Advisor Good Governance and Capacity Development

Assignment period: 01.07.2026 - 30.06.2027
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 BMZ-funded project “Supporting Good Governance in Syria” aims to improve the performance of selected national and subnational state institutions in delivering citizen-centred, transparent and efficient public services. The project supports institutional and individual capacity development, strengthens multi-level coordination and promotes inclusive and transparent communication between public institutions and the population. In parallel, it enhances the technical and organisational capacities of regional and local actors to plan, implement and steer measures for local economic development, thereby contributing to institutional integrity, social cohesion and sustainable stabilisation.

Your tasks

• Providing hands-on technical and process-oriented advice to local and regional administrations on improving citizen-oriented, transparent, and efficient service delivery, in line with the project’s good governance objectives
• Providing technical and process advise for local partners in the development of procedural manuals, and, building on this, process optimisation and modelling in service delivery
• Designing, advising and overlooking capacity development measures, including training modules, on-the-job training for inclusive social or political participation, transparent and effective citizens communication, for selected government institutions, taking gender equality and context sensitivity into account
• Providing capacity development measures for the use of feedback and complaint mechanisms, and public dialogue formats using digital approaches
• Closely coordinating with different stakeholders on capacity development measures for further thematic aspects, beyond the project, supporting on good governance and participatory instruments
• Where appropriate and reasonable, performing additional tasks upon request of the management

Your profile (required qualifications, competencies and experience)

• University degree (Master’s level) in public administration, political science, peace and conflict research, law, development studies, human resource management, education, or a related field
• At least 5 years of professional experience in local governance, political and social participation, needs-based service delivery in Syria
• Proven experience working with local or subnational public institutions (e.g. municipalities, governorate administrations, service directorates) and civil society organisations
• At least 2 years of professional experience in capacity development, human resource development through trainings, curricula development, and work in training institutions
• At least 3 years of experience working with international organisations, development cooperation projects, or donor-funded programmes, preferably GIZ or comparable agencies
• Strong context- and conflict sensitivity, political sensitivity and analytical thinking, consulting, communication and cooperation skills as well as intercultural competence
• Strong organisational and coordination skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks effectively in a complex working environment
• High motivation, reliability, and the ability to work in politically sensitive and rapidly changing contexts while maintaining professionalism, discretion, and adherence to communication standards
• Professional fluency in written and spoken English and Arabic, knowledge of German is an asset

كيفية التقديم

The following minimum requirements for applications need to be fulfilled:

1. Only application documents in English will be accepted. Documents in Arabic cannot be considered during the selection process.
2. Mandatory documents are CV and application letter in English stating your qualifications and previous professional experiences.

The deadline for application is 31.05.2026. 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.