Program Coordinator - Social Cohesion

Volunteering Advertisement (no. E81-26)

• Organization: Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East - Department of Ecumenical Relations and Development (GOPA-DERD)
• Position Title: Program Coordinator - Social Cohesion
• Job Grade: 2
• Date of issuance: 9 Sep 2026
• Closing Date: 11 Sep 2026
• Job location: Damascus - HQ
• Contract Duration: 12 Months
• Number of Vacancies: 1
• Contract Type: Full-Time

Job Summary

• The Program Coordinator will be responsible for the overall coordination, management, quality, and timely implementation of the Social Cohesion and Peacebuilding Project, ensuring that project activities are delivered in line with the approved proposal, work plan, budget, donor requirements, and GOPA-DERD policies and procedures.
• The position will provide overall programme and technical coordination to the project team, ensuring the coherence and quality of interventions related to social cohesion, peacebuilding, conflict prevention, mediation, conflict resolution, community dialogue, and peaceful coexistence.
• The Program Coordinator will provide leadership and technical guidance to the project team, support effective coordination with relevant stakeholders, monitor the evolving context and conflict dynamics, and ensure that programme approaches remain appropriate, conflict-sensitive, and responsive to emerging needs and risks.
• The position will also contribute to strengthening the capacity of project staff and facilitators through appropriate guidance, coaching, mentoring, and technical support, while ensuring effective coordination, documentation, learning, and reporting throughout the project cycle.

Main Duties & Responsibilities

Program Coordination and Management

• Lead the overall planning, coordination, implementation, and monitoring of the project in accordance with the approved proposal, work plan, budget, results framework, and donor requirements.
• Develop and regularly update project implementation plans, ensuring clear responsibilities, timelines, priorities, and expected results.
• Coordinate the work of project team members and ensure effective communication and collaboration across project functions and locations.
• Monitor implementation progress, quality, risks, resources, and achievement of project objectives, and recommend appropriate corrective or adaptive measures when required.
• Ensure the timely availability and effective use of required human, logistical, and other project resources in coordination with relevant departments.

Technical Coordination and Quality Assurance

• Provide overall technical guidance to the project team on social cohesion, peacebuilding, conflict prevention, mediation, conflict resolution, community dialogue, and related interventions.
• Ensure that project activities are implemented in a coherent, inclusive, conflict-sensitive, and context-appropriate manner and in line with Do-No-Harm principles.
• Ensure the quality and consistency of project methodologies, approaches, and implementation across different project locations.
• Support the team in adapting program approaches in response to changing community dynamics, emerging tensions, and contextual developments.
• Contribute to the development and review of relevant tools, guidance, methodologies, and capacity-building initiatives as required by the project.

Conflict Analysis, Mediation and Dialogue

• Oversee and provide technical guidance on project activities related to conflict prevention, conflict analysis, mediation, conflict resolution, community dialogue, and peaceful coexistence, in accordance with the approved project design.
• Ensure that relevant conflict and context analysis informs program planning, implementation, and adaptation.
• Ensure appropriate consideration of emerging community tensions, rumours, hate speech, harmful narratives, and other factors that may affect social cohesion and conflict dynamics.

Team Leadership and Capacity Building

• Provide direct supervision, leadership, and technical support to project staff and ensure clear roles, responsibilities, and performance expectations.
• Assess team capacity needs and support the development of appropriate training, coaching, mentoring, and on-the-job learning opportunities.
• Provide technical guidance and constructive feedback to team members and facilitators to strengthen the quality of programme implementation.
• Promote teamwork, accountability, learning, and continuous improvement within the project team.

Stakeholder and Community Coordination

• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with local communities, community representatives, local authorities, civil society organizations, partners, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Facilitate coordination and constructive engagement among relevant stakeholders in support of project objectives.
• Coordinate with project focal points and field teams across different implementation areas to ensure consistent and effective delivery of project activities.

