Economic Recovery Officer (Entrepreneurship and Employment Development 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 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 Economic Recovery Officer (Entrepreneurship and Employment Development Officer) for its activities in Mykolaiv.

This position will be line managed by the Economic Recovery Team Leader.

About the job
Under the supervision of the Economic Recovery Team Leader, the Economic Recovery Officer (Entrepreneurship and Employment Development Officer) will be responsible for coordinating and managing the implementation of economic recovery activities aimed at supporting urban households, small and medium-sized businesses, and developing urban value chains. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Providing sector-specific financial assistance to subsistence farmers and small-scale farms,
• Issuing grants,
• Capacity building for small and medium-sized businesses,
• Supporting grants for special secondary education.

The Economic Recovery Officer (Entrepreneurship and Employment Development Officer) will work closely with communities, NGOs, and government institutions to implement the Economic Recovery Department’s program portfolio. The position is based in the DRC office in Mykolaiv, with travel to Mykolaiv and Kherson regions.

Your main duties and responsibilities will be:

• Participate in planning and implementing economic recovery program activities, including providing financial support to subsistence farmers, small farms, and small/medium-sized businesses, s capacity-building initiatives, provision of grants for vocational education training.
• Identify economic recovery needs within defined territories and report to the Project Team Leader and Economic Recovery Manager. Collect and analyze quantitative and qualitative data for program implementation.
• Organize outreach activities, including disseminating key messages, developing and distributing informational and educational materials, and conducting informational sessions based on needs identified through monitoring and project activities.
• Enhance the quality of DRC’s community-based approach through effective identification and coordination efforts with stakeholders, key informants, and community members.
• Establish and maintain strong ties with communities through consistent engagement with community structures and adherence to approaches respecting cultural and dignified practices.
• Supervise Economic Recovery Assistants and ensure the quality of their activities.
• Coordinate with other DRC departments to facilitate referrals and information exchange.
• Provide information related to fieldwork to support the preparation of proposals for new project funding.
• Regularly report to the Project Team Leader and/or Economic Recovery Manager.
• Participate in activities related to cash assistance and non-food item distribution, including direct organization and delivery to those affected by conflict.
• Monitors information regarding shelling in the Mykolaiv and Kherson oblasts.
• Contribute to partner capacity development by assessing partner capabilities, providing development priorities and plans, delivering training, consultations, and on-the-job learning.
• Perform any other duties assigned by the Economic Recovery Team Leader or Economic Recovery Manager to achieve economic recovery objectives.

About you

To be successful in the role of Economic Recovery Officer (Entrepreneurship and Employment Development Officer), you are expected to ensure quality planning, implementation, and monitoring of all technical aspects of DRC’s sectoral activities. Additionally, you should develop and maintain strong relationships with affected populations, relevant stakeholders, and other humanitarian organizations, ensuring proper coordination and implementation of DRC sectoral activities. Moreover, we also expect the following:

• Relevant higher or special secondary education (e.g., agriculture, political science, international development, or economics) or equivalent professional qualification.
• Understanding of agricultural and small/medium business sectors.
• Confidence in discussing sensitive topics and working with individuals in distress.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to work effectively with vulnerable individuals, staff, and stakeholders from diverse backgrounds.
• Strong organizational and time management skills, ability to prioritize work, and handle multiple responsibilities.
• High integrity and understanding of confidentiality and ethics.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer, Outlook/Exchange, and Windows operating systems.
• Fluency in Ukrainian.

Desirable

• Previous experience in a similar role.
• Understanding of agricultural value chain development.
• Awareness of business grant mechanisms.
• Experience supervising staff.
• Proficiency in English.

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: open ended contract after 3 month probation period.
Level: H– Non-Management
Designation of Duty Station: Mykolaiv - Full time based

Start date: As soon as possible.
Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for national staff.

Application process:

All applicants must upload a cover letter and an updated CV (no longer than four pages in English).

Applications are open until 22nd January 2025
Applications sent by email will not be considered.

We reserve the right to conduct further interviews before the deadline for submission of applications.

Department:

Location: Mykolaiv