Armed Violence Reduction Specialist – Ukraine

HI is engaged in supporting the Ukrainian population affected by the war: since February 2022, two teams left for Ukraine and the neighboring countries to analyze the context, the security, and the needs.

More than any other, HI ensures that humanitarian actions are inclusive, allowing the most vulnerable populations (people with disabilities, elderly, sick, injured) to have access to the help they need. With a focus on physical rehabilitation, psychosocial support, shelter, access to food, water, and sanitation, explosive remnants of war risk education, and advocacy.

Aligning itself with the priorities of the Ukraine Flash Appeal and Regional Refugee Response Plan, HI pillars of interventions are:

• Health
• Protection
• Armed Violence Reduction
• Basic needs
• Humanitarian-to-humanitarian logistics (ATLAS Logistique)

Primary responsibilities:

Under the responsibility of the Technical Head of Programme, the Armed Violence Reduction (AVR) Specialist in Ukraine contributes to the implementation of Humanity & Inclusion’s mandate and operational strategy in the country. She/he manages the AVR technical unit and ensures optimal quality and impact of the AVR projects implemented in the country, through a delegation system with appropriate control mechanisms.

The AVR Specialist provides technical support to ongoing AVR projects, as well as multi-sectoral projects involving AVR, and ensures quality according to sector standards and good practices. Thus, she/he strategically supports AVR activities, including land release in an integrated approach. The specialist focuses on the strengthening of these programmes including strong context analysis, standardisation of tools, staff capacity development and programme strategy development.

The AVR Specialist coordinates with multi-stakeholders (government, INGOs, UN Agencies, Donors and Civil society) at national, regional and international level for contributing to the local external prestige and influence of HI’s expertise in the scope of AVR as well as AVR-related advocacy. She/he also contributes to the overall growth of the Ukraine Programme through participation in technical design, proposal development, donor and partner networks, and advocacy.

In 2022-2023, HI’s Ukraine programme has implemented three AVR activities: explosive ordnance risk education (EORE), conflict preparedness and protection (CPP) and victim assistance specific and broad efforts. During the next strategic period from 2024-2026, the project scope is expected to expand to also conclude land release and capacity building to local and state capacities.

For this purpose, you are responsible for:
Mission 1. Management

• Exemplary manager: embodies HI’s values on a daily basis, and is a role model;
• Meaningful manager: understands the strategy, makes it explicit, translates it into operational objectives for the team, leads the necessary changes;
• Executive manager: organizes the operational management of her or his team;
• Manager 1st HR & coach: contributes to the development of her/his team members, creating the conditions to enable their commitment, their professionalism and their attachment to HI.

Mission 2. Strategy

• Contribute to the AVR pillar of HI’s StratOp for Ukraine;
• Lead the definition, monitoring and update of the AVR sectoral strategy for HI Ukraine;
• Ensure the assessment of needs, risks and conflict sensitivity in relation to the AVR strategy and operational activities and make recommendations.

Mission 3. Technical Support

• Ensure technical support to projects in line with the global technical frameworks and standards in Armed Violence reduction (including IMAS and national mine action standards) and with the country’s StratOp;
• Provide adequate technical guidance and support to Project Managers when relevant (adapt standards to PM’s tools, contribute to proposal writing and reporting) in line with strategies, standards and mandatory transversal approaches;
• Ensure adequate support to multi-sector responses within projects, in line with the other specialists;
• Oversee the development and update of SOPs, tools and guidance materials on EORE, VA, community engagement and synergies with land release (comprehensive approach);
• Contribute to the identification of AVR training needs, the design and update of training materials, and the delivery of trainings for HI staff.

Mission 4. Research, Analysis and Learning

• Conduct regular analysis of project data and external secondary data on AVR needs and interventions in close collaboration with the Chief of Operations, MEAL team and Project Managers;
• Contribute to the development of research and innovation projects in Ukraine, including KABP surveys, needs assessments and impact studies.

