Advocacy Coordinator

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 Advocacy Coordinator in Kyiv with frequent travel across Ukraine.  

About the job

The Advocacy Coordinator leads the design and implementation of DRC Ukraine’s advocacy strategy, ensuring that the voices and needs of affected populations shape DRC’s positioning, external engagement, and policy influence. The role drives evidence-based advocacy, fosters coherence between programmes, policy, and communications, and ensures alignment with DRC’s global advocacy priorities and humanitarian principles. The Advocacy Coordinator reports to the Country Director and works in close collaboration with programme teams and the communications unit.

Your main duties and responsibilities will be:

Strategic Advocacy

• Develop, implement, and update DRC Ukraine’s advocacy strategy in line with programme priorities, DRC global frameworks, and the evolving Ukraine context.
• Advise the Country Director and SMT on advocacy priorities, risks, and opportunities.
• Ensure advocacy objectives are evidence-based, drawing on protection monitoring and other primary humanitarian data sources.
• Foster coherence and synergies between programmes and advocacy by integrating advocacy into programme planning, implementation, and budgeting.
• Produce contextual updates, crisis briefs, talking points, briefing papers, reports, and advocacy asks for DRC Ukraine.
• Recommend DRC positions on policies and practices of the UN, donor governments, and the Government of Ukraine, including in relation to emergency response and durable solutions.
• Participate in the NGO Platform Advocacy Working Group and support the drafting of joint inter-agency products (key messages, public statements, high-profile letters, briefings).
• Maintain up-to-date awareness of national and regional developments through stakeholder engagement and field visits.
• Provide timely policy analysis and inputs for the SMT and Regional Advocacy Coordinator.
• Support programme leadership to articulate advocacy priorities within clusters, working groups, and area forums.
• Contribute to DRC’s global and regional advocacy initiatives, ensuring Ukraine-specific perspectives are reflected.
• Prepare information and advocacy inputs for global advocacy calls on Ukraine.
• In collaboration with MEAL, develop indicators and a framework to measure the effectiveness and impact of advocacy efforts.

Representation & Communication

• Maintain active liaison with key UN, NGO, donor, and government interlocutors to ensure DRC remains informed and influential.
• Coordinate with DRC Regional Office and HQ on shared advocacy messaging and initiatives.
• Support development of messages and actions on key national policy issues (e.g. protection, funding, coordination, durable solutions).
• Build and maintain networks of informants and stakeholders across Ukraine.
• Represent DRC in advocacy-related fora, including the NGO Advocacy Working Group and other regional platforms as delegated.
• Promote the meaningful and safe participation of affected populations in DRC’s advocacy work.

About you

To be successful in this role we expect you to have at least 3-5 years' experience working in advocacy on humanitarian issues, refugee rights, human rights, and/or development issues. Moreover, we also expect the following:

Required

• Master degree in relevant subject.
• Experience of influencing and advocacy work including lobbying, policy development and information provision in humanitarian issues.
• Experience of advocating in various contexts of large scale, complex international conflicts and displacement crisis.
• Extensive knowledge about DRC’s Core Sectors (Protection, HDP, Shelter, EcRec).
• Excellent skills in advocating towards government stakeholders in the UN’s Humanitarian Aid Architecture, including UN and donor operations at country and regional level.
• Excellent skills in advocating towards government officials.
• Experience of and strong skills in developing and implementing humanitarian advocacy strategies.
• Knowledge of human rights, international humanitarian law, rights-based programming, and protection principles.
• Understanding of political and humanitarian context in the region and/or in Ukraine.
• Demonstrated experience in context analysis.
• Full proficiency in spoken and written English.

Desirable

• Ukrainian is considered an asset.

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: 12 months, renewable depending on performance and funding, after successful completion of a 3-month probation period.
• Band: F non-management.
• Designation of Duty Station: Kyiv.
• Start date: January 2026.

Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for national and international employees.

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: November 13, 2025.