Country Cluster Representative, Syria

Title: Country Cluster Representative, Syria

Employee Working Location: In-person (Damascus, Syria)

Employment Status: Temporary Full-time (18 months)

The Canadian Red Cross (Red Cross) - an inspirational not for profit organization, helps people and communities in Canada and around the world in times of need and supports them in strengthening their resilience.

The Country Cluster Representative - Syria (CCR-Syria) is responsible for the effective management of Canadian Red Cross (CRC) programs in Syria and for representing CRC with partners in Yemen, Iraq, and the Arabian Peninsula. The CCR-Syria role sits within the MEN Regional Team under the International Cooperation Department.

The CCR-Syria provides strategic and operational leadership across program delivery, partnerships, security, personnel, emergency preparedness, and business development. The role ensures CRC-supported programs are implemented with quality, accountability, and compliance with approved plans and budgets, while fostering strong collaboration with Host National Societies, Movement partners, and donors to promote localization and collective impact.

The CCR-Syria also leads on human, financial, and risk management, ensuring adherence to CRC standards and a safe operating environment through proactive security oversight. The role strengthens emergency readiness and response, identifies new programming opportunities, and represents CRC with key stakeholders including National Societies, Movement partners, government counterparts, and the wider humanitarian community.

In this role, you will :

Quality Program Management

Ensure high-quality, compliant implementation of programs in line with approved objectives, budgets, and timelines, while providing tailored support to partner National Societies based on their priorities and needs.

CRC Representation and Coordination

Maintain strong relationships with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent and other Host National Societies. Represent CRC in Movement coordination forums, strengthen collaboration with IFRC, ICRC, and PNS, and support public representation in coordination with the National Office.

Personnel and Resource Management

Line manage assigned staff and ensure effective performance management. Oversee sound financial and asset management for CRC delegations in line with approved budgets and policies.

Security and Risk Management

Ensure the safety and security of CRC personnel through robust risk analysis and mitigation, and ensure compliance with CRC and Movement security frameworks in coordination with SARC, IFRC, and ICRC.

Emergency Readiness and Response

Support Movement coordination, enhance emergency readiness, and strategically position CRC during emergencies to ensure timely and appropriate support.

Business Development

Identify new funding and programming opportunities, lead proposal development with the National Office, and strengthen external partnerships with donors and stakeholders in coordination with the Head of Region.

What we are looking for :

• Prior experience with the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement (required).

• Master's degree in a relevant field or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Minimum of 10 years' experience in program management in humanitarian, conflict, post-conflict, disaster recovery, or international development settings.

• Excellent English communication skills (written and verbal); Arabic is a strong asset.

• Strong program and project management skills, including planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting in complex environments.

• Solid experience with results-based management (RBM).

• Proven experience in stakeholder engagement and strategy development in the humanitarian sector.

• Experience in the MENA region or Syria is a strong asset; health background or public health programming experience is an asset.

• Strong understanding of MENA political, social, and humanitarian dynamics.

• Demonstrated leadership in strategy execution, financial and risk management, and performance oversight.

• Strong judgment, diplomacy, and representation skills in fragile and high-risk contexts.

• Proven experience managing multi-million-dollar budgets.

• Strong understanding of security management in complex and unstable environments.

Working Conditions

This is an international field-based position. Working in countries of operation is very demanding, both physically and psychologically. Difficult working conditions are expected, including the following:

• Ability to work non-traditional hours on short notice.
• Ability to work in stressful and often ambiguous conditions.
• Long hours of work in a demanding context with limited resources.
• Basic living conditions that may include intermittent electricity, internet and other basic services.
• In some remote areas access to healthcare could be limited or non-existent.
• This position will require travel internationally to other complex, high risk, and potentially unstable environments.
• As we work with and support people (managers, colleagues, beneficiaries/customers, volunteers, donors and external partners) and communities in Canada and around the world, applicants whose first language is not English may be required to perform the responsibilities of the role in English.
• If you are selected for this role, you will be required to complete a successful pre-employment screening process which includes a satisfactory Enhanced Police Information Check (E-PIC).