Protection and Gender Officer in HelpAge International in Ukraine, Representative Office

Job Title:          Protection and  Gender Officer

Location:         Dnipro, Ukraine with travel to projects location

Contract:        Fixed term labor contract.  

 Reports to:   Protection & MHPSS Coordinator (with technical support and                                          coordination with the HAI Global Advisors).

HelpAge – delivering real impact for older people

HelpAge International supports older people claim their rights, challenge discrimination and overcome poverty so that they can lead dignified, secure, active and healthy lives. HelpAge in Ukraine has responded to the prolonged armed conflict since its start in 2014 and escalation in 2022.  Our support seeks to ensure the protection of older people’s lives (those with and without disabilities), security and dignity by identifying those most at risk, facilitating their access to essential assistance and care including homebased care, community safe spaces, and advocating for their rights.  

HelpAge has its country office in Kiev and operates field offices in Dnipro, Lviv and Chernivtsi.  

We are seeking passionate, talented candidates for several roles to further strengthen our country team.  

Job Purpose

The Protection and Gender Officer will be responsible for supporting the implementation of the Protection and Gender mainstreaming and the associated humanitarian programme activities of HAI Ukraine, building strategic relationships with national and international local stakeholders, supporting the capacity building of key stakeholders responding to the crisis in Ukraine and undertaking activities in the area of gender and age inclusive programme development.  

Key areas for impact/influence and responsibilities

Protection and Gender mainstreaming development and implementation (40%)  

• Based on the existing HAI Ukraine strategy, support a revision and adaptation of the final draft action plan for the Protection and Gender Mainstreaming and prepare a detailed workplan and targets to be achieved under supervision of Protection&MHPSS Cordinator.
• Support the preparation of a paper on how gender perspectives are important and show how these perspectives help promote gender mainstreaming and how it can help achieve protection goals. Update the paper as needed over time.
• Support the preparation, at an early stage, (if this has not already been done in the department) of an issues-paper on gender perspectives in the substantive work which would outline the linkages - i.e. the ways in which gender perspectives are relevant and important as the basis for efforts to promote gender mainstreaming. Revise the issues-paper as needed over time.
• Promote inclusion of vulnerable most at-risk groups, particularly older people and persons with disability in external fora, through active and regular participation in humanitarian coordination working groups and cluster meetings, and in coordination with partner agencies.
• Regularly participating in activities at Oblasts level to ensure understanding of the current and changing needs of the affected population.  
• Ensure inclusion of older people into monitoring and decision-making processes. 
• Support referral process with LNGO/INGO to ensure comprehensive support for older people.
• Provide support in conducting program activities, namely conducting and updating service mapping.
• Assist in the preparation of speeches and other presentations on protection&gender mainstreaming. 
• Initiate, design, conduct/commission and/or coordinate innovative and gender-mainstreamed research and analysis that meets the evolving needs of older people.

Capacity Development and Relationship building (30%) 

• Under supervision and in close coordination with MHPSS & Protection Coordinator and HelpAge Global Advisors promote contextualization, development and dissemination of age, gender and disability-sensitive tools and methodologies for humanitarian action at country and oblast level to relevant sectors and mechanisms.
• Support HelpAge staff and volunteer social care workers capacity development to engage in evidence-based advocacy at Hromadas` and Oblast level.
• Conduct and support developing trainings on Protection, age, gender and disability-related vulnerabilities for humanitarian actors and HelpAge partners operating in Ukraine.
• Provide in-depth and specific technical support to humanitarian organisations and other key stakeholders working in the Oblasts to improve the protection and inclusion of vulnerable groups in the humanitarian response on local level. The technical support may be offered in addition, and as follow up to training.
• Support local network of actors that assist older people, thus ensuring long term solutions for the target group, especially for older women.

Evidence, learning, monitoring and evaluation (30%) 

• Through coordination and capacity building platform promote collection and analysis of sex- and age, disability-disaggregated data into needs assessment frameworks, including rapid assessments and consultation with older people and persons with disability.
• Attend important relevant events on Gender and Protection meeting, provide important updates for partners.
• Conduct protection monitoring visits to the beneficiaries to identify the protection risks.

Others

• Undertake any other duties assigned by line manager or Head of Programme Delivery.

Person Specification 

Education 

• University degree (Master’s degree preferred) in a Social Science related discipline that includes, Social Work, Gender Development, Human Rights, Community Development and Approaches. Any other qualifications related to Humanitarian work will be an advantage. 

Experience 

• Extensive experience developing and managing protection and gender outreach programmes at regional and field levels.  

Skills  

• Demonstrated networking and facilitation skills. 
• Strong people ‘skills and communication skills. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, Ukrainian.
• Good IT skills (primarily familiarity with Microsoft Office programmes - Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).

Knowledge and experience 

Essential: 

• Sound knowledge and understanding of protection, gender and social protection issues, including social marginalisation of vulnerable people. 
• Experience in network building between actors that work with IDPs and other vulnerable groups among displaced population, including humanitarian INGOs/NGOs and UN Agencies, with a thorough understanding of their respective functioning. 
• Experience of training and capacity building of a wide range of actors, including at senior level. 
• Experience of development and implementation of needs assessment, research and data collection activities, including data analysis. 
• Experience or working knowledge of ageing, disability and the issues facing older people and other vulnerable groups, particularly persons with disability and older people in humanitarian crises. 
• Good representation and networking skills with a variety of stakeholders at different levels. 

Desirable: 

• Experience of liaising with Ukrainian Hromada`s and Oblast level decision makers and opinion shapers.
• Experience working with displaced persons, host communities etc. 
• International experience would be an asset.

What we offer

• Employment contract.
• Salary in accordance with Help Age Ukraine’s Salary scale depending on the experience and qualifications. 
• Private medical insurance.
• 24 days of annual paid leave and other benefits according to the Ukrainian Labor code. 
• Wellbeing day, the last Friday of each month between April to December is a non-working day. 
• English language courses.
• Convenient office location in the city center.

Safeguarding

HelpAge International is committed to safeguarding the communities with which we work, our partners, staff and any others who we come into contact with.

Therefore, you will also be responsible for:

Preventing harm and abuse from our people, operations and programmes to anyone that encounters our work.

• Reporting all safeguarding incidents you see, hear, hear about or suspect, using our internal reporting mechanism.
• Complying with all safeguarding framework policies and practices.
• Completing mandatory training courses relating to our safeguarding policy framework and complying with HR vetting procedures.

 How to apply

Attention! This vacancy is open for Ukrainian citizens only. The closing date for applications is the 24th of December 2024. Please be aware that interviews will be scheduled on a rolling basis until the position is filled, and only short-listed candidates will be informed. If you did not hear from us within two weeks after the application closing date it means your application was not successful.