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 Humanitarian Mine Action Technical Advisors (2) to join our team in Mykolaiv and Kharkiv.
About the job
The Humanitarian Mine Action Technical Advisor (HMA TA) has the primary function of providing technical advice to all national staff in the area assigned to him/her throughout all HMA activities. As HMA TA, you will provide daily support and advice to a number of Manual Mine Clearance (MMC), Battle Area Clearance (BAC), Mech and Community Liason (NTS/EORE) teams spanning a wide area of operations.Your secondary function will be to develop the capacity and technical knowledge of all national HMA staff within DRC assigned to you with a view to producing an effective and sustainable partially nationalized HMA operation over a specified timeframe.
The HMA TA reports directly to the Humanitarian Mine Action Manager with technical lines to other HMA technical colleagues. You will work closely with other Technical Advisors, Technical Field Managers (TFMs), Demining Supervisors, and other demining team members.
The HMA TA will be primarily based in Mykolaiv or Kharkiv but is expected to travel and reside in other regions, mainly to areas where HMA teams operate, the national training centers and to Kyiv where DRC Country Office is located.
Your main responsibilities will be:
- Provide technical oversight of relevant field operations of the project for which the HMA TA is responsible, including training, safety, security, daily operational planning and implementation and the direction of all employed operational personnel under his/her control.
- Supervise and if necessary, carry out any Land Release operations or EOD in accordance with DRC SOPs.
- Assist the HMA Operations Manager (OM), HMA Manager and Quality Management (QM) Team in developing the project’s technical contribution to the national mine action capacity as required by the OM. This includes required training in agreed locations and subsequent DRC approved training courses of national personnel such as but not limited to DRC staff members.
- Assist, as required, in the development and maintenance of the DRC technical procedures for project operations.
- Assist the OM, HMA Manager and QM Team in maintaining reporting mechanisms.
- Assist the OM, HMA Manager and Training TA in the training of staff.
- Establish and maintain relationships as required with all organizations (civil, commercial, military, or humanitarian) involved in HMA activities in the project area of operations.
- Monitor the team's daily activities in the field to ensure that all safety procedures are followed according to DRC SOPs.
- Compile the Implementation Plan (IP) and Field Risk Assessment (FRA) for each task in conjunction with the TFM and Demining Supervisor.
- Ensure that the IP and FRA are approved by the OM prior to submitting to the National Authorities.
- Ensure that all amendments to IP and FRA shall be approved by the OM prior to submitting to the National Authorities.
- Follow up any QM visits and ensure that remedial action is completed if required.
- Undertake other tasks deemed appropriate and necessary by the OM.
About you
To be successful in this role we expect you to have minimum 5 years working experience at international level within humanitarian international NGOs or similar international bodies, within the Mine Action sector. Moreover, we also expect the following:
Required
- Verifiable hands-on experience of training, supervising and deploying Land Release teams is required.
- Knowledge of and practical experience with a range of HMA equipment, such as the Minelab F3, Ebinger UPEX 740M, CEIA CMD, Vallon VMR3 / VMC, for the purposes of Land Release operations is essential.
- Proven experience in the application of Land Release and a willingness to exercise and promote the Land Release Policies during DRC HDP operations and to transfer this knowledge and expertise to National Staff.
- Minimum of IMAS EOD Level 3 certification, or equivalent from an Internationally recognised technical school (Military or Civilian) is required with proven experience at EOD Level 3.
- Fluency in written and spoken English with excellent writing skills is a requirement.
- A high degree of computer literacy in all MS Office programs is required.
Desirable
- Proven experience in technical management of national staff, cultures and religions is highly desirable.
- Knowledge of advanced trauma care is highly desirable.
- Ukrainian and/or local language skills are highly desirable.
- Work experience from within the region (Eastern Europe) is desirable.
- Experience in HMA Quality Management roles would be considered advantageous.
- Proven experience in designing and delivering technical training and capacity development of national staff is desirable.
- Capacity to work independently.
- Resolution and integrity.
- A positive and problem-solving attitude and ability to accomplish objectives in spite of a challenging political and insecure environment.
- Innovative and creative thinking with strong analytical and reporting skills.
- Political and cultural sensitivity, as well as a diplomatic, tactful, and flexible interpersonal style.
- Proven ability to function well in a potentially volatile and sometimes stressful environment.
- A strong team player with a willingness to assume other roles and responsibilities in the short term in times of Expatriate Staff leave periods.
- Medically and physically fit for duty in austere environments.
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: 12 months renewable depending on performance and funding after successful completion of 3 months probation period
- Band: F - non-managerial
- Designation of Duty Station: This recruitment is conducted for two HMA Technical Advisor positions based in Mykolaiv and Kharkiv (Non-family Duty stations). Candidates are requested to indicate their preferred location in the application or during the next steps of the recruitment process.
- Start date: March 2026
Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for employees on expatriate 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. Applicants must submit high resolution copies of their EOD certification (in English) and syllabus for each course/certificate, which should clearly support EOD Level III.
Applications sent by email will not be considered.
Closing date for applications: 30th January 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.
Working at DRC
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DRC 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.