Ukraine: Protection Technical Lead

Country Programme: Ukraine

Base: Kyiv

Line Manager: Program Quality Director

About the Ukrainian Programme of People in Need:

PIN has been working in Ukraine since 2014, providing emergency relief and early recovery support to conflict-affected communities. Due to the escalation of the war in 2022, programmes for war-affected communities focus mainly on WASH, Shelter, Protection, Education, LVH, including recovery and resilience building.. PIN’s contribution to the Ukrainian humanitarian response is amongst the largest, with an annual turnover of close to $100 million, engaging full-time staff members across Ukraine.

About the Role:

The primary role of Protection Technical Lead (PTL) is to provide strategic direction and vision for the protection programme, ensuring its comprehensive development and high-quality implementation. PTL will also provide technical support and capacity development to PIN protection team including field staff. Secondly, PTL will provide technical guidance and leadership in embedding protection mainstreaming approach across all other PIN programmes, by identifying programming gaps, providing recommendations, introducing assessment and monitoring tools, and building staff capacity.

Internal Relations:

The Protection Technical Lead works under line management of Program Quality Director and directly supervises the Protection Coordinator. PTL closely works with other Technical Leads within Program Quality Department, with Program Implementation teams (Area Managers, Partnership Unit), MEAL and Grants and Reporting Units, as well as with Partners, ensuring high quality of PIN protection program, program development, as well as integration and protection mainstreaming across all programmatic areas. Protection Technical Lead provides technical support to implementation teams. Protection Technical Lead also based on need, hires and line manages short-term protection technical contractors.

External Relations:

The Protection Technical Lead is the primary point of contact for external relations in Protection sector. PTL is responsible to represent and contribute in Protection Cluster and relevant sub-Clusters, Working Groups, networks. PTL also coordinates closely with relevant Ministries and Government Departments on technical aspects of protection programming.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities:

• Lead the technical support of the protection programme in line with PIN’s country strategy, sector best practices, cluster guidance, government regulations, and donor requirements.
  • Guided by protection principles and best international practices, assess the protection programme concept and lead identification and adjustment of protection interventions, to ensure their high quality, appropriateness and comprehensiveness, in conformity the international standards and protocols.
• Support the development of new programmes and project proposals through technical inputs to and feedback about the project/program methodology and design
• Manage relations with stakeholders, mainly the relevant government departments, donors and partner agencies, by representing the programme in relevant coordination mechanisms and ensuring the distribution of programme information and sharing of achievements and lesson learned.
• Provide protection technical input in other PIN’s programmes in Ukraine as well as to programmes implemented through partners, to ensure protection is mainstreamed across PIN programmatic portfolio.
• Participate proactively and contribute in the Protection technical working group and cluster meetings and reporting, represent PIN at protection coordination platforms and events.
• Develop strategies and plans that contribute to raising the profile of PIN in the Protection sector.
• Develop tools to deliver and monitor protection programme, and for protection mainstreaming in other sector programmes.
  • Ensure project team and partner staff use the appropriate systems and tools to ensure relevance, efficiency and quality of programming.
  • In cooperation with MEAL team, regularly update that learning from protection needs assessment, surveys and monitoring activities inform proposal development, and are fed back to programme teams.
• Share technical know-how, provide technical expertise and guidance to project staff as appropriate and build their capacity in technical aspects of protection programming (e.g. deliver trainings and workshops, provide on the job couching etc.).
• Contribute to the evaluation of Protection related programming to secure follow up or expansion of funding for the portfolio as per identified needs.
• Contribute to reports as required for internal and external use. And fulfils any other tasks as required.          
• Qualifications in a discipline related to social work, psychology, law, social sciences or related fields;
• Minimum 3 years of relevant professional experience in protection programming and mainstreaming, preferably in an emergency contexts;
• Substantial experience in protection, both overall protection and in sub-sectors of child protection, MHPSS, including in conflict settings and with IDPs and refugees;
• Knowledge of international protection standards;
• Experience in conducting assessments and developing training programmes;
• A proven record of effective project and people management;
• Strong communication skills and ability to lead discussions/meetings;
• Full respect for client/organization confidentiality;
• Excellent teamwork skills, demonstrated interpersonal skills and respect for people with special needs and other vulnerability, sensitivity to cultural differences;
• Fluency in spoken and written English, knowledge of Ukrainian is a plus.

What PIN can offer:

• Working environment in a well-established and continuously growing humanitarian organization in a challenging context;
• Salary and benefits according to PIN salary scale and HR policies; expected salary 2500-2700 EUR super gross (based on experience)
• Monthly subsistence allowance 1350 EUR;
• Hardship 400 Eur
• Accommodation/housing allowance;
• 25 days of holiday per year
• R&R policy;
• Travel health insurance;
• Reimbursement of travel expenses with travel to the country of residence once every 6 months of work;
• Reimbursement of costs of visas and vaccinations; assistance with the visa application procedure;
• Reimbursement of the medical check-up before and after the deployment;
• Free 24/7 medical helpdesk and psychological consultation available online;
• Free access to e-learning sites, global PIN’s Induction Training, Knowledge and Learning department onboarding, and individually tailored capacity-building opportunities; incl. HEAT training.

Security situation in Ukraine: 

Humanitarian workers continue to operate throughout Ukraine, although the front-line areas are being shelled almost constantly, and main cities are being targeted with missiles and UAVs quite regularly. PIN security SOPs require PIN staff to proceed to shelter should the risk level be assessed by the Security Department as the highest (launch of missiles or drones) and remain there until the air raid siren is cancelled, which cumulatively can be several times a week, occasionally for several hours at a time (although shorter periods are as well occurring). While air strikes that were targeting energy infrastructure have finished after winter, they have succeeded in reaching their goals and are likely to resume in late autumn/winter. At the moment military and civilian objects are being targeted, including the west of Ukraine. While Kyiv enjoys relatively strong air defence systems that are intercepting most of the missiles and UAVs, other regions are covered much less significantly which results in bigger damage. Outside of the areas in the vicinity to the contact line, services such as medical care, shops, public transportation as well as restaurants or leisure facilities remain operational.

How to Apply: 

Are you interested in this position? Send us your CV and short cover letter via our application form.

Please note only the shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Interviews will be conducted on rolling basis and the vacancy will be closed when filled.

People in Need is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behavior at work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct and is committed to promoting the welfare of children and adults with whom People in Need involves. People in Need expects all staff to perform job duties and responsibilities in accordance with People in Need code of conduct and key policies (available at: https://www.peopleinneed.net/key-policies-4142gp). People in Need Staff will undertake the appropriate level of training.

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks.

We are committed to ensuring diversity and gender equality within our organization and encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply.