Assignment period: 01.05.2026 – 30.04.2027
Location: Damascus
Type of contract: National contract based on Syrian labour law
Type of employment: Fulltime
GIZ has been operating in Syria since 1976. It has thus established valuable contacts in civil society and garnered experience that is now crucial for supporting the country. From 2013 onwards, it worked without government involvement with the assistance of local non-governmental organisations. Despite the difficult conditions, GIZ has consistently contributed to improving people’s living conditions.
In view of the developments since December 2024, which have led Syria into a decisive phase of transformation, GIZ plans to reopen its Country Office in Damascus in 2026. It is currently implementing several projects on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Federal Foreign Office, with co-financing from the European Union and other donors. Throughout this year, the portfolio is planned to be expanded by additional new projects.
The BMZ-funded project “Rebuilding the Health Sector in Syria” seeks to contribute to the development of a resilient, inclusive and sustainable health system able to provide quality-assured, inclusive and gender-responsive health services to the Syrian population. It supports the Ministry of Health (MoH) and its institutions through technical cooperation, training and targeted research to develop fair fee structures, unified quality standards and gender-specific health approaches. The project particularly prioritises vulnerable groups, including low-income population, women, children and people with disabilities, aiming to enable and enhance the Ministry’s capacities to deliver health services across Syria, while upholding sustainability and system-wide quality improvements.
Your tasks
- Providing technical and process advisory services to the MoH for the participatory development, revision, and formal adoption of national guidelines on inclusive and gender-sensitive quality management for health services
- Supporting the development, revision, and formal adoption of inclusive and gender-responsive quality assurance standards, tools, and procedures across the MoH and its subordinate institutions
- Advising the MoH on the stepwise design and institutionalisation of an internal quality management system (e.g., aligned with ISO 9001 principles), including process mapping, documentation, standard setting and continuous improvement mechanisms
- Providing advice on the development and implementation competency development measures (trainings, workshops, coaching, mentoring) for technical and managerial staff of the MoH and regional health directorates on inclusive and gender-sensitive quality management
- Providing technical advice on the development of practical guidance materials, toolkits, templates, and training resources to institutionalise inclusive and gender-sensitive quality management practices
- Establishing sustainable internal knowledge transfer mechanisms (e.g., focal points, training-of-trainers approaches, peer learning formats) to ensure long-term institutional uptake
- Identifying needs for short-term expertise for all quality management topics, preparing Terms of Reference, technically supervising assignments, and conducting quality assurance of deliverables to ensure coherence and technical quality
- Supporting the management in monitoring progress against agreed indicators, documenting results, and preparing technical reports and recommendations for adaptive management
- Where appropriate and reasonable, performing additional tasks upon request of the management
Your profile (required qualifications, competencies and experience)
- Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in public health, health management, quality management, health system strengthening, or a directly related field
- Minimum 7 years of professional experience in health sector quality management and institutional capacity development
- Proven experience in developing and implementing quality management systems (e.g., ISO 9001 or comparable frameworks)
- Demonstrated expertise in integrating gender equality and social inclusion into health sector policies and quality assurance systems
- Experience in drafting national guidelines, standards, and regulatory frameworks in the health sector
- Strong experience in designing and delivering capacity development measures for senior technical and managerial staff
- Experience in coordination and implementation of international technical standards (e.g. WHO standards, Gavi, World Bank policies, Global Health pilots)
- Proven ability to work in multidisciplinary teams and facilitate high-level consultations with government and donor stakeholders
- In-depth knowledge of the Syrian health system and health networks, and experience providing technical advisory support to government institutions
- Proven experience in health system and quality management strategic planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting
- Understanding of development cooperation approaches and knowledge of results-based management (RBM)
- Ability to work under pressure and with tight deadlines, respect for different cultural, diversity and gender backgrounds
- Professional fluency in written and spoken English and Arabic, knowledge of German is an asset
How to apply
The following minimum requirements for applications need to be fulfilled:
- Only application documents in English will be accepted. Documents in Arabic cannot be considered during the selection process.
- Mandatory documents are CV and application letter in English stating your qualifications and previous professional experiences.
The deadline for application is 31.03.2026. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
GIZ is committed to diversity and gender balance. It is encouraging persons with disabilities to apply for the position.
Please submit your application to [email protected] indicating in the subject line the respective title of the position.
