NRC is looking for a Capacity Building Programme Specialist to join the Syria mission. The Capacity Building Programme aims to support the capacity of humanitarian actors including national responders that are authorised to provide information, counselling, and legal assistance services. The Capacity Building Programme engages in knowledge creation through legal analysis and the development of guidance for humanitarian activities, working closely with NRCs other core competencies. Through co-leadership of technical working groups, and through integrated programming with other core competencies, the Capacity Building Programme also provides information on issues including housing, land, and property (HLP) rights, support on civil documentation, and access to livelihoods and essential services.

Please note: This is not a Human Resources Department role.

What You Will Do

• Lead on development of the Capacity Building (CB) strategy, MLFA development and revisions, proposals, and plans for NRC Syria Country Office (SCO)
• Management of the CB Programme team in the Syria Country Office, ensuring implementation of project deliverables and provision of technical support to Area Offices.
• Matrix management of CB Programme Coordinators/Team Leaders in both North and South Area Offices, and in new Area Offices as they develop.
• Guide the teams in developing systematic tools for day-to-day implementation, ensuring compliance with established guidelines and standards. This means developing/sharing and harmonising guidelines, process related documents, clarifying minimum standards and modalities and providing technical support and advice,
• Design and develop programme approaches and activities that can be piloted and expanded across Area Offices.
• Undertake regular field visits to monitor the quality of activity implementation across CB activities
• Participate in relevant project start-up, progress review, and closing meetings.
• In collaboration with M&E and CB Programme staff in the Area Offices, ensure overall quality of the programme.
• Produce regular policy briefing papers and analysis on HLP, Civil Documentation and other relevant issues.
• Supervise consultancies using technical experts to develop substantial thematic papers, and ensure the high quality of legal analysis, studies, guidance notes and other products.
• Ensure NRC participation in Protection and Shelter Sector meetings and continue NRC’s co-leadership of the HLP Technical Working Group and Civil Documentation Support Working Group, in consultation with the co-leads and membership of the groups.
• In consultation with NRC staff in the Middle East region, represent NRC in national forums inside and, at times, outside Syria addressing issues relating to Durable Solutions, and to other relevant technical issues.
• As part of the Programme Unit, coordinate with other Core Competencies for synergies and integrated programming.
• Liaise with the Advocacy Advisor, to ensure coherence and impact of advocacy related to Capacity Building Programme analysis, products, and activities.
• Follow up on compliance with contractual commitments within CB, ensure high technical quality and synergies in project implementation.
• Identify trends, technical standards, and donor priorities.
• Ensure that key learnings are extracted from CB implementation and incorporate them in CB programme and staff development processes.
• Ensure that NRC’s related activities are implemented within NRC’s Safe and Inclusive Programming (SIP) guidelines and action plans.

What You Will Bring

• Relevant university degree, preferably law.
• Minimum 4 years of experience in senior capacity within Legal Assistance in a humanitarian/ recovery context.
•  Previous experience from working in stressful, politicized and restrictive environments. 
• Conversant with program issues in humanitarian settings (especially education, shelter, WASH, food security and livelihoods)
• Proven experience in representing organizations vis-à-vis local authorities, UN agencies, other NGOs etc. in coordination settings (clusters, working groups, sectors etc.) preferably with background and/or participation in protection sector/cluster mechanisms
• Fluency in English, both written and verbal, with ability to produce final drafts of substantial analysis and briefing papers.
• Legal technical expertise, including knowledge of Housing, Land & Property and/or civil documentation issues in emergency and return contexts.
• Knowledge of the displacement context in Syria and the Middle East.
• Ability to work with diplomacy, tact and sensitivity and experience in working within different cultural contexts requiring cultural sensitivity
• Arabic knowledge is desirable

What Makes This Position Attractive?

• Entering the twelfth year of the conflict in 2022, more than half of the Syrian population remains displaced from their homes with 5.7 million refugees living abroad and another 6.9 million internally displaced persons inside Syria.
• Conflict and protracted mass population displacement, combined with severe economic downturn (fuelled by the impact of the Covid-19 crisis as well as the start of the Ukraine war in February 2022), depreciation of the Syrian pound, inflation with soaring food and fuel prices, loss of livelihoods, water crisis and drought and reduced food production have led to widespread poverty, food insecurity and increased deterioration of the humanitarian situation across Syria.
• Millions of children are still out of school and access to civil documentation has been severely curtailed, leaving an entire generation undocumented or under-documented and unable to effectively enjoy their right to legal identity and other basic rights. In 2022, 14.6 million people need humanitarian assistance inside the country, representing an increase of 1.2 million from 2021.
• Female candidates are strongly encouraged to join our work culture that empowers every employee to share ideas and take responsibility.

What We Offer

• Damascus, Syria duty station.
• 24-months contract duration (with possibility of extension based on funding and performance)
• 40% travel, approximatelyto areas of Operation
• Senior Grade 9 in NRC’s Salary Scale. NRC offers a competitive compensation and benefits package.
• NRC is an equal opportunities employer and aims to have staffing diversity in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, nationality, and physical ability.
• We think outside the box, encourage ideas, and give responsibility to all employees at all levels. You will have many opportunities to be heard and take the initiative.

Key Information – Please Take Note When Applying

• We highly encourage you to learn more about the role: please review the full Job Description here.
• Learn more about NRC’s operation in Syria here.
• To apply as an internal candidate, click on the suitcase icon “I am an employee” on the top right of the page to be redirected to NRC’s internal career site.
• Apply by completing all the system-required fields of your employment history, experience, responsibilities, and education in your application.
• Ensure to attach your latest CV.
• Submit your application and CV in English.
• When creating your profile, include your full name as per your passport.
• Unsolicited applications not related to this specific job advertisement will not be considered.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. We receive many applicants for each vacant position. Unfortunately, we do not have the resources to give detailed feedback to applicants who have not been shortlisted.
• For any queries, please email us at [email protected] with “Capacity Building Programme Specialist” as the subject line.