Starting Date / Initial Contract Details

January 2027. Full-time, 24 months (subject to funding)

Role Summary

As the the leader of Medair's country programme, the Country Director provides overall leadership and strategic direction for Medair’s programme and support functions in-country. The role represents Medair externally, manages donor relationships, ensures programme quality and compliance, and oversees staff wellbeing, safety, and performance. The CD leads country strategy development and guides implementation in collaboration with senior managers.

Project Overview 

Medair Syria implements humanitarian assistance across multiple sectors, including Health, Nutrition, MPCA, and WASH. The programme supports crisis‑affected populations with life‑saving and early recovery assistance in a complex and evolving humanitarian environment.

Workplace & Conditions

Position based in Damascus, Syria.

Responsibilities:

  • Portfolio Management: Oversee delivery of Medair’s country programme, ensuring effective and principled delivery of quality services for affected populations. Lead the design, implementation and review of the country strategy and oversee drafting of new funding proposals. Analyse trends, political developments and humanitarian needs.  
  • External Representation: Represent Medair to the humanitarian, community, authorities & donors. Actively participate in coordination fora. Develop and maintain relationships with donors. Develop and strengthen strategic partnerships.
  • Financial Management: Support budgeting, maintain oversight of spending and grant management. Ensure appropriate compliance and controls are in place to mitigate risks of fraud or disallowances.
  • Team Leadership & Culture: Line-manage senior staff; promote a supportive, accountable, and inclusive work environment; ensure effective communication, performance management, capacity building and support the team to work together effectively, modelling Medair’s values.  
  • Security and Risk Management: Responsible for security and risk management within the country programme. Ensure timely updating of security plans and guidelines. Manage incidents and lead on contingency planning. Lead the in-country Crisis Management Team when required.

Qualifications, Experience & Technical Competencies:  

  • University degree in Management, Development Studies, Business Administration, Public Health or a relevant technical field.
  • At least 5 years of post-qualification experience in senior management within humanitarian or development settings.
  • Minimum 3 years of experience working overseas in complex emergencies, including donor and government liaison.
  • Experience of team leadership and security management in complex environments
  • Demonstrated competencies in financial oversight, risk management, and cross-cultural team leadership.
  • Security management
  • Understanding of humanitarian principles
  • Proposal writing, donor reporting, budgeting, and compliance

Behavioural Skills

  • Servant-hearted leader with strong integrity, humility, and the ability to inspire trust across diverse teams.
  • Strategic and analytical thinker who adapts to changing contexts and leads through uncertainty.
  • Skilled in team-building, capable of developing others, delegating effectively, and fostering collaboration.
  • Able to manage high workloads, remain composed under pressure, and model healthy stress-management.
  • Demonstrates spiritual team leadership by actively nurturing a faith-based, supportive team culture grounded in Medair’s Christian identity.

‍

Team Spiritual Life

Reflect the values of Medair with team members, local staff, people we serve, and external contacts. Work, live, and pray together in our Christian faith-based teams. Fully contribute to a rich spiritual team life, including team devotion, prayer, and words of encouragement.

Before you apply

Please ensure you are fully aware of the:

  1. Medair organisational values.
  1. Medair is committed to safeguarding the protection of beneficiaries, volunteers, staff and partners, and particularly children. Therefore, we do not employ staff whose background we understand to be unsuitable for working with children. Medair staff are required to give the utmost respect to, and comply with, Medair’s accountability policies and best practices.
  1. Medair Relief & Recovery Orientation Course (ROC) (which forms part of the recruitment selection process for field positions).

Application Process

To apply, go to this vacancy on our Medair page. Please do not make multiple applications. We will not review email applications. Only English-language applications / CVs will be reviewed. Advertised on JobUpfree.

‍

‍

At Impactpool we do our best to provide you the most accurate info, but closing dates may be wrong on our site. Please check on the recruiting organization's page for the exact info. Candidates are responsible for complying with deadlines and are encouraged to submit applications well ahead.
Before applying, please make sure that you have read the requirements for the position and that you qualify. Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.