Health Employment Promotion Advisor

Assignment period: 01.08.2026 - 31.07.2027

Location: Damascus

Type of contract: National contract based on Syrian labour law

Type of employment: Fulltime

Job description

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 projects on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Federal Foreign Office (FFO), with co-financing from the European Union and other donors. From 2026, the portfolio is planned to be expanded by several new projects.

The “Health Employment Promotion” (HEP) project in Syria is designed to advance the socio-economic participation of local residents, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and returnees, with a particular focus on empowering women, within the healthcare sector.

Your tasks

• Providing technical and strategic advisory to support the implementation of core public health topics, specifically targeting health workforce strategies, family medicine integration within primary care, health asset management, and the optimization of patient referral systems and networks

• Supporting in planning, implementation and tracking of professional development of health staff in public facilities

• Advancing improvement of quality and access of care services in the public sector in consultation and coordination with the Ministry of Health (MOH) at local and regional level

• Designing and implementing competency development measures (training, workshops, coaching, mentoring) for MoH staff and regional health directorates on primary health care and health employment promotion

• Providing continuous technical backstopping to ensure that inclusive and gender-responsive principles are systematically integrated into health policies, instruments and decision-making processes

• Facilitating coordination with other health actors and employment promotion initiatives in public and private sector

• Communicating strategic achievements in innovation and knowledge management to a broad target group

• Supporting the management in monitoring progress against agreed indicators, documenting results, and preparing technical reports and recommendations for adaptive management

• Where appropriate and reasonable, 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, medicine, applied sciences, or a related field

• A minimum of 5 years of professional experience providing technical and strategic project advisory within health-related development cooperation

• In-depth knowledge of Syria’s health system and health networks, with experience delivering technical assistance to public authorities and other stakeholders across national and local levels

• Expertise in international health standards and primary health care frameworks, medical staff training, and health employment promotion

• Work experience in stakeholder coordination and partnership facilitation with international donors, multilateral agencies, non-governmental organisations and academic institutions

• Sound understanding of gender equality, inclusion (including people with disabilities) and conflict-sensitive approaches

• Ability to work in a team, intercultural competence and professional communication with government agencies, educational institutions and international partners

• Excellent analytical, communication, and reporting skills, with a demonstrated ability to deliver high-quality results under pressure and within tight deadlines

• 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 30.06.2026. 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 hr.syria@giz.de indicating in the subject line the respective title of the position.