Country Director, Syria

Save the Children International has an exciting opportunity for a **Country Director** to join our Country Office in Syria.

- Job Title: Country Director, Syria
- Reports To: Regional Director, MENAEE
- Work Pattern: On-site
- Location: Damascus, Syria
- Contract Length: Permanent
- Grade: Executive
- Language Requirements: English essential, Arabic desirable
- People Management: manager of multiple teams; 9 SMT direct reports
- Budget Responsibility: $35 million
- Remit: Country Office, National

**Team Purpose**

Save the Children currently operates a significant portfolio of programmes across 14 countries in the Middle East, North Africa, and Eastern Europe (MENAEE) region. A number of these consist of responses to large humanitarian emergencies and recovery programmes (Yemen, Ukraine, Türkiye, Occupied Palestinian Territories and Syria). We also work in countries facing other humanitarian and development challenges (Lebanon, Iraq, Kosovo and others).

Save the Children International’s (SCI) Syria Country Office (SCO) is delivering an integrated, child-centred humanitarian and recovery response that prioritizes life-saving assistance while supporting early recovery and longer-term resilience. The response reaches children and families across key locations in northeastern Syria, Aleppo, Idlib, and areas affected by cross-border movements. Our strategy focuses on multi-sectoral interventions across child protection, MHPSS, education, health and nutrition, WASH, and food security and livelihoods. The response prioritizes the most vulnerable groups, including unaccompanied and separated children, children in camps and collective shelters, female-headed households, and people with disabilities. Support for returnees is a key priority not least those displaced from Lebanon. We work closely with Sector Coordination groups led by respective line Ministries and UN agencies to ensure there are no overlaps and duplication, leveraging our already established strong local and national partnerships to deliver a timely and needs-based response.

**Role Purpose**

The Country Director, Syria provides strategic leadership, management, and representation for Save the Children’s operations in Syria, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, impactful programmes that protect and advance the rights of children in one of the world’s most complex humanitarian and early recovery contexts. The role is accountable for setting the overall direction of the country programme, driving the implementation of the country strategy, and ensuring programmes are responsive to evolving needs arising from conflict, displacement, and economic hardship.

The post-holder leads a diverse and high-performing team, ensuring strong organizational culture, effective systems, and full compliance with internal policies and external regulatory requirements. They are responsible for the sound financial stewardship of the Country Office, proactive risk management, and maintaining robust safety and security frameworks to enable principled humanitarian access. As the senior representative in Syria, the Country Director builds and maintains strategic relationships with authorities, donors, UN agencies, and partners, positioning Save the Children as a leading voice for children. The role also plays a critical part in securing sustainable funding, influencing policy and practice, and contributing to regional and global priorities to achieve lasting change for children and their families.

**Principal Accountabilities**

Strategic Leadership

- Provide vision and direction for the Syria country programme
- Effectively lead a high-performing SMT to deliver against strategy and to model behaviours and values expected of staff
- Take responsibility for the leadership and management of staff and programmes in Syria
- Ensure ongoing, current analysis of the national socio-economic, humanitarian, security, and political situation in the country
- Support the development of the Country Strategy and ensure ongoing review of progress against key country and organizational level objectives, indicators, and targets
- Ensure that the focus of the organization remains on the rights and needs of children
- Contribute to regional and global knowledge and learning

People and Organization

- Ensure that Save the Children attracts and retains high-calibre staff
- Proactively develop and coach staff to optimise their potential in pursuit of Save the Children’s objectives
- Ensure effective implementation of HR policies and procedures at country level, in line with HR policies, procedures and guidelines, and local labour law
- Ensure consistent implementation of strong performance management systems throughout the country team
- Foster a collegial, supportive and respectful culture within the Syria team
- Support and build a high-performing Senior Management Team and ensure strong collaboration
- Promote a harmonious team culture, and manage