Shelter Associate

Join the UNHCR team in Kharkiv, overseeing emergency shelter projects.

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UNHCR - UN High Commissioner for Refugees

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Kharkiv (Ukraine)

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Overview

Join the UNHCR team in Kharkiv, overseeing emergency shelter projects.

You have:

Bachelor’s degree in Civil engineering, Architecture or Construction Engineering (or other related field) is required.
Minimum 2 years of relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher.
Good technical knowledge about construction in Ukraine linked with understanding of Ukrainian Construction legislation.
Excellent communication skills, with a proactive and flexible approach to problem-solving.
Capacity to deal with multi-task environment and efficiently contribute to the multi-national team’s work.
Knowledge of English and Ukrainian languages is required.
Knowledge and previous experience in the humanitarian sector is highly desirable.

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Details

Deadline for Applications

June 2, 2026Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)

E (most hardship)Family Type (not applicable for home-based)

Non Family with Residential LocationStaff Member / Affiliate Type

UNOPS LICA6Target Start Date

2026-07-01Terms of Reference

The position is located within the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Field Office Kharkiv and reports to the Assistant Field Officer.

Nature of Position: The Field Office of Kharkiv covers the Sumska and Kharkivska oblasts and undertakes the full array of UNHCR’s Emergency Shelter and Housing activities including emergency shelter repairs, repair of war damaged houses, IDP house repair and the renovation of social infrastructure. The successful candidate will be joining an established team of engineers and architects who oversee the program activities. UNHCR uses a mix of Direct Implementation and implementation through local Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). Key to the role is the close monitoring of private sector companies (designers and contractors) and of partners who implement construction and housing projects on behalf of UNHCR. Forming a close working relationship with all stakeholders – including the local authorities – both at regional level and municipal / hromada level is of paramount importance. Although a sound technical understanding of the construction process, project management, practices, codes and standards is essential, the role will not require the completion of detailed designs or calculations. Rather the role is that of an oversight; ensuring that the specialists working with and for UNHCR deliver the requited design / construction documentation and these are correctly, safely and accurately implemented. Based in Kharkiv, regular travel within the oblasts of Sumy and Kharkiv is essential including over-night stays in remote locations.

Duties and Responsibilities: • Coordination with the government and local authorities for identification and assessment of construction projects inline with UNHCR’s strategic objectives and its Standard Operation Procedures (SOP); • Estimation of project costs for the repair and rehabilitation of identified objects; • Coordinating with contractors, design service providers and housing teams, implementing partners and stakeholders; • Monitoring and reporting on activities and outputs of contractors, design service providers and housing teams, implementing partners and stakeholders; • Assisting with the procurement of services - providing inputs to the design service providers/engineers and architects for design solutions, coordinating with Supply Unit for elaboration of Terms of Reference (ToR) and Bills of Quantity (BoQ), performing bid analysis and technical evaluation of the bids towards to assure transparent and fair tendering process; • Supervision of construction/renovation works, evaluation/inspection of works stage progress; • Review and approval of technical documentation; • Review of prepared design: structural analysis, drawings, specifications, scope of work, work schedule, bill of quantities, cost estimates and any other required technical documents; • Supervising design service providers to ensure that design and works are executed in effective and efficient manner by complying with all technical requirements of UNHCR and government authorities; • Monitoring contractor’s compliance with the technical requirements of the contract by reviewing deliverables and recommending to the Programme Coordinator appropriate corrective actions, when necessary; • Writing regular reports as required, by collecting, analysing and summarizing information on various aspects of the project including financial, technical and schedule compliance, as well as compiling timely and accurate reports; • Participation as a member of duty travel teams relating to project implementation, as required. • Performing other duties as may be assigned.

Essential Minimum Qualifications and Professional Experience Required: • Bachelor’s degree in Civil engineering, Architecture or Construction Engineering (or other related field) is required. • Minimum 2 years of relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher

Desired Candidate Profile The ideal candidate should demonstrate: • Good technical knowledge about construction in Ukraine linked with understanding of Ukrainian Construction legislation; • Excellent communication skills, with a proactive and flexible approach to problem-solving; • Capable to use MS Office applications (Word, Excel, Power Point, Outlook etc.) with strong confidence in Excel; • Capacity to deal with multi-task environment and efficiently contribute to the multi-national team’s work. • Knowledge of English and Ukrainian languages is required. • Knowledge and previous experience in the humanitarian sector is highly desirable.

Conditions: The appointment is for an initial period of six (6) months and is a full-time position with official working hours from Monday to Friday (40 hours per week).

Application Process:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and may be required to complete a written test. A mandatory competency-based interview for all shortlisted candidates will be conducted as part of the selection process.Standard Job Description

Required Languages

Ukrainian,

English,

Desired Languages

Additional Qualifications

Skills

Education

Certifications

Work Experience

Other information

This position doesn't require a functional clearance Remote

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Potential interview questions

Describe a past project where you coordinated with local authorities; what challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?	This question assesses your ability to engage with stakeholders effectively.	Provide specific examples and emphasize your coordination and problem-solving skills.
How do you ensure compliance with technical requirements during a construction project?	The interviewer wants to understand your oversight approach and technical knowledge.	Pro members can see the explanation.
What strategies do you use for cost estimation in construction?	Pro members can see the explanation.	Pro members can see the explanation.
Can you provide an example of a time you had to write reports for a project? What information did you include?	Pro members can see the explanation.	Pro members can see the explanation.
Describe how you handle multi-tasking in a high-pressure environment; give an example from your past work.	Pro members can see the explanation.	Pro members can see the explanation.
How do you handle conflicts or disagreements with contractors or partners during a project?	Pro members can see the explanation.	Pro members can see the explanation.
What is your experience with using MS Office, particularly Excel, for project management?	Pro members can see the explanation.	Pro members can see the explanation.
Why is understanding Ukrainian construction legislation important for this role?	Pro members can see the explanation.	Pro members can see the explanation.