Shelter & Settlements Officer (Partnership 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 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 Shelter & Settlements Officer (Partnership Officer) in Kharkiv.

About the job

The Shelter & Settlements Officer (Partnership Officer) is responsible for identifying, developing, and maintaining partnerships with national and local stakeholders within the Shelter & Settlements sector in the designated area of operation.

The position supports partner-led implementation of shelter and housing recovery activities, ensures technical quality and compliance with organizational and donor requirements, and contributes to localization efforts through capacity strengthening and the development of equitable partnerships.

Your main duties and responsibilities will be:

Partnership Management and Coordination

• Support the identification, assessment, and selection of local partners (NGOs, local authorities, and private sector actors).
• Facilitate engagement of new partners, including due diligence and capacity assessments.
• Act as the primary focal point for assigned partners at regional level.
• Ensure regular communication, coordination, and follow-up with partners.
• Support the development, review, and monitoring of partnership agreements (sub-grants, MoUs, etc.).

Programme Implementation and Operational Support

• Support partners in the implementation of Shelter & Settlements activities (emergency shelter, light and medium housing repairs, rehabilitation of social infrastructure).
• Ensure activities are implemented in line with approved project proposals, workplans, and budgets.
• Monitor implementation progress against agreed indicators and targets.
• Support partners in addressing operational challenges and adapting implementation approaches when required.
• Provide technical support in procurement planning and processes.
• Ensure procurement compliance with donor regulations and organizational standards.
• Coordinate with Logistics and Finance teams as required.

Technical Oversight and Quality Assurance

• Ensure partner compliance with:
  • Shelter Cluster guidelines;
  • organizational technical standards;
  • national building codes and regulations.
• Liaise with Shelter technical teams to:
  • review Bills of Quantities (BoQs), technical designs, and methodologies;
  • validate technical approaches and ensure quality standards.
• Conduct field visits and participate in technical monitoring and quality control of works.

Partner Capacity Strengthening

• Identify capacity gaps of partners (technical, operational, compliance).
• Develop and implement capacity strengthening plans.
• Provide on-the-job support and mentoring to partners.
• Promote equitable partnership approaches and strengthen local ownership in programme delivery.

MEAL, Compliance and Reporting

• Ensure partners use MEAL systems and tools (KoboToolbox, Post-Distribution Monitoring (PDM), Complaint and Feedback Mechanisms (CFM), etc.).
• Support partners in data collection, reporting, and documentation.
• Ensure compliance with donor requirements, organizational SOPs, and Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) principles.
• Contribute to internal and donor reporting processes.

About you

To be successful in this role, we expect you to have at least 2 years of experience working with partners and hands-on experience in the field, gained while working for an international non-governmental organization.

Moreover, we also expect the following:

Required

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, Architecture, Construction, or a related field (or equivalent humanitarian/recovery programming experience with strong technical background in shelter).

• Minimum 2 years of relevant experience , including:
  • partnership management or working with local NGOs in the humanitarian sector;
  • implementation of shelter/housing recovery programmes (repairs, reconstruction, or infrastructure rehabilitation);
  • Minimum 2 years of experience working with an international NGO is required.

Languages :

• Full professional proficiency in Ukrainian.
• Professional proficiency in English- В2

Technical Skills

• Strong coordination and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Understanding of Shelter & Settlements approaches (ESK, ECM, Light & Medium Repairs), construction processes, and cost estimation.
• Knowledge of procurement processes and MEAL systems.
• Strong command of MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), KoboToolbox, and Outlook.

Desirable

• Experience with GIS software and AutoCAD is an asset
• Еxperience with donor-funded projects (e.g., ECHO, UHF) is an advantage.

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 based on performance and available funding
• Band: H (non -management)
• Designation of Duty Station: Kharkiv
• Start date: July 2026

This position is open to national applicants. Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment; please refer to under Vacancies.

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: 14 June 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 suitableb candidate has been identified.