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 highly qualified Protection Specialist (Partnership Specialist) to join our team in Dnipro.
About the job
The Protection Specialist (Partnership Specialist) will be an integral part of DRC’s program team, supporting protection partners implementing protection and legal aid activities. The role will support partners through monitoring visits, capacity building and tracking of programme activities and budget to ensure quality implementation of protection activities.
This position will support partners implementing protection activities, including protection case management, cash for protection, protection monitoring and legal aid activities.
Your main duties and responsibilities will be:
- Support the development of capacity development plans for partner organisations implementing protection and legal aid activities.
- In collaboration with the Protection Manager and Protection Technical team provide capacity building, including training and coaching, for partner staff implementing protection and legal aid activities.
- Collaborate with the Protection Technical team to do national level technical training for all of DRC partners based on needs identified.
- Develop and implement a monitoring plan, conduct field visits to assess the technical quality of partner-led activities, and produce reports with actionable recommendations to support partners’ performance and programme quality.
- Review the partner narrative and financial reports and workplans, raising any challenges or delays to the relevant focal points.
- Track the partner procurement processes to ensure that they are in line with the programmatic needs and according to the workplan.
- Review technical requirements during the partner procurement process.
- Track the partner indicators and highlight any challenges to the relevant focal points.
- Conduct mapping of potential partners organisations at area level.
- Participate in internal Protection and coordination meetings.
- Collaborate with MEAL to organised lessons learned sessions.
About you
To be successful in this role, we expect you to have 3-5 years of experience in Protection programming within a humanitarian context. Moreover, we also expect the following:
Required
- Knowledge and experience implementing protection activities such as protection case management, protection counselling cash for protection, and protection monitoring.
- Experience in capacity building and trainings for protection programming.
- Experience in conducting monitoring visits to partner organisations.
- Strong computer skills, including Microsoft office
Desirable
- Legal aid background.
- Experience working in Ukraine in similar operating contexts is highly desirable.
- Strong facilitation, training, and coaching skills with the ability to build local capacity.
- Excellent analytical and communication skills, both written and verbal.
- Ability to work independently and manage time effectively under tight deadlines
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: 6 months-contract with the possibility of extension depending on performance and availability of funding after successful completion of a 3-month probationary period.
- Band: G - non managerial
- Designation of Duty Station: Dnipro (with travels to Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv)
- Start date: May-June 2026
Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for national employees.
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: May 11th, 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.
Apply NowDRC as an employer
Founded in 1956, DRC Danish Refugee Council is Denmark’s largest, and a leading international NGO. We have continuously been ranked as one of the best NGOs in the world - and are one of the few with a specific expertise in forced displacement. In over 30 countries, we protect, advocate and build sustainable futures for refugees and other displacement-affected people and communities.
By working in DRC, you will be joining a global workforce of over 6,000 employees. We pride ourselves on our:
- Professionalism, impact & expertise
- Humanitarian approach & the work we do
- Purpose, meaningfulness & own contribution
- Culture, values & strong leadership
- Fair compensation & continuous development
DRC’s capacity to ensure the protection of and assistance to refugees, IDP’s and other persons of concern depends on the ability of our staff to uphold and promote the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation DRC’s values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment. DRC conducts thorough and comprehensive background checks as part of the recruitment process.
Danish Refugee Council is an equal opportunity employer and we consider all applicants based on individual merit and qualifications, regardless of personal characteristics or attributes. We are committed to increasing the diversity of our workforce, aiming for a 50% balance of men and women in management roles and ensuring that at least 50% of management roles are filled by national staff. We recognize that a diverse and inclusive team is crucial for achieving our organizational goals and making a positive impact on the communities we serve.