Technical Advisor MHPSS Services

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 reopened its Country Office in Damascus in 2026. It is currently implementing 15 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.

The project “Strengthening the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) System in Syria” is due to start on 1. December 2026 for a duration of 3 years. Given the continued high demand for MHPSS services across Syria, the aim of the project is to strengthen the Syrian MHPSS system by

• supporting the development of national strategies, regulatory frameworks and uniform quality standards for MHPSS services
• developing practice-oriented training and continuing professional development programs for MHPSS professionals and ensuring these are permanently established in local training institutions
• supporting partner organizations in offering MHPSS services for particularly distressed population groups, including survivors of torture, some of them through non-traditional (e.g. creative) interventions
• working with researchers to scientifically accompany and evaluate the MHPSS-services offered through the project and preparing the findings for professionals, thereby expanding target-group-specific knowledge and promoting the application of effective approaches
• training and advising professionals from the fields of education, peacebuilding, transitional justice and disaster risk management on how to work in an MHPSS-informed manner with people affected by crises and conflicts.

In this position as MHPSS Technical Advisor, you will be responsible for supporting partner organizations to provide MHPSS services for specific target groups as well as for the scientific accompaniment of those services and the dissemination of the findings to promote the application of effective approaches. You will be working on these tasks in close collaboration with another colleague in a project team of overall 8 staff.

Your tasks

• Identifying and contracting suitable MHPSS-partner organizations that work with the project’s target groups
• Technically and administratively accompanying and supporting the partner organizations in their planning and implementation of these services; identifying and addressing capacity development needs of the partner organization, if any
• Technically and administratively accompanying and supporting the research teams who are documenting and systematically evaluating the MHPSS-services offered
• Ensuring the quality of the research papers/ research briefs prepared by the research teams and supporting the dissemination of the findings, e.g. through presentations
• Coordinating between different service offers and research teams
• Where suitable, bringing in expertise and ideas into the other work streams of the project (mentioned above), which will be mainly covered by your colleagues
• Supporting with team-internal tasks, including monitoring and evaluation, reporting, preparation of team workshops etc.

Your profile (required qualifications, competencies and experience)

• A completed post-graduate degree in mental health, clinical or general psychology, psychological counselling, psychiatry or a related field
• At least 4 years of professional experience in MHPSS in the humanitarian or development sector, preferably in the Middle East, particularly in/ for Syria
• Proven experience with and openness for non-traditional MHPSS-interventions, for example arts-based or sports-based interventions
• Proven experience with scientific work and methods combined with strong analytical thinking
• Experience with project and process management
• A good overview of the MHPSS-actor landscape in Syria (particularly civil society)
• Strong team work and communication skills
• High cultural-, context- and gender-sensitivity as well as sensitivity to inclusion issues
• A high motivation to contribute to strengthening the MHPSS system in Syria
• High degree of initiative
• Structured and meticulous working methods – even under time pressure
• Resilience and frustration tolerance
• Business fluency in Arabic and English
• Knowledge of and experience with GIZ procedures and policies is a strong asset
• Basic knowledge of German is an asset

كيفية التقديم

Additional information

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 25.11.2026. 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.

This is a national position governed by GIZ Syria’s national terms and conditions of employment. The salary is paid in Syrian pounds (SYP) and is benchmarked against comparable roles to ensure it is competitive in the Syrian labour market.

Please submit your application to [email protected] indicating in the subject line only the respective title of the position.