Protection Technical Lead

Base: Kyiv

Starting date: June 2026

Contract duration: 4 months' probation period with prolongation upon successful probation period end

About PIN Ukraine:

People in Need (PIN) has been active in Ukraine since early August 2014. Currently, PIN is one of the major humanitarian actors in Ukraine responding to the recent military escalation, providing humanitarian aid to conflict-affected people across Ukraine. Since 2014, PIN has implemented emergency food and cash assistance, NFI, shelter, protection, livelihoods and WASH interventions supporting 3 million vulnerable IDPs, returnees and host communities in urban and rural areas.

PIN is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic. PIN encourages applications from individuals of diverse backgrounds and values diversity.

General information about the role of the person: 

Under the overall supervision of the Programme Quality Director, Protection Technical Lead iprovides technical support and contributes to capacity development of PIN’s Protection team, including field staff. The role entails technical guidance and leadership in integrating protection components and Protection, Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) standards across all PIN programmes, identifying best practices and programmatic gaps, providing practical recommendations, implementing assessment and monitoring tools, and strengthening the capacities of PIN staff.

Description of general duties: 

Internal Relations

•    The Protection Technical Lead closely works with other Technical Leads within the Program Quality Department, with Program Implementation teams (Area Managers, Partnership Unit), MEAL and Grants and Reporting Units, as well as with Partners, ensuring high quality of PIN protection program, program development, and integration of protection and GESI (mainstreaming approach) across all programmatic areas.  

•    The PTL coordinates regularly with PIN HQ Protection, Gender and Inclusion, and MH-PSS Advisors to ensure alignment with PIN commitments, standards, and approaches to Protection (Mainstreaming) and GESI. The PTL provides technical support to implementation teams. Based on needs, the Protection Technical Lead also hires and line manages short-term protection technical contractors. 

External Relations

•    The Protection Technical Lead is the primary point of contact for external relations in the Protection sector. PTL is responsible for representing PIN in relevant coordination fora and contributing to the Protection Cluster and relevant sub-Clusters, Working Groups, and networks.  

•    The PTL also coordinates closely with relevant Ministries and Government Departments on technical aspects of protection programming. 

Specific Duties and Responsibilities

•    Provide strategic direction and vision for PIN Protection Programme in Ukraine, ensuring its comprehensive and cohesive development and the highest standards of quality, safe, dignified, and accountable programming, in line with PIN protection and GESI approach, commitments, and standards. 

•    Provide technical support for the protection programme in line with PIN’s country strategy, sector best practices, cluster guidance, government regulations, and donor requirements. 

•    Guided by protection principles and best international practices, assess the protection programme concept and lead identification and adjustment of protection interventions to ensure their high quality, appropriateness, and comprehensiveness, in conformity with international standards and protocols. 

•    Support the development of new programmes and project proposals through technical inputs and feedback on project/program methodology and design. 

•    Manage relations with stakeholders, mainly relevant government departments, donors, and partner agencies, by representing the programme in coordination mechanisms and ensuring the distribution of programme information and sharing of achievements and lessons learned. 

•    Provide protection and GESI technical input in other PIN programmes in Ukraine as well as to programmes implemented through partners, to ensure protection and GESI are mainstreamed across PIN’s programmatic portfolio in line with PIN standards, commitments, and approach. 

•    Participate proactively and contribute to Protection technical working group and cluster meetings and reporting; represent PIN at protection coordination platforms and events. 

•    Develop strategies and plans that contribute to raising the profile of PIN in the Protection sector. 

•    Develop tools to deliver and monitor protection programmes and for protection and GESI mainstreaming in other sector programmes. 

•    Ensure project team and partner staff use appropriate systems and tools to ensure relevance, efficiency, and quality of programming. 

•    In cooperation with the MEAL team, regularly ensure that learning from protection and GESI-sensitive needs assessments, surveys, and monitoring activities informs proposal development and is fed back to programme teams. 

•    Share technical know-how, provide technical expertise and guidance to project staff as appropriate, and build their capacity in technical aspects of protection programming (IPA, Protection Monitoring, MH-PSS) through trainings, workshops, and on-the-job coaching. 

•    Contribute to the evaluation of Protection-related programming to secure follow-up or expansion of funding for the portfolio as per identified needs. 

•    Contribute to reports as required for internal and external use. 

Qualification Criteria:

Education and Speciality: 

Master’s degree in a relevant field (Human Rights, International Humanitarian Law or related subjects) 

Work Experience in the Speciality: 

• A minimum of 5 years of experience in protection related work, preferably in (MH)PSS, IPA, Protection Monitoring  
• Strong and proven knowledge (theoretical and applied) of protection (IPA, Protection Monitoring), Protection and GESI Mainstreaming   
• Professional technical experience matching the above-mentioned duties and responsibilities 
• Knowledge and understanding of the complexity of intersecting vulnerabilities

Required Expertise: 

• Strong theoretical, technical and practical knowledge and background in protection, Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) mainstreaming and (MH)PSS delivered according to internal guidelines and in line with international standards and principles  
• Strong understanding of humanitarian protection principles and standards. Strong understanding of Individual Protection Assistance (IPA) and Protection Monitoring desirable  
• Understanding of information management in the context of protection programming and reporting  
• Written and oral proficiency in English is required 

Required Skills and Competencies: 

• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage efficiently multiple priorities, deadlines and tasks  
• Diplomatic skills  
• Ability to represent PIN in the relevant forums.
• Excellent analytical skills  
• Ability to work under pressure, flexibility  
• Good interpersonal skills and experience working with people from different backgrounds 

PIN OFFERS:

• A competitive salary according to the People in Need salary scale in amount of 3120 EUR Gross  + 3% after probation period.

• Opportunities for professional development through various capacity-building activities, including trainings, workshops, and seminars.

• 28 calendar days of annual leave, plus 3 additional New Year bonus leave days.

• Possibility to work one day per week remotely for office-based staff.

• Coverage of accommodation and per diem costs for work-related travel outside the assigned office region and/or in cases of excessive travel distance or time, in accordance with People in Need travel policy.

• Provision of a laptop, mobile phone (including prepaid SIM cards), and People in Need branded items (backpack, thermal mug, notebook, portable power bank).

• People in Need offices are equipped with all necessary security and energy-resilience measures, ensuring uninterrupted internet access.

• Free coffee, tea, milk, and water available in all offices.

• A multicultural and friendly working environment, with approximately 300 staff members in the Ukraine programme.

Application procedure:

Please send clearly marked CV and Motivation letter in English. Please note, only the shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Written test and interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis and the vacancy will be closed when filled.

Please note that PIN does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process.

We support the principles of inclusiveness and non-discrimination in the selection process. You can submit an anonymized resume - without specifying your name, age, gender, photo or other personal data. Such resumes will be reviewed on a general basis in accordance with professional experience and qualifications.