Protection and Rule of Law Legal Officer

Requisition ID: req51520

Job Title: Protection and Rule of Law Legal Officer

Sector: Protection and rule of law

Employment Category: Fixed Term

Employment Type: Full-Time

Open to Expatriates: No

Location: Kharkiv, Ukraine

Work Arrangement: In-person

Job Description

Organization description
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC works with people forced to flee from war, conflict and disaster and the host communities which support them, as well as those who remain within their homes and communities. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we improve outcomes in the areas of health, safety, economic wellbeing, education, and power. Given the disparity faced by women and girls, IRC seeks to narrow gender inequalities and ensure social inclusion of all vulnerable groups in broader policies, processes and actions affecting their lives.

Job Overview:
Under the supervision of the Senior Protection and Rule of Law Officer, the individual will provide legal information, legal counselling and legal assistance activities with IRC in Kharkiv region, Ukraine. The Legal Officer will be based at IRC’s office in Kharkiv city.  The Legal Officer will serve as a key person to implement legal assistance activities along the displacement, settled, and returnee routes in newly accessible areas and provide evidence base to inform needs of affected population for program adjustment and advocacy. The Legal Officer will provide legal services both at any established IRC service provision sites and through mobile teams. They will also contribute to the general understanding of the legal context in Ukraine, as the situation and needs evolve, providing regular updates and information to the Senior Legal Officer and contributing to reporting and documentation of service provision.
Major Responsibilities:

With the support and supervision of the Sr Legal Officer, create information content that responds to the legal needs of conflict-affected population, and provide information, either at communal shelters or other static centers (such as cash registration points) and through mobile teams;
Work closely with IRC partners in order to support and guide the implementation of legal information, counselling and assistance;
Provide individual legal counselling to individuals in need of legal assistance, either at communal shelters or other static centers (such as cash registration points) and through mobile teams;
Provide secondary legal aid, including through close cooperation with the Free Legal Aid Centers and other partners, in order to provide legal assistance to those ineligible for free legal aid, but who cannot afford to access legal aid with their own means;
Ensure continuous update of the service map in Kharkiv oblast on legal actors and services;
Ensure referrals are made and received in a safe way and according to the IRC’s legal service SOPs, and ensure referrals received are followed up and that the referral tracker is updated;
Regularly update the reporting tools with the number of individuals reached through information sessions, counselling sessions, and legal case management;
Support the Sr Legal Officer, Sr Protection Officer and PRoL Manager in reporting and data analysis related to legal needs in the area of operation and any new local developments;
Consistently look for contacts within authorities and key humanitarian stakeholders and update the contact trackers to enable strong collaboration with local authorities and service providers;
Contribute to the weekly movement plans for locations for legal activities on a weekly basis and engage with support and security teams to ensure updated risk analysis and operational coordination;


KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

Position reports to: Senior Protection Officer
Technical support: Sr. Legal Officer (Dnipro)
Direct reporting: N/A
Internal collaboration: PRoL Managers, Sr. Protection Monitoring Officers, PRoL Sr Case Management Officer, PRoL case workers, PRoL community mobilizers, WPE case workers, CP case workers, Field Coordinators, Operations teams (including procurement, finance, HR, security, and supply chain)

Requirements

The Legal Officer will need to meet the requirements below:
Language: Bilingual in Ukrainian and Russian, with good verbal and writing skills in English preferred
Preferred —valid Attorney’s License (registered at the Bar Association)
Previous experience in Legal information, counselling and assistance, preferably with an NGO
Experience facilitating group activities, trainings and workshops and mentoring others
Excellent communication skills both verbal and written
Demonstrated understanding of and ability to maintain confidentiality and respect for clients/beneficiaries
Positive and professional attitude, including ability to lead and work well in a team setting
High degree of flexibility and strong ability to organize work, meet deadlines, maintain composure, prioritize work under pressure, coordinate multiple tasks and maintain attention to detail
Computer literate, including Microsoft Word and Excel, with ability to work with data entry using software on tablets

This position will be based in Kharkiv and with frequent trips to localities in Kharkiv region.

Professional Standards
The International Rescue Committee is determined to protect the people it serves and staff from all kinds of harm, including sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment. It is committed to take all necessary preventive measures and create an environment where people feel safe. IRC builds diverse and inclusive teams of professionals who promote critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity to deliver the best possible services to our clients.
IRC workers must adhere to the core values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces its safeguarding policies to protect adult and child clients from any form of exploitation and abuse, including sexual exploitation and abuse, and its staff from sexual harassment and violence.
Where misconduct is alleged, IRC follows a Zero tolerance approach and takes all necessary actions and corrective measures. IRC investigation unit comprises of experts and trained investigators that ensures professional survivor-centered investigations are conducted if allegations of safeguarding violations are reported through the safe and accessible reporting channels that IRC makes available to its staff, partners, and clients.
These commitments are set out in IRC’s Safeguarding Policies, accessible in English and in Ukrainian language via this link: https://rescue.box.com/v/irc-safeguarding-policies. IRC is an active member of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) set-up in Ukraine.