Economic Recovery Officer (Urban and Rural Livelihoods Officer)

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 (Urban and Rural Livelihoods) Officer in Kharkiv this position is reporting to the Economic Recovery (Urban and Rural Livelihoods) Team leader

About the job

Economic Recovery Officer (Urban and Rural Livelihood Officer) 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 Team Leader, the Economic Recovery Officer will support 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

• Regularly inform the line manager of changing needs in the hromadas/raions, based on field visits, to strengthen project design and implementation.Upon request from line manager and in collaboration with the MEAL team, participate in multi-sectoral geographical needs assessments to feed into new proposals and improve the quality of project design and implementation. Follow the Safety team's recommendations during data collection. Report any problems promptly.

Project design and proposal development

• Upon request of line manager, provide accurate and relevant information (in their respective areas of expertise) that can assist in the design and development of project proposals at the regional level, particularly regarding the suitability of the proposed activities to the identified needs.

Project initiation

• Participate in operational briefings with other team members to ensure a clear understanding of activities and targets, and take part in key stakeholders’ sensitization before the actual launch of activities, in collaboration with other sector teams of the same project to promote clear and consistent external communication.

Project implementation

• Support the Economic Recovery Team Leader (or Manager) in producing and updating monthly workplans; implement daily activities according to the operational schedule while reporting achievements, challenges, and suggested solutions; and provide high-quality, up-to-date information for reporting purposes when requested (including PMM-BFU meetings).
• Maintain all required documentation and Means of Verification (MoVs) throughout project implementation and ensure compliance with minimum data-protection standards both digitally and physically.
• In collaboration with MEAL, contribute to mainstreaming AAP principles by ensuring communities are informed, involved, able to raise concerns, and receive feedback, while also mobilizing and building strong, dignified, and culturally appropriate relationships with community structures through continuous engagement

Project closure

• Ensure all MoVs for completed activities are properly archived and contribute to centralizing and sharing lessons learned and good practices in line with MEAL recommendations.

Sector specific expertise / technical expectations

• Under the line manager’s guidance and in line with DRC UKR SOPs, carry out Economic Recovery tasks such as needs and market assessments, beneficiary identification and registration, analysis and selection, preparation of payment documentation, assistance distribution (cash or in-kind), maintenance of accurate beneficiary and payment records, training delivery, and monitoring visits. Ensure accessibility and inclusion for vulnerable groups, integrating gender and protection considerations throughout activities. When required or in the absence of an Emergency/Basic Needs team, support beneficiary registration and assistance distribution.

Internal coordination and collaboration

• Under the direction of the line manager (and Sector Manager, if different), ensure coordination with colleagues across sectors and subsectors regarding internal ways of working, maintain positive and constructive communication with all staff, and report any issues or challenges; support internal referencing efforts between DRC sectors in the same raions/hromadas; participate in exchanges where MEAL findings are shared with program teams; and, upon request from the line manager, take part in meetings with Partnership personnel to discuss implementing partner(s)

External coordination

• Upon request from the line manager, act as a substitute focal point in sectoral coordination mechanisms such as Clusters or Working Groups and share relevant information, minutes, and action points with colleagues; collaborate with local authorities at the hromada level during activity implementation and report all information to the line manager; and participate in updating the mapping of complementary services provided by other actors in the area to enable safe and effective external referrals.

About you

You should have at least 2 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 organizational, analytical, and interpersonal skills are essential, along with integrity, confidentiality 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

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in agriculture, agri-business, rural development, economics, business administration, vocational education, or related field. Relevant professional experience may be accepted in lieu of a degree.
• Strong understanding of confidentiality and humanitarian ethics (including PSEA).
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills; ability to engage vulnerable people and diverse stakeholders.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills; ability to prioritize multiple tasks.
• Proficient in MS Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and standard Windows/email systems.
• Languages: Fluency in Ukrainian; Intermediate English level.

Desirable

• Good understanding of the country’s development status and overall social context.
• Strong sense of personal integrity and understanding of confidentiality and ethics.

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: H

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 Natioanl Staff 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: 13 December 2025

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.