Deputy Director – Strategic Programmes and External Engagement – Syria office

Deadline for application: 16 August 2026 (ECST)

Do you have what it takes to mobilise funding and partnerships that change lives in some of the world's most complex contexts?

Are you a strategic connector — equally at home shaping programmes, supporting field teams, and advocating for people in the most vulnerable positions?

If so, you may be our new Deputy Director based in Syria!

Our seven-person Damascus team — working alongside three partners — delivers assistance across the Rural Damascus, Homs, and Aleppo governorates, reaching more than ten thousand people. Together, we combine emergency response with longer-term recovery and livelihood interventions, addressing both urgent humanitarian needs and helping communities rebuild sustainable pathways toward self-sufficiency.

Our work spans food and non-food item distribution, shelter support, and multi-purpose cash assistance, as well as food security and livelihood strengthening, restoration of key infrastructure such as irrigation canals and drinking water systems, and community training in resource management. We expect the Syrian programme to grow in the coming times.

The Job

As Deputy Director, you will contribute to the significant growth of Mission East's Syria programming by supporting innovative, high-quality programme design and implementation, strengthening the capacity of Mission East and partner staff, and developing relationships and funding with key donors in country.

Your tasks and responsibilities include:

Strategic Funding and Partnerships

• Implement the country fundraising and donor engagement strategy, identifying and cultivating relationships with institutional donors including the new Danish Embassy in Damascus and UN agencies.
• Monitor donor trends and emerging priorities and develop partnerships and consortia that strengthen our competitiveness for larger and multi-year funding opportunities.

Capacity Building & Programming Support

• Support high-quality, innovative programme design and implementation in line with Mission East's Syria strategy, including development of new thematic areas and geographic expansion where appropriate.
• Oversee the proposal development process, ensuring timely technical input from managers and coordinators.
• Support capacity assessments and development of local partners and Mission East staff, ensuring compliance with Mission East approaches and policies and the Core Humanitarian Standard.

Advocacy & Leadership

• Contribute to advocacy and thought leadership on issues affecting crisis-affected populations, and support the Country Director in securing adequate resources from grants and private funds.
• Oversee the integration of cross-cutting themes — protection, disability, gender, and environmental sustainability — across Mission East Syria's programmatic portfolio.
• Represent the organisation alongside the Country Director in clusters, working groups, donor meetings, and coordination platforms.

You will refer to the Country Director and should expect frequent travel to partner and project locations for monitoring and training / capacity support.

You

We expect you to have:

• Master's degree in humanitarian action, international development, or a closely related discipline.
• At least 5 years of progressive experience in a senior programme, funding, or partnerships role within the humanitarian or development sector, including experience working in or closely with field operations.
• Solid experience in programme development — including proposal writing, strategic planning, and donor compliance — with major institutional donors such as ECHO, USAID, UN agencies, or bilateral donors.
• Demonstrated experience in donor engagement and a proven track record of building and sustaining strategic partnerships with a diverse range of actors.
• Strong knowledge of the humanitarian and/or development landscape, including relevant coordination mechanisms and key stakeholders such as UN agencies, the Cluster System, and international and national NGOs.

It is important that you also demonstrate:

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to engage diplomatically yet decisively with diverse stakeholders across country teams and HQ.
• Strong capacity-building and facilitation skills, with experience supporting teams or partners to strengthen programming quality, advocacy, or organisational capacity.
• Advocacy experience, including representing organisations in high-level forums and influencing policy or funding priorities in line with strategic objectives.
• Proven ability to work autonomously, managing multiple priorities and delivering results under pressure and within tight deadlines.
• Full professional proficiency in English required. Danish language skills preferred. Arabic, or French are an asset.

You should begin your cover letter with the word "Damascus".

We offer:

• A fulltime position based in Damascus under Expatriates/International employment contract.
• Salary in accordance with our salary policy and scale at level Function Manager, (starting at EUR 3,432 with midpoint at EUR 4,108). The position is entitled to a context allowance of 7,5 % and pension scheme of 5 %.
• Opportunity to shape your work and contribute to Mission East’s development.
• An informal working environment with committed and skilled colleagues - both in the office and around the world.
• This position is based in Damascus.
  

Application

Deadline for application: 16 August 2026 (ECST).

Please, include in your cover letter one concrete example of a partnership or donor relationship you personally built from scratch — and what made it work.

If you have any questions about the position, please, contact our Country Director, Randhir Singh, ran-sy@missioneast.org

You apply by clicking on "Apply for this job", filling in the form and uploading your CV and application. Remember to click on "Submit application" at the bottom of the page.

Mission East wants to promote equality and diversity, and we therefore encourage all qualified people to apply for the position - regardless of ethnic background, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability or religion.

We, on the other hand, have zero tolerance for fraud, sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment or gender-based violence, and we conduct a thorough screening of our preferred candidate. We carry out reference checks and are members of the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme, a network that shares all SEAH issues in relation to potential new hires.

Note: we may disqualify totally or significantly AI generated application. Mission East values honest and transparent efforts from all parts to give each other insight in the reality and ensure a successful match on the longer term.

About us

Mission East is an international relief and development organisation founded in Denmark. We work to create hope, dignity and new beginnings. Every day and when crisis strikes.
We work closely with local communities in some of the world's most vulnerable, dangerous and hard-to-reach areas. We go the extra mile to reach the people who are most often overlooked. With our work, we restore their dignity, strengthen their resilience and promote justice, for the benefit of both people and our planet.
Mission East is active in 10 countries: Afghanistan, Armenia, Lebanon, Nepal, Nigeria, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Chad and Ukraine. Here, we and our local partners support the most vulnerable people in lifting them out of crises, poverty and marginalisation.

Visit our home page to know more about our work.

You can also read this to get insight in how it is to work at Mission East; and you can find us on Linkedin.

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks,
which can include PEP, criminal records and terrorism finance checks. Mission East also participates in the Inter
Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this Scheme, we will request information from job
applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual
harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left
employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms his/her understanding of these
recruitment procedures and is asked to give their consent during the application process.