Programme Manager Mine Action and Disarmament Ukraine

Norwegian People's Aid (NPA) works in more than 30 countries worldwide to promote democracy, protect civilians, and contribute to peacebuilding and humanitarian disarmament. Through our Mine Action and Disarmament programmes, NPA reduces the impact of explosive weapons and enables safe access to land, livelihoods, and essential services.

Ukraine is a strategic priority country for NPA. Our Mine Action programme is rapidly expanding and currently employs more than 400 staff across several regions, implementing a full range of activities including non-technical and technical survey, clearance, EORE, WAM, and protection-related interventions.

Do you want to join our professional and committed global team in our mission to protect civilians from explosive weapons?  

NPA is seeking an experienced Programme Manager (PM) to lead its Mine Action and Disarmament programme in Ukraine. The PM has overall responsibility for strategic direction, operational performance, quality, compliance, and growth of the programme. The PM will provide senior leadership to a large multidisciplinary team, ensure effective coordination with national authorities and donors, and represent NPA at high-level national and international fora. The role is a member of the Senior Management Team (SMT) and will stand in for the Country Director when required.

Duty Station: Kyiv, with extensive travels to NPA's areas of operations across the country

What we offer:

• A senior leadership role in one of NPA's most significant mine action programmes.
• Opportunity to make a direct contribution to civilian protection and recovery in Ukraine, enabling the safety and livelihoods of affected communities.
• Comprehensive salary package including country-specific allowances and insurance schemes.  
• Five weeks' annual holiday plus one additional week off for expats and R&R scheme.
• Three international flights home per contract year.   
• A two-year expatriate contract* with potential for renewal, under the Norwegian Working Environment Act's and the Special Agreement's favourable conditions. 

Requirements:

Must have:

• Minimum 5 years' experience at a senior management level in a humanitarian mine action programme.
• Demonstrated operational mine action expertise, with the ability to plan, oversee, and ensure IMAS-compliant implementation of land release within complex humanitarian programme environments
• Experience in strategically managing and directing large-scale projects, including implementation, management, monitoring and evaluation, risk assessment and mitigation and contract compliance;
• Demonstrated experience in donor relations, fundraising, proposal development, and reporting, including knowledge of institutional donors such as NMFA, USDoS, GFFO, EU, FCDO, or similar.
• Experience in establishing and maintaining sound diplomatic and professional relationships at a high level with international stakeholders, Governmental agencies, ministries and national stakeholders;
• Understanding of, and commitment to, humanitarian and capacity development principles;
• Relevant higher education

Desirable:

• Experience and knowledge from work in high-risk or post-conflict contexts
• Experience with integrated nexus programming.

We are looking for a value-based PM guided by NPA's core managerial competencies: integrity, trust, openness, and accountability. You are highly resilient and flexible, able to cope under constant pressure, and adaptable to changing contexts and corresponding responsibilities. You are culturally sensitive, with good communication and interpersonal skills. And have strong people management experience with a proven ability to lead and manage a multidisciplinary and multicultural team, also remotely and in the spirit of collaboration across diverse stakeholders and colleagues. Additionally, you manage to work independently and proactively with minimum supervision and can assess, plan, structure, and manage multiple activities.

Key responsibilities:

• Provide strategic, operational, and financial leadership for NPA's MAD programme in Ukraine.
• Ensure safe, effective, and compliant implementation of Mine Action activities in line with IMAS, NMAS, SOPs, donor requirements, and humanitarian principles.
• Lead programme planning, monitoring, reporting, and risk management.
• Manage and support international and national staff and promote a strong leadership and accountability culture.
• Lead donor engagement, resource mobilisation, proposal development, and reporting in coordination with Country Director and Head Office.
• Represent NPA with government authorities, donors, UN agencies, and other stakeholders.
• Ensure integration of gender, diversity, environmental, and safeguarding considerations across the programme.

The application deadline for our internal applicants is 04th January 2026

This is an internal announcement. Only applications from internal candidates will be considered. In NPA, we define Internal candidates as current employees and former expat employees who have resigned within the past 12 months. If no qualified internal candidates apply for the position within the deadline, we will advertise the position externally after internal applicants have been given feedback.   

*Validity of the offer and contract depends on a satisfactory medical certificate, full vaccination, a valid travel visa and necessary permits for service and residency in the country of service. The offer and contract also depend on continued donor funding and might be subject to donor approval.  

Please be aware that working in Ukraine involves various restrictions depending on your citizenship. 

Our standard recruitment process consists of a screening phase, first interview, final interview (case task and Alva Labs personality assessment), and reference checks.  

Do you have any questions about the position? Are you motivated for the role but unsure if you meet all the requirements? Please contact: Country Director Vanja Sikirica, email:

About the Recruitment Process

We work continuously for more diversity and inclusion throughout Norwegian People's Aid. We encourage all qualified candidates to apply.  

Please note, that only applications submitted through our career site will be considered. Applications and resumes sent via e-mail will not be reviewed.

We kindly ask you to carefully read NPA's Code of Conduct, Safeguarding Policy and Anti-Corruption Policy, before you submit your application. If you are the selected candidate for this position, you will be asked to complete and sign a Safeguarding self-declaration as well as our Code of Conduct. All policies related to ethics can be found on our website.

We look forward to hearing from you