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 Team Leader in Kharkiv.

About the job

The Protection Team Leader will be part of DRC’s Protection Unit in Kharkiv, delivering general protection, legal aid, case management and victim assistance to conflict-affected populations in the East Area of Ukraine. Under the supervision of the Protection Manager, you will manage and supervise the protection and legal team, coordinate case management and victim assistance activities, and ensure quality, timely and accountable implementation of protection interventions in line with DRC standards and SOPs.

Your main duties and responsibilities will be:

• Manage and oversee general protection and legal activities, including support to vulnerable individuals through cash and in-kind assistance, referral mechanisms, protection monitoring, legal awareness and consultations.
• Manage, supervise and mentor the protection and legal team (Protection Assistants, Protection Officers, Legal Aid Officers), including day-to-day guidance, regular team meetings, performance evaluations and support to recruitment/onboarding.
• Coordinate case management activities for individuals with heightened protection risks, including case allocation, supervision and case conferences, and ensure adherence to SOPs, confidentiality, safe information-sharing and proper documentation.
• Lead the implementation of Victim Assistance activities, including needs assessments, planning and provision of material and non-material support, coordination with medical, rehabilitation and social service providers, and monitoring of outcomes.
• Plan and conduct protection monitoring activities (household surveys, FGDs, KIIs), document protection concerns and, when relevant, feed into advocacy at coordination forums.
• Support the drafting of protection monitoring reports and contribute to the design and adaptation of protection monitoring tools and formats.
• Develop work plans for project activities, track progress against targets and indicators, and ensure activities are implemented in line with project timelines and quality standards.
• Support budget follow-up by monitoring project expenditure against budgets and providing timely feedback to the Protection Manager.
• Plan and coordinate project logistics and team movement plans, and initiate procurements for project supplies in coordination with relevant support departments.
• Coordinate with other organizations and stakeholders in the area, maintain up-to-date service mapping, represent DRC in relevant coordination forums, and contribute field inputs to new proposals

About you

To be successful in this role, we expect you to be an experienced protection practitioner with strong team management skills and a solid understanding of protection principles, case management and victim assistance in humanitarian settings. You are able to plan and oversee complex field activities, support and mentor staff, coordinate with multiple stakeholders, and ensure high-quality documentation and reporting in a fast-changing context.

Moreover, we also expect the following:

Required:

• Higher/University degree in international relations, social law, social sciences, or another relevant field.
• 2–3 years of experience in implementing protection programmes in complex crisis situations, including at least 1 years of experience in managing staff.
• Proven experience with general protection activities such as protection monitoring, legal awareness/consultations, case management and/or victim assistance.
• Strong understanding of humanitarian and protection principles, including confidentiality, informed consent and safe information-sharing.
• English language proficiency at B2–C1 level;
• Fluency in Ukrainian.
• Confident user o MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.

Desirable:

• Previous experience working with an international NGO, preferably in protection programming in eastern Ukraine.
• Experience in supervising mixed teams (protection, legal, case management) and providing technical coaching or supervision.
• Experience in developing or adapting protection monitoring tools, SOPs, or service mapping.
• Familiarity with humanitarian organization standard procedures, reporting requirements and donor-funded humanitarian projects.

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: end of April 2026

Band: Gm

Designation of Duty Station: Kharkiv

Start date: January 2026

Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for employees on national contracts; 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: December,13

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.