Mission 5. Coordination and Representation

• Contribute to the external prestige and influence of HI’s expertise in the AVR sector both in Ukraine and internationally;
• Represent the technical expertise of HI throughout the local relevant networks;
• Contribute to advocacy on specific themes in line with AVR advocacy priorities;
• Liaise with national mine action authorities and other line ministries, and participate in different forums to advocate for policy changes;
• Support the Head of Mission and senior management in representation with Mine Action and broader AVR donors, when needed.

Mission 6. Business Development

• Actively contribute to the technicalities of development of projects in the AVR sector;
• Ensure the development of major opportunities or new projects in the region under her/his sectorial scope;
• Identify & develop local partnerships and/or consortium with NGOs, institutions, companies on technical priorities or important topics in the region under her/his sectorial scope.

Mission 7. Reporting

• Review and ensure technical quality of reports (donors and government) related to AVR;
• Ensure that lessons learnt and best practices in AVR are documented and shared with the technical unit and headquarters.

Mission 8. Emergency Preparedness and Response

• Contribute to the support or implementation of emergency preparedness actions of the programme and, during an emergency, adapt her/his working modality to contribute to an effective HI humanitarian response.

Characteristics of the position:

The security situation in Ukraine remains relatively stable, although there are frequent days and nights of air alerts. However, markets, restaurants and cafes are open, and life continues as normal. There is a strict curfew, the hours depend on the region. More recently, the majority of attacks have targeted energy structures, mainly power grid and power plants, which reduces the supply of electricity, water, heating system, and communication networks.

HI has 2 hubs, one in the East (based in Dnipro) and one in the West (based in Chernivtsi) and the coordination is in Kyiv. We have activities in other cities like Lviv, Vinnyitsia, Kharkiv, Poltava. HI staff is accommodated in guesthouses or in a hotel (depending on the location), usually near HI offices, restaurants, cafes, shopping centers within walking distance and near a shelter (the shelter is either in the building or very easy to reach).

Movements between sites can be made by car (Hi drivers) or by train, depending on the region and time.

Education and experience

• Master in Social Science, International Relations, Community Development or relevant field
• Minimum of seven years of experience in providing technical support and strategic guidance in minimum two to three pillars of the AVR Programming (EORE/CPP, VA, land release, conflict transformation) and advocacy
• Experience in capacity building and mentoring
• Experience in technical support to humanitarian mine action/arms violence reduction programs

Skills and abilities

• Knows the international frameworks for AVR (Humanitarian Mine Action, Risk Education, SALW, Conflict Transformation, Victim Assistance specific efforts)
• Solid understanding of the technical issues of AVR, the networks of actors and professionals involved, and the International Mine Action Standards
• Proficiency of written and spoken institutional communication in English (mandatory); in Ukrainian or Russian is an asset
• Personifies and promotes the humanitarian principles and HI’s values and principles to the highest degree

Conditions
In HI, the conditions offered are up to your commitment and adapted to the context of your mission. https://hi.org/en/join-the-team

• 12 months International contract starting from 1st January 2024 (or earlier if available)
• The international contract provides social cover adapted to your situation:
• Unemployment insurance benefits for EU nationals
• Pension scheme adapted to the situation of our employees: If you already have a personal pension scheme HI will contribute at the same level as your monthly contribution with a maximum of 272.53€/month; If you do not have a personal pension scheme, we will open a private pension account with your contribution of 272.53€/month and a contribution of HI of the same amount
• Medical coverage with 50% of employee contribution; Repatriation insurance paid by HI
• Salary from 2757€ gross/month upon experience
• Perdiem: 559.65€ net/month – paid in payroll
• Hardship: 500€ net/month – paid with your salary
• Paid leaves: 25 days per year
• R&R: 5 days every 8 weeks + transport/package support
• Position: unaccompanied; Payment for travel costs (air ticket & visa)
• Housing: individual or shared possibilities (might be shared at first upon arrival just for logistic to find an individual accommodation)
• If you live in your home country: package local