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 for its Protection activities in Mykolaiv.

This position will report to the Protection Manager.

Overall purpose of the role:
Under the management of the Protection Manager, the Protection Team Leader will oversee the implementation of protection activities, including the provision of protection assistance to vulnerable groups, information dissemination and key messaging, and protection assessments and monitoring. He/She will be responsible for managing and supervising the Protection team and will provide technical support and guidance to the team. He/She will be responsible for the planning and follow-up of protection activities, including coordinating with other departments in DRC. He/She will participate in coordination meetings and represent DRC in relevant forums. He/She will be based in the Mykolaiv DRC office, with field activities in Mykolaiv and Kherson oblasts.

Main responsibilities:
Under the supervision of the Protection Manager, the Protection Team Leader will:

Team Management and Supervision
• Manage and oversee protection activities, including support to vulnerable groups (cash and in-kind assistance), referral mechanisms, protection monitoring activities, and assessments.
• Supervise and support the Protection team by providing guidance, facilitating team meetings, conducting performance reviews, and recruiting/onboarding new staff.

Protection Monitoring and Reporting
• Plan and conduct protection monitoring activities (household surveys, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews), document protection concerns, and advocate as relevant at coordination forums.
• Support the drafting of protection monitoring reports and contribute to the design of monitoring tools and formats.

Awareness Raising and Programme Implementation
• Design and lead protection awareness-raising and information sessions, including developing contextualized key messages and materials.
• Develop work plans, track progress against targets and indicators, and support budget monitoring and expenditure follow-up.

Coordination, Partnerships and Operations
• Plan and coordinate logistics and team movements, and initiate procurement processes.
• Coordinate with stakeholders and other organizations to ensure effective integration of protection activities, maintain up-to-date service mapping, and lead cooperation with implementing partners, including monitoring visits, mentoring, and capacity strengthening.

Representation and Compliance
• Participate in coordination meetings and represent DRC in relevant forums.
• Maintain effective working relationships with partners, community focal points, and service providers.
• Ensure timely and accurate reporting to donors and stakeholders, maintain proper program documentation, and contribute to proposal development.

Other Duties
• Provide regular reports to the Protection Manager and perform any other duties as assigned in line with achieving protection objectives.

About you

To be successful in this role we expect you to have at least 3 years' relevant experience working with a protection. Moreover, we also expect the following:

Required

• Higher education in Law, Human Rights, Social Work, Social Sciences, Humanities, or another related field.
• Interest in protection and human rights.
• Familiarity with protection and human rights topics, including working with vulnerable groups such as persons with disabilities and elderly persons.
• Previous experience in managing a team or supervising team members.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to work effectively with vulnerable groups, staff members, and stakeholders from diverse backgrounds.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills, with the ability to prioritize tasks and manage multiple responsibilities.
• Strong sense of personal integrity and understanding of confidentiality and ethics.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer, Outlook/Exchange, and Windows operating systems.
• Fluency in Ukrainian.
• English level B2 or higher.

Desirable

• Experience working for civil society organisations, NGOs, or in social work.

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 months with the possibility of extension depending on performance and availability of funding
• Band: G – manager
• Designation of Duty Station: Mykolaiv
• Start date: As soon as possible

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: 21st April 2026

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.