Programme Manager Syria

Are you the Swedish Red Cross`s new Programme Manager in Syria?

Title: Programme Manager
Place of assignment: Damascus, Syria
Type of posting: International Delegate, non-family posting
Desired starting date:  July 2025
Contract period: 12 months, with the possibility of extension

Background

Swedish Red Cross (SRC) works in partnership with the Syria Arab Red Crescent (SARC) and the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) Syria branch. SRC has been physically present in Syria since 2019. The programme portfolio currently focuses on SARC’s health programming, specifically, primary health care clinics, nutrition clinics and mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) services, as well as contributing to relief operations and WaSH. SRC aims at systematically mainstreaming the cross-cutting issues of Community Engagement and Accountability (CEA) and Protection, Gender and Inclusion (PGI) into the programme. SRC works in collaboration with various Red Cross and Red Crescent movement partners present in Syria.

Your role in the organisation

As the Programme Manager you are part of the MENA, Asia and Americas unit reporting to the Regional Head of Unit, who is based in Stockholm. The Programme Manager will be based in Damascus, Syria, and be part of the SRC in-country team led by the SRC Country representative who is responsible for the SRC portfolio in Syria.

Key duties and responsibilities

• Support the National Society in planning, managing, and coordinating programme implementation while guiding and training staff to ensure sustainability and ownership.
• Oversee monitoring, evaluation, reporting, and financial tracking to ensure compliance with plans, regulations, and donor requirements.
• Conduct regular field visits to operational sites together with the National Society to identify and solve any critical challenges/issues faced.
• Coordinate requested technical support from SRC.

Your profile

As a successful candidate you have solid interpersonal and communication skills, are team oriented and able to positively interact with all levels of society and in culturally diverse environments.  

We also think that you are

• Constructive and solution oriented
• Analytic, systematic and structured
• Able to handle high workloads, meet deadlines and work with an elevated level of independence.

As an SRC employee, you share the Red Cross Red Crescent humanitarian values including diversity and actively work against all forms of discrimination. You understand, respect and comply with the SRC Code of Conduct and security rules and regulations.

Required qualifications and experience

• Relevant academic degree (3-5 years of full-time study) in a relevant field  
• Minimum 5 years of relevant professional experience in the humanitarian and/or development cooperation sector, including field experience
• Documented experience of project/programme cycle management (PMER, budget and financial management, proposal writing, training and coaching staff and volunteers) 
• Proficient knowledge of written and spoken English 

Desired qualifications

• Experience of working or volunteering within the Red Cross and the Red Crescent Movement
• Experience working with Sida and EU/ECHO funded projects
• Experience from one or several of the following fields; protection, gender and inclusion, community engagement and accountability, disaster risk reduction, volunteer management, resource mobilization, financial sustainability
• Experience from the MENA region
• Additional languages (Arabic and Swedish).

Other Requirements

• In line with the principle of neutrality, SRC does not assign personnel to a country of which they are nationals
• Relevant security training for work in a high-risk environment (HEAT or equivalent)
• Candidates must be in good health and are required to pass a medical check-up prior to departure to the duty station
• Candidates must hold a manual driving license and have experience in driving manual transmission vehicles

The recruitment process

Please note that only applications made through our website will be considered. For more information about the position, please contact Henna Korte, Country Representative Syria: [email protected]  

The closing date is the 6th of April 2025. Our process includes cognitive and administrative tests, interviews, background checks and references. Please note that the recruitment process will only commence once the deadline for application has passed.

Candidates who are selected for roles with the Swedish Red Cross undergo a background check before an offer of employment is given. As the Swedish Red Cross is part of the Inter-Agency Scheme for the Disclosure of Safeguarding-related Misconduct, one of the three references given must be from the candidate`s current or most recent employer. Final candidates will also be screened against EU and UN sanction lists.

We kindly decline any offer of services from recruitment agencies or consultants.