Monitoring, Learning and Reporting

• Monitor project progress and ensure appropriate documentation of activities, achievements, challenges, risks, lessons learned, and good practices.
• Coordinate with MEAL and relevant programme functions to ensure that monitoring and learning inform programme implementation and adaptation.
• Prepare and submit accurate and timely weekly, monthly, quarterly, and donor reports as required.
• Contribute to program reviews, lessons learned, case studies, and other documentation required for organizational and donor purposes.

Representation and Coordination

• Participate in relevant coordination, partners', technical, and stakeholder meetings and represent the project when delegated.
• Maintain effective internal coordination with relevant GOPA-DERD departments and external coordination with relevant partners and stakeholders.
• Ensure compliance with relevant organizational policies, procedures, safeguarding requirements, and donor standards.
• Perform any other relevant duties assigned by the line manager in support of the effective implementation of the project.

Professional Qualification and Experience

Essentials

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Peace and Conflict Studies, Conflict Resolution, International Relations, Political Science, Sociology, Social Sciences, Development Studies, Psychology, Community Development, or another relevant field.
• A Master's degree in a relevant discipline is highly desirable.

Professional Experience

• Minimum (3) years of relevant professional experience in social cohesion, peacebuilding, conflict prevention, conflict resolution, mediation, community dialogue, community engagement, or related fields.
• Demonstrated experience in program/project coordination and implementation, preferably in peacebuilding, social cohesion, conflict prevention, or related programmes.
• Demonstrated practical experience in one or more of the following areas: mediation, conflict resolution, community dialogue, conflict analysis, peacebuilding, social cohesion, or community-based conflict prevention.
• Demonstrated experience in team supervision, staff capacity building, coaching, mentoring, or training.
• Experience working with communities, local authorities, civil society organizations, partners, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Experience working in Syria or other conflict-affected or fragile contexts is highly desirable.

Technical and Professional Competencies

• Good understanding of social cohesion, peacebuilding, conflict prevention, mediation, conflict resolution, dialogue, and conflict-sensitive programming.
• Good understanding of Do-No-Harm and Conflict Sensitivity principles.
• Ability to understand and analyze changing community and conflict dynamics and translate findings into appropriate programme responses.
• Strong programme planning, coordination, organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong leadership, communication, facilitation, interpersonal, and team-management skills.
• Excellent reporting and documentation skills.
• Good computer skills, particularly Microsoft Office applications.
• Upper-intermediate or higher level of English, with good written and spoken communication skills.

Desirable

• Bachelor's degree in Peace and Conflict Studies, Conflict Resolution, International Relations, Political Science, Sociology, Social Sciences, Development Studies, Psychology, Community Development, or another relevant discipline, A Master's degree in a relevant discipline is highly desirable.
• Previous experience with international NGOs, UN agencies, international organizations, or donor-funded programmes.
• Professional training in mediation, conflict resolution, peacebuilding, dialogue facilitation, conflict analysis, or related fields.
• Experience in programmes addressing social cohesion, community dialogue, peacebuilding, conflict prevention, reconciliation, rumors, hate speech, or harmful narratives.
• Good knowledge of the Syrian context, local community dynamics, and conflict-related challenges.
• Experience in designing or delivering staff and community capacity-building activities.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure, manage competing priorities, and meet deadlines.
• Flexibility and ability to adapt to changing operational and contextual circumstances.
• Strong commitment to inclusion, participation, accountability, diversity, safeguarding, and the vision, mission, values, principles, and aims of GOPA-DERD.

Volunteer Selection Process

The assessment of the applications will be started with the identification of the job's success criteria (Essentials at least), short-listed candidates will be invited for an interview.

Application Process

• Interested applicants are requested to apply with their information and CVs through GOPA-DERD's recruitment portal addressed with the mentioned Link in this post.
• Applying candidates must provide reference(s) letter(s) to match the job experience according to their CVs. Applications with missing references will not be accepted.
• Please ensure your request is directed to the vacancy of "E81-26: Program Coordinator - Social Cohesion".

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