Team Leader for review and internal information sharing.
• Any other duties as may be assigned by the Team Leader and/or Manager, relevant to the achievement of protection objectives.

About you

To be successful in this role we expect you to have at least 2 years of experience in implementing programs in the humanitarian field, social and legal protection, or women’s and girls’ empowerment. And you have a strong interest or experience in GBV prevention, mitigation, and response programming, including case management and survivor-centered approaches. Experience working with women and girls affected by conflict and the ability to provide empathetic, confidential, and professional support are essential. Moreover, we also expect the following:

Required

• Bachelor or Master degree in Social work, Counseling, Psychology or any other related field
• Commitment to gender equality and interest in working in the prevention and response to violence against women and girls;
• Comfortable in speaking about sensitive topics and working with people in distress;
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to work effectively with vulnerable individuals, staff members, and stakeholders from diverse backgrounds;
• Strong sense of personal integrity and understanding of confidentiality and ethics;
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer, Outlook/Exchange, and Windows operating systems;
• Ukrainian language skills.

Desirable

• Experience in providing GBV case management;
• Familiarity with protection or women's right and empowerment programs;
• Previous experience working with communities, implementing GBV prevention activities, conducting awareness-raising sessions, and providing services to vulnerable groups;
• English language skills at a basic to intermediate level;

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 based of funding and satisfactory performance.

Band: H

Designation of Duty Station: Kharkiv

Start date: November, 2025

Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for national staff; please refer to our website for more details.

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: 7 November 2025

We encourage candidates to apply as soon as possible, interviews might be conducted on a rolling basis. DRC reserves the right to select candidate before the vacancy close date once a suitable candidate has been identified.