DirecciónDanish Refugee Council (DRC) is an international non-governmental organization, which promotes and supports durable solutions to the problems faced by refugees and internally displaced people all over the world.
DRC has been operating in Ukraine since 2014, currently DRC employs over 600 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 currently looking for a Legal Aid Team Leaderfor its activities in Kharkiv, with travel to Donetsk Oblast.
This position will be supervised and line managed by the Protection Manager.
Overall purpose of the role
Legal Team Leader will focus and ensure compliance to DRC procedures and guidelines related to legal programming; contributes to the development of field strategies, which are translated into action plans and day-to-day tasks; and provide technical support to the legal team. In addition to managing and coordinating the legal team, the legal Team Leader will also directly implement Legal Aid activities in the field.
Main responsibilities
Management and Implementation:
- Lead and line manage the legal team including people planning, leave planning, recruitment process, performance and discipline, well-being and skills development.
- Ensure effective planning and quality implementation of the sector/support activities
- Provide technical support and inputs to the legal team, and keep up to date about legal developments and changes to the relevant laws and legal frameworks in Ukraine
- Identifying advocacy issues based on analysis of current legislation and legal issues of beneficiaries and stakeholders
- Lead on drafting advocacy materials such as briefing notes, advocacy letters
- Lead on developing contextual and needs analysis as well as recommendations/feedback relevant to developing new programmatic avenues and innovative approaches
- Facilitate and follow up incoming and outgoing protection referral cases
- Initiate the team involvement to the performing new project activities for obtaining additional skills and knowledge
- Provide high quality one-on-one legal counseling to conflict-affected population on their legal rights and remedies in the displacement context
- Organize and facilitate community-level group awareness-raising programs on recent legal developments addressing the information and legal needs of IDPs and conflict-affected populations
- Provide administrative and other para-legal assistance to enable IDP and conflict-affected population to access welfare benefits, livelihood opportunities and government and non-government benefits and privileges
- Any other duties as may be assigned by the Protection Manager relevant to the achievement of protection
Programming and Operations:
- Ensure efficient and effective program implementation while following the budget and work plan
- Participate in preparing regular program reports and support in the development of proposals and budgets for donors if needed
- Collaborate with relevant internal and external technical experts on sector relevant issues
- Represent DRC at external meetings and other relevant technical coordination meetings and events.
- Contribute contextual and needs analysis as well as recommendations/feedback relevant to developing new programmatic avenues and innovative approaches.
- Collaborate with MEAL staff to monitor and evaluate projects and develop and apply lessons learnt
- Plan and coordinate proactively logistics and movements of staff from and to different operational areas
- Initiate procurements and ensure their execution
Required experience and competencies
- University masters degree in Law, and holds a license to practice law
- Minimum 3 years of management experience, preferably in the field of humanitarian response for an INGO
- Experience providing legal services to conflict affected people in Ukraine, including IDPs
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to work effectively with vulnerable individuals, staff members, and stakeholders from diverse backgrounds.
- Strong 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.
- Excellent skill in MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
- Full professional proficiency Russian and Ukrainian
- Written and spoken English is mandatory
All DRC roles require the post-holder to master DRC’s core competencies:
- Striving for excellence: Focusing on reaching results while ensuring efficient processes.
- Collaborating: Involving relevant parties and encouraging feedback.
- Taking the lead: Taking ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.
- Communicating: Listening and speaking effectively and honestly.
- Demonstrating integrity: Upholding and promoting the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation to DRC’s values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.
We offer:
- Contract length: 3 months with possibility of extension based on available funding.
- Level: Gm.
- Office: Kharkiv
- Start date:As soon as possible.
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: 08th January 2024
We reserve the right to conduct interviews and select candidates prior to the application deadline.
