Program Officer, Damascus

Position description

The Near East Foundation (NEF) is seeking candidates for a Program Officer position to be based in Damascus, Syria. NEF is a non-profit international development organization that has supported livelihoods recovery and community-based economic development in the Middle East, Africa, and Caucasus since 1915. NEF draws on local teams, experience, and partnerships in these regions to create community-led solutions to improve livelihoods and local governance among conflict and crisis-affected groups, while maintaining neutrality and ensuring inclusiveness in our approach. Working through a network of country offices and local partners, NEF has operations in ten countries: Armenia, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Mali, Morocco, Palestine, Sudan, South Sudan, and Syria. Our programs are organized around three pillars: Inclusive Economic Development, Climate-resilient Development, and Stabilization and Peacebuilding.

Position Description

The Program Officer is a member of the Near East Foundation team in Syria, reporting to the Program Manager. The purpose of the Program Officer is to ensure all program responsibilities are performed to the highest standards and according to donor and NEF guidelines. The post-holder also assumes communication and visibility responsibilities for the program operation.

Duties & Responsibilities:

Program Management

• Support the planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of programs to achieve desired outcomes.
• Develop work plans, budgets, and performance monitoring frameworks.
• Ensure timely delivery of program activities in line with NEF’s and donor requirements.

Grant and Donor Management

• Contribute to the drafting of project proposals, concept notes, and reports for donors.
• Track program activity, budgets, expenditures, and financial reporting.

Partnership Building and Coordination

• Establish and maintain relationships with government agencies, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders.
• Represent the organization in meetings, conferences, and networks.
• Coordinate with all relevant stakeholders to facilitate program implementation.

Compliance and Risk Management

• Ensure programs comply with organizational policies, donor guidelines, and local regulations.
• Identify, communicate and mitigate potential risks associated with program implementation.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in relevant field, e.g., International Development, Social Sciences, Public Health. Master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum 4 of relevant work experience in program management, with an INGO.
• Proven experience in project design, proposal writing, and donor reporting.
• Understanding of monitoring and evaluation methodologies.
• Experience in managing budgets.
• Fluency in Arabic and English, written and spoken is required.

Skills and Competencies:

• Excellent project management and organizational skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Effective communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work independently and in a multicultural team environment.

Position Success Criteria:

• Effective team player, able to develop and maintain effective working relationships within a distributed and dynamic team.
• Able to read and analyze documents and communicate with others as necessary to perform job duties effectively.
• Ability to communicate with colleagues remotely.
• Requires solid written and verbal communication skills.
• Good interpersonal and cultural sensitivity skills.

Application instructions

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