Program Coordinator in Syria for Swedish Red Cross

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

Background

Swedish Red Cross (SRC) works in partnership with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) and the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) Syria branch. Since September 2019, a Country Representative is posted in the country. The programme portfolio currently focuses on sustained access to primary health care, mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) services and livelihoods support to vulnerable communities across Syria, including internally displaced people, host communities and Palestinian refugees. SRC aims at systematically mainstreaming the cross-cutting issues of Community Engagement and Accountability (CEA) and Protection, Gender and Inclusion (PGI) into the programme. The SRC supports its partners in several processes and working groups and collaborates with various Red Cross and Red Crescent movement partners present in Syria.

Your role in the organisation

As the Programme Manager in Syria for the Swedish Red Cross, you are part of the MENA Europe 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 which is led by the SRC Country representative who is responsible for the SRC portfolio in Syria. You will guide, coach and train staff in the host national society to ensure sustainability and ownership of the programming, while conducting proper monitoring, evaluation and reporting on the programme to ensure compliance to plans and regulations.

Key duties and responsibilities

• Responsible for supporting the host National Society in managing and coordinating activities of program implementation, including planning, monitoring, reporting and evaluation as well as financial monitoring to ensure that donor requirements are met during program implementation
• With the host National Society counterparts, jointly conduct regular field visits to operational sites, identifying and helping to solve any critical challenges/issues faced in the programme
• Responsible for coordinating requested technical support from SRC to the Host National Society within the programme

Project management, incl. financial management

• Be responsible for project reporting (narrative and financial), including donor reporting and any other reports that may be required.
• Monitor the project to ensure quality and timely implementation.
• Lead procurement of project evaluations.
• Ensure adequate financial management of the project, including financial monitoring, budgeting, etc.

Technical support and capacity building

• Support the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, together with the SRC Health Delegate, in planning, assessments, implementation, monitoring, evaluations and reporting of the SRC supported projects, including financial and narrative reporting.
• Work closely together with SRC Health Delegate, who is also based in Syria, to build SARC capacity and successfully deliver the project.

Compliance and risk management

• Conduct spot checks together with SRC controllers to ensure project compliance with procedures, processes and regulations.
• Monitor risk log to ensure adequate measures are in place to reduce risks related to corruption, compliance, etc.

Representation, relationship and communication

• Represent the SRC with donors (SIDA, Swedish Embassy, etc.) as agreed with the SRC Country Representative;
• Represent the SRC with the SARC and with the RCRC Movement partners as well as externally as requested & agreed with the SRC Country Representative;
• Organise and participate to field visits as requested;
• Liaise with the SRC HQ as needed and required;
  Your profile

The position demands that you are constructive, flexible and solution oriented. You need to be analytical and able to develop project proposals and reports. You need to be systematic and structured, with the ability to handle high workloads. You meet deadlines and can work with an elevated level of independence in culturally diverse environments. You are also able to travel to remote locations.

As a successful candidate you have solid interpersonal and communication skills, are team oriented and able to positively interact with all levels of society. You have demonstrated experiences of holding similar responsibilities as outlined above.

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 working experience from positions in the humanitarian and/or development cooperation sector holding similar responsibilities
• Documented experience of project/programme cycle management (PMER, budget and financial Management, proposal writing, training and coaching staff and volunteers)
• International humanitarian field experience, preferably in the MENA region
• 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 Sida and EU/ECHO funded projects;
• Experience from one or several of the following fields is an asset, protection, gender and inclusion, community engagement and accountability, health disaster risk reduction, volunteer management, resource mobilization, financial sustainability
• Understanding of the current political, social and humanitarian situation of the region
• Additional languages are a strong asset (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