Place: Damascus, Syria
Starting date: 1st September 2026
Duration of contract: 18 months
Closing date for applications: 6th August 2026

Humanity & Inclusion is an independent and impartial aid organisation working in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict and disaster. The organisation works alongside people with disabilities and vulnerable populations, taking action and bearing witness in order to respond to their essential needs, improve their living conditions and promote respect for their dignity and fundamental rights.

Since its creation in 1982, HI has run development & humanitarian projects in more than 55 countries and responded to numerous emergencies. Today, we have a budget of approximately 200 million euros, with 4,000 employees worldwide

At Handicap International-Humanity & Inclusion, we truly believe in the importance of inclusion and diversity within our organisation. This is why we are engaged to a disability policy to encourage the inclusion and integration of people with disabilities.

Please indicate if you require any special accommodation, even at the first interview. For more information about the organisation.

JOB CONTEXT:

After the fall of the previous regime, while remaining a protracted crisis, Syria is entering a new phase where pure humanitarian operations will side with early recovery and recovery interventions.  According to the latest UN figures, about 15 million people remains still in need of humanitarian response, including about 6.5 million IDPs, while over 5 million Syrians refugees in neighboring countries or in Europe. Threats from explosive remnants of war, lack of recovery in both the health and education sectors make Syria still a fragile context.

HI is managing a humanitarian program covering most of Syria’s governorates focusing on:

1. Support to health partners (mainly hospitals) for the provision of multi-disciplinary rehabilitation services (physiotherapy, assistive devices, prosthetics and orthotics and PSS).
2. Provision of P&O (prosthetic & orthotics)
3. Provision of early rehabilitation for malnourished children
4. Humanitarian Mine Action, including clearance, advocacy, NTS (non-technical survey) and TS (technical survey), and Education to the risks and effects caused by conventional weapons (including mines, explosive remnants of war and small arms light weapons).
5. Community based protection for safe returns and support for the inclusion of persons with disabilities and other vulnerable people in the humanitarian assistance.
6. Preparedness activities against manmade and non-manmade related disasters.

The actual intervention was so far managed based on a mix partnership with local structures and organizations, and direct implementation projects.

YOUR MISSION:

Reporting to the Regional Director, the Country Director contributes to the implementation of Humanity & Inclusion's mandate and strategy within his/her program. He/she ensures that the quality and impact of the program's activities are optimized through a system of delegation with appropriate control mechanisms. He/she shares responsibility with all other HI managers for the sound management and smooth running of the overall organization, through paradigm shifts.

Responsibility 1: In the country where he/she is based, the Country Director is the legal representative of the entire HI organization internally and externally and promotes a high-level reputation and a positive image of HI.

Responsibility 2: The Country Director deploys the whole of HI's mandate and strategy in his/her country, alongside the operational partners, institutions and/or donors, and contributes to steering the organizational transformation in line with the "Simplification", "Shared Services" and "ROOTS" projects. This involves implementing the program's operational strategy. In the event of an emergency, he/she will assume responsibilities in line with the defined intervention framework.

Responsibility 3: He/she ensures compliance with its budgetary framework (including pooled funds) and the application of HI's policies and frameworks (safeguarding, commitment thresholds, security, human resources, risk management, etc.).

Responsibility 4: He/she represents the organization and communicates on its behalf according to a plan defined with the Regional Director.

Responsibility 5: In crisis situations, he/she assumes the responsibilities assigned to him/her by the specific response frameworks.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE POSITION:

The country director position is based in Damascus, the capital, but is expected to travel across the country where HI has several bases and sub-bases (notably, Aleppo, Raqqa, Deir Ezzor, Hama for instance). The security context, while improved, is still volatile, the country still prone to terrorist attacks or various armed groups movements. A comprehensive security system is in place, under the direct management of the country director to ensure the safety of the team.

The life is Damascus is improving day by day but electricity remains scarce and public services such as health facilities few; the HI offices and bases are equipped with generators; when in-country, medical support might be limited.

Requirements

• You have experience as Country Director and experience in complicated contexts
• You are autonomous
• You are able to adapt and shift activities
• You are responsive to sudden emergencies onset
• You have knowledge on mine action and you are able to manage former military team members
• You are able to navigate complex national government authorities
• You can lead a team under a considerable stress (multiple internal displacement among our team members) while remaining calm
• You are able to live in an unsecured environment (Damascus) ad travel across the country in unsafe location
• You are able to do some aggressive fundraising, donor regular contacts in country and region
• You can represent actively HI into the humanitarian coordination Foras (NGO and UN)

Benefits

At HI, the conditions offered are up to your commitment and adapted to the context of your mission: Join the team

18 months International contract starting from1st, september 2026;

The international contract provides social cover adapted to your situation:

• Unemployment insurance benefits for EU nationals;
• Pension scheme;
• Medical coverage with 50% of employee contribution;
• Repatriation insurance paid by HI;

Salary from 3100€ gross/month upon experience;

Perdiem: 533€ net/month - paid in the field

Hardship: 250€ net/month paid with your salary;

Paid leaves: 25 days per year;

R&R: according to the level of the mission 5 days every 3 months

Position:

• Unaccompanied:
• Payment for travel costs (air ticket & visa) and transport of your personal effects;
• A child allowance of 100€ per month, per child

Housing: Individual taken in charge by HI;