Assignment period: 01.07.2026 - 30.06.2027
Location: Damascus
Type of contract: National contract based on Syrian labour law
Type of employment: Fulltime

**Job description**

GIZ has been operating in Syria since 1976. It has thus established valuable contacts in civil society and garnered experience that is now crucial for supporting the country. From 2013 onwards, it worked without government involvement with the assistance of local non-governmental organisations. Despite the difficult conditions, GIZ has consistently contributed to improving people’s living conditions.

In view of the developments since December 2024, which have led Syria into a decisive phase of transformation, GIZ plans to reopen its Country Office in Damascus in 2026. It is currently implementing projects on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Federal Foreign Office (FFO), with co-financing from the European Union and other donors. From 2026, the portfolio is planned to be expanded by several new projects.

The BMZ-funded project “Supporting Good Governance in Syria” aims to improve the performance of selected national and subnational state institutions in delivering citizen-centred, transparent and efficient public services. The project supports institutional and individual capacity development, strengthens multi-level coordination and promotes inclusive and transparent communication between public institutions and the population. In parallel, it enhances the technical and organisational capacities of regional and local actors to plan, implement and steer measures for local economic development, thereby contributing to institutional integrity, social cohesion and sustainable stabilisation.

**Your tasks**

- Providing hands-on technical and process-oriented advice to local and regional administrations on improving citizen-oriented, transparent, and efficient service delivery, in line with the project’s good governance objectives
- Designing, advising and overlooking inclusive social or political participation initiatives run by selected government institutions on local governance or sustainable reconstruction
- Delivering capacity building for conflict-sensitive design and piloting of context-sensitive participatory formats, e.g. facilitated public dialogues or focus group discussions
- Providing policy advice on technical matters and processes for local authorities on transparent communication mechanisms, such as the publication of decisions, including the use of digital communication channels
- Supporting the certification of selected local specialists and managers in mediation and/or do-no-harm with a focus on gender equality
- Where appropriate and reasonable, performing additional tasks upon request of the management

**Your profile (required qualifications, competencies and experience)**

- University degree (Master’s level) in public administration, political science, peace and conflict research, law, development studies, or a related field
- At least 5 years of professional experience in local governance, political and social participation, needs-based service delivery in Syria
- Proven experience working with local or subnational public institutions (e.g. municipalities, governorate administrations, service directorates) and civil society organisations
- At least 3 years of experience working with international organisations, development cooperation projects, or donor-funded programmes
- Strong context and conflict sensitivity, political awareness and analytical thinking, consulting, communication and cooperation skills as well as intercultural competence
- Strong organisational and coordination skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks effectively in a complex working environment
- High motivation, reliability, and the ability to work in politically sensitive and rapidly changing contexts while maintaining professionalism, discretion, and adherence to communication standards
- Professional fluency in written and spoken English and Arabic, knowledge of German is an asset