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 will continue significant scale-up in 2024 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 seeking a qualified Shelter and Settlement Cluster Co-chair to co-lead the Ukraine Shelter Cluster alongside UNHCR’s Shelter Cluster Coordinator.

Overall purpose of the role:

DRC has been active in Ukraine for over 10 years, shifting to emergency response since the 2022 conflict outbreak. This role supports UNHCR’s coordination efforts and focuses on enhancing collaboration among NGOs, INGOs, and UN agencies involved in shelter initiatives. The Co-coordinator will assist with strategy development, technical guidelines, information management, and advocacy within the shelter/NFI cluster.

Your responsibilities will be:

Strategic direction and Coordination

• Support the SC Coordinator in establishing strong working relationships with all cluster members at national and in all sub-national locations to facilitate effective collaboration and communication, and ensure that feedback and issues important to cluster members are effectively raised and addressed.
• Ensure that coordination services are provided in line with the Principles of Partnership; that cluster coordination is inclusive, consultative, and results-oriented at national level and in all the different sub-national locations.
• Under the framework of Inter-Agency contingency Plan, s/he supports the SNFI Coordinator in the development of contingency plans, the revision of existing contingency planning and emergency preparedness measures and ensure they are updated and developed.
• Support the SNFI Coordinator and the Cluster Strategic Advisory Group (SAG) in the development and implementation of a country-wide SNFI Strategy that is part of the overall multi-sectoral response, that is owned by shelter/NFI partners and government counterparts and that is revised as the situation evolves.
• Support the SNFI Coordinator in ensuring that the SC Strategy reflects the diversity of the different contexts in country, and that it has proper linkages with disaster risk reduction, relief, and recovery and development efforts.
• Support the SNFI Coordinator in ensuring that the SNFIStrategy is integrated into the Humanitarian Country Team’s common humanitarian action plan.
• Facilitate the promotion of accountability to affected populations, participation of local and national stakeholders such as civil groups, and support coordination with government counterparts and other relevant authorities.
• Support the SNFI Coordinator in ensuring that appropriate transitional measures are in place for handing over to the government or recovery and development actors.
• Support the SNFI Coordinator in the establishment and maintenance of the cluster structure including the cluster core documents as defined by the Global Shelter Cluster guidance including technical standards, guidelines etc.
• Contribute to the evaluation of the cluster’s performance. Based on the feedback of this evaluation, work with Shelter Cluster members to develop a plan of response to improve the cluster’s performance.
• When needed, represent the Shelter Cluster in the Inter-Cluster Coordination Group (ICCG)

Needs Assessment and Resources Mobilization

• Support the SNFI Coordinator in setting up of a system to ensure the timely availability of data to inform operational decisions by partners and strategic decisions of the Humanitarian Country Team.
• Support the SNFI Coordinator to ensure that the SC covers all identified shelter needs of the affected population and not only those relating to the specific mandate of individual members of the Shelter Cluster.
• Facilitate the provision of transparent strategic direction to development of common funding criteria, resource mobilization and prioritization within the SC for inclusion in Consolidated Appeals and pooled funds processes.
• Support the SNFI Coordinator in establishing mechanisms for accountable and transparent financial resource allocation within the cluster.

Capacity Development

• Support the SNFICoordinator in ensuring capacity building at national and sub-national level of the government counterparts or the organizations that will take over the coordination of the cluster once this is phased out.
• Contribute to the coordination of shelter training activities for SC members, other local partners, and relevant authorities.
• Support the coordination of initiatives to build the shelter capacity of the national and local government, partners and civil society.

Standards Setting and Implementation

• Support the SNFI Coordinator in ensuring that the shelter response is informed by appropriate relevant Technical Standards including among others Sphere, and good practice.
• Support the SNFI Coordinator in ensuring appropriate collaboration with shelter response-related clusters of CCCM, Early Recovery, Education, Health, Logistics, Protection and WASH in the work of the Shelter Cluster.
• Support the SNFI Coordinator in integrating cross-cutting issues in the work of the Shelter Cluster, including age, gender, environment, diversity.

Information Management and Reporting.

• Support the SNFICoordinator in ensuring that the SC has a functional information management strategy and mechanism to report and share information within the Shelter Cluster, with the other clusters, with the government, with the overall humanitarian community including donors, and with the Global Shelter Cluster.
• Facilitate the SC production of analytical shelter reports.
• Participate in monitoring and evaluation of the impact of operations carried out by cluster members and the performance of the coordination team; for example, ensure that subnational hubs put into monitoring mechanisms that evaluate shelter projects and collect feedback from Shelter Cluster beneficiaries.

Advocacy, Promotion, and Fundraising

• Participate in the Identification of core advocacy concerns for the SNFI Cluster C through a consultative process: support the development of joint cluster/inter-cluster initiatives to ensure regular and consistent advocacy.
• In coordination with the SNFI Coordinator, represent the SC in meetings with sectoral and external partners, authorities, donors and other relevant interlocutors.
• Support the drafting of reports and advocacy statements on behalf of the Shelter Cluster.
• Support the direct transparent and accountable financial and other resource allocation within the Shelter Cluster, when required, such as with regard to CERF or CHF.
• If tasked by the SNFI Coordinator, the SC co-chair may approach donors and other potential sources of funding to explain the SC strategy, challenges, and progress, and to advocate for funding for the overall shelter sector.
• Contribute to ensure a consistent interpretation and application of international law and related UNHCR and IASC legal standards and policies for the adequate provision of shelter.

Contribute to ensure the Shelter Cluster’s adherence to international human rights instruments, the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement as well as other relevant international and regional instruments, in cooperation with the Humanitarian Country Team.

About you

To be successful in this role we expect you to have at least 4-6 years of proven international experience in shelter programming and shelter programme coordination and at least 3 years of proven international experience in leading or co-leading Shelter cluster at national or sub-national level. Moreover, we also expect the following:

• Excellent writing and editing skills for external audiences (including governments and donors).
• Experience in producing high-quality technical material (training material, program tools, proposals, strategic documents, etc.).
• Excellent reporting skills.
• Degree in electrical or mechanical engineering or relevant field.
• Full professional proficiency in English. Ukrainian professional proficiency an asset.

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: One year contract
• Band: F non-management
• Designation of Duty Station: Kyiv
• Start date: ASAP

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: 30th November 2024

DRC is an equal opportunity employer, and we encourage individuals from diverse backgrounds to apply. Women are strongly encouraged to apply.