Support Services Coordinator – Damascus, Syria

Starting Date:15.03.2023

Duration: 12 months

Location: Damascus, Syria

Status: Unaccompanied

Terre des hommes does not set closing dates for this position; recruitment is on-going until the position is filled

Tdh:

Terre des hommes (Tdh) is the leading Swiss organisation for children’s aid. Since 1960, Tdh has helped build a better future for deprived children and their communities, making an impact with innovative and sustainable solutions. Active in around 40 countries, Tdh works with local and international partners to develop and implement field projects which improve the daily lives of over 4 million children and members of their communities, in the domains of health, protection and emergency relief. This engagement is financed by individual and institutional support, with administrative costs kept to a minimum.

Context:

Terre des hommes foundation is based in Damascus, Syria since 2021. Our activities focus on WaSH and Child Protection interventions, notably in areas with high needs but low response, like Damascus and Rural Damascus. Tdh will deliver lifesaving and resilience-building interventions targeting children in the sectors of WASH, health, nutrition, and protection, strengthening the capacities of local partners to achieve long-lasting change and following an area-based approach. Following the earthquake that struck Northern and Coastal governorates of Syria on February 6, 2023, Tdh will also provide immediate and long-term assistance to those who sought refuge in emergency shelters and/or are at risks or face protection risks in the aftermath of the earthquake.

Responsibilities:

The Support Services Coordinator (SSC) will be member of the Coordination management team (CMT) reporting directly to the Country Representative (CR). The SSC is in charge to ensure effective, high quality and compliant support services delivery within Tdh delegation in Syria, through supervision, guidance and strengthening of support services departments, namely HR Department; Finance Department and Logistic Department.

Specific Responsibilities:

• Management: Provide direct daily supervision, guidance, and support to the support services team (HR, finance, and logistics)
• Internal Coordination: Ensure a close, regular, and effective collaboration between the support services departments, aiming to develop and strengthening a common, coherent, and exhaustive approach to support services within the delegation
• External Coordination: In agreement with the Country Representative, ensure a regular attendance of Tdh in relevant Coordination meetings at National and Local level following by a proper dataflow/information restitution within the support services departments, and with other departments where appropriate, is done
• Quality: Ensure follow-up of a proper implementation of the action plans – which set the key objectives and their prioritization – of each support services departments, as well as conduct a quarterly review of each action plan with the staff concerned
• Compliance: Ensure that Syria delegation’s logistics, administrative, financial and HR practices and tools follow 1. national laws, 2. donor regulations and 3. Tdh institutional policies and manuals

The detailed job description will be shared with the selected candidates.

Profile

Education: Master’s University Degree in relevant field

Experience:

• Previous experience with an INGO is mandatory
• 15 years’ experience in support functions, including at least 5 years in senior management positions covering 2 fields of expertise among the 3 support functions: Finance, HR, logistics and compliance

Knowledge and skills:

• Budget management: preparation with team, capacity to support but also to challenge, budget and financial risks analysis, budget follow up and analysis, able to propose corrective measures, etc.
• Procurement, Asset/stock management, fleet, and premises management.
• Human resources management (recruitment, L&D, personnel management, payroll, country legal framework, taxes and legal deductions, staff professional development)
• Experience in dealing with a diversity of institutional donors (budget designing, financial reporting, audit), knowledge of the main donors ‘rules
• Good knowledge of accounting principles
• Very good command of Excel
• Good command of HOMER and SAGA is an asset

Languages: Excellent oral and writing skills in English, knowledge of Arabic is an asset

Conditions

• Salary: Expatriate contract under Swiss regulations CHF5000 to CHF 5600 gross /month -according to experience – x13
• Annual Leaves: 25 days/year
• Living conditions: local accommodation and transportation
• Other: Health insurance, accident and medical repatriation insurance, flights from/to duty station

Position subject to finding

Tdh Global Code of Conduct and Risk Management Policies:

• Fully complies with Tdh’s Global Code of Conduct and systematically reports any breach to the Code through the whistleblowing procedure, raises awareness within the Foundation on abuse and violence and the rights deriving therefrom, respecting the rights and dignity of children, members of the communities and our own Staff
• Commits to respecting Risk Management Policies including Safeguarding Policies (Child Safeguarding Policy, Policy on the Protection against Sexual Exploitation, and the Directive on Staff Misconduct at the Workplace), Safety and Security Policy and Anti-Fraud/Corruption and Prevention of the Financing of Criminal Activities Policies
• Commits to reducing the risk of abuse and harm by developing a culture of open and informed leadership within the organization and in our work with children and the communities in which we intervene in.

We offer an exciting and varied work, useful and meaningful, in a team that wants to make a difference for vulnerable children.

Are you interested? Do you want to face this challenge?