Humanitarian Mine Action Technical Advisor

The Danish Refugee Council Humanitarian Disarmament and Peace Building (DRC HDP), one of the world’s leading humanitarian NGOs, is currently seeking a highly qualified and motivated Technical Advisor (TA) for its growing Humanitarian Mine Action portfolio in Ukraine. We appreciate devotion and team building, and we welcome you to join our efforts in building capacities that will support humanitarian disarmament and peace building.

About the job

The Technical Advisor (TA) has the primary function of providing technical advice of all national staff assigned to him/her throughout all HMA activities. He/she will provide daily support and advice to a number of MMC, BAC and NTS teams spanning a wide area of operations, thus DRC HDP is seeking a person that displays a positive approach to his/her work, and is of a determined and dedicated character.

His/her secondary function is to develop the capacity and technical knowledge of all national HMA staff within DRC HDP assigned to him/her with a view to producing an effective and sustainable partially nationalized HMA operation over a specified timeframe.

The TA reports directly to the Operations Manager (OM) with some indirect technical lines to other DRC HDP expatriate staff.

The TA will be primarily based in Northern Ukraine, but is expected to travel and reside in other regions, mainly to areas where DRC HDP MMC & BAC teams operate, to the national training centers and to Kyiv where DRC HDP country office is located.

Some areas of operations are remote and will require the TA to ‘embed’ himself/herself within the local community.

As the TA, you will plan your activities closely with the Operations Manager.The TA will work very closely with other Technical Advisors, National Demining Supervisors and other demining team members.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide technical oversight of relevant field operations of the project for which the TA is responsible, including training, safety and security, daily operational planning and implementation and the direction of all employed operational personnel under his/her control.
• Supervise and if necessary carry out any Clearance operation or demolitions in accordance with DRC HDP SOPs and within the qualifications and experience of the TA.
• Assist the OM in developing the project’s technical contribution to the national mine action capacity as required by the OM. This includes required training in agreed locations and subsequent DRC HDP approved training courses of national personnel such as but not limited to DRC HDP staff members.
• Assist, as required, in the development and maintenance of the DRC HDP technical procedures for project operations.
• Assist the OM in maintaining reporting mechanisms.
• All reports to outside agencies (non-DRC HDP organisations) or media representatives shall be approved by the HoP.
• Assist the OM in the training of staff.
• Establish and maintain relationships as required with all organizations (civil, commercial, military, or humanitarian) involved in mine action and related activities in the project area of operations.
• Monitor the team’s daily activities in the field to ensure that all safety procedures are followed according to DRC HDP SOPs.
• Shall complete the clearance plan for each task with the TL.
• Ensure that the clearance plan is approved by the OM prior to submitting to the NA.
• Amendments to clearance plans shall be approved by the OM prior to submitting to the NA.
• Will follow up the site observation visits and ensure that remedial action required is conducted.
• Undertake other actions deemed appropriate and necessary by the OM.

Reporting Lines

The TA will report directly to the DRC HDP Operations Manager – Ukraine.

Qualifications

• Considerable working experience at international level within humanitarian international NGOs or similar international body, within the Mine Action sector is required
• Hands-on experience of training, supervising and deploying MMC & BAC teams is required
• Knowledge of and practical experience with a range of hand-held detectors, such as the Minelab F3, Ebinger UPEX 740M, CEIA CMD, Vallon VMR3 / VMC, for the purposes of manual demining is essential
• Proven experience in the application of Land Release and a willingness to exercise and promote the Land Release Policy during DRC HDP operations and to transfer this knowledge and expertise to National Staff.
• Minimum of IMAS EOD Level 3 certification, or equivalent from an Internationally recognised technical school (Military or Civilian) is required with proven experience to support level of EOD 3
• Proven experience in designing and delivering technical training and capacity development of national staff is desirable
• Experience in HMA Quality Management roles would be considered advantageous
• Fluency in written and spoken English with excellent writing skills is requirement
• A high degree of computer literacy in all MS Office programs is required
• Proven experience in technical management of national staff, of varying genders, cultures and religions is highly desirable
• Knowledge of advanced trauma care is highly desirable
• Ukrainian and/or Russian language skills are highly desirable
• Work experience from within the region (Eastern Europe) is desirable

Personal competencies

• Capacity to work independently

• Resolution and integrity

• A positive and problem-solving attitude and ability to accomplish objectives in spite of a challenging political and insecure environment

• Innovative and creative thinking with strong analytical and reporting skills

• Political and cultural sensitivity, as well as a diplomatic, tactful, and flexible interpersonal style

• Ability to exude calmness and patience in high stress situations

• Proven ability to function well in a potentially volatile and sometimes stressful environment

• A strong team player with a willingness to assume other roles and responsibilities short term in times of Expatriate Staff leave periods

• Medically and physically fit for duty in austere environments

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: As soon as possible, July 2023, with strong possibility of an extension, depending on funding and performance.

Salary at Band G non-managerial and conditions in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for Expatriates.

Duty station: Kyiv, with regular travel to other regions. The position is unaccompanied and the candidate must be prepared to live and work in an isolated environment for long periods of time with limited recreational and social facilities. Simple accommodation is provided for the duration of the contract.

Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Further information

For information about our work and organisation, please visit our website http://www.danishdemininggroup.dk/ and http://www.drc.dk/.