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 to 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 currently looking for a highly qualified Economic Recovery Team Leader (Urban and Rural Livelihoods Team Leader) in Kharkiv.

About the job

Economic Recovery Team Leader (Urban and Rural Livelihoods Team Leader) is guided in his/her work by this job description, standard operating procedures (hereinafter referred to as the SOP), and the current regulations of the Representative Office of the Danish Refugee Council in Ukraine (hereinafter referred to as the DRC).

Under the supervision of the Economic Recovery Project Manager, the Economic Recovery Team Leader will be managing the Economic Recovery Officers and Assistants as well as supporting the implementation of both urban and rural economic recovery activities. This includes sectoral cash assistance to subsistence and small-scale farmers, vocational training support, and grant and capacity-building assistance for MSMEs and agri-businesses. The role involves working closely with communities, CSOs, and local authorities to identify vulnerable individuals, conduct service mapping, and share information on available services. The position is based in the DRC Kharkiv office, with field activities across Kharkiv Oblast and Slovyansk.

Your main duties and responsibilities will be:

Needs assessments

• Monitor changing needs in target areas and report to the Sector Manager.
• Participate in multi-sectoral assessments, manage assessment teams, and support analysis and recommendations.

Project design and proposal development

• Provide accurate inputs for proposals: activities, budgets, targets, team composition, and partner relevance.

Project initiation

• Assist in preparing implementation plans and forecasts.
• Join kick-off meetings and ensure stakeholder engagement and clear communication.

Project implementation

• Plan and supervise daily activities to ensure timely, quality delivery within scope and budget.
• Maintain documentation, ensure compliance with data protection, and provide accurate reporting.
• Support recruitment, induction, and performance management of team members.
• Ensure Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) is integrated into all activities.

Project closure

• Archive documentation and share lessons learned.
• Contribute to project closing meetings and staff transition planning.

Economic Recovery expertise / technical expectations

• Ensure compliance with DRC SOPs and donor requirements across all economic recovery activities.
• Revise SOPs, develop training materials, and adapt methodologies based on lessons learned.
• Build capacity of partners and oversee basic needs activities when required.

Team Management and capacity building

• Line manage Officers and Assistants, including recruitment and performance management.
• Identify capacity gaps and provide technical support and training.

Internal coordination and collaboration

• Foster understanding of DRC processes within the team.
• Participate in internal coordination meetings and support referrals between sectors.

External coordination

• Represent DRC in coordination forums when required.
• Collaborate with local authorities and maintain mapping of complementary services.

About you

You should have at least 3 years of experience in livelihoods, economic recovery, business development, vocational training, employment services, or similar community economic projects preferably with an INGO and ideally in emergency settings. You should also have strong interest or experience in working with conflict-affected populations and be able to communicate clearly and empathetically with people in distress. Strong analytical, and interpersonal skills are essential, along with integrity, and high ethical standards. You should be able to build and maintain positive relations with communities, stakeholders, and humanitarian partners to ensure effective implementation, coordination, and long-term quality of DRC’s economic recovery activities.

Moreover, we also expect the following:

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in agriculture, agri-business, rural development, economics, business administration, vocational education, or a closely related field.
• Proven experience supervising field staff and providing on-the-job coaching.
• Comfortable discussing sensitive topics and working with people in distress; strong understanding of confidentiality and humanitarian ethics (including PSEA).
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills; proven ability to engage vulnerable people and diverse stakeholders.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills; ability to prioritize and manage multiple activities.
• High personal integrity and accountability; adherence to code of conduct and confidentiality.
• Proficiency in MS Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and standard Windows/email systems
• Languages: Fluency in Ukrainian and professional working proficiency in English required

Desirable

• Good understanding of the country’s development status and overall social context.

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 as fixed-term contract based on funding availability and performance.

Band: G – Management

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.