Senior National Consultant – Disaster Risk Reduction

This consultancy position involves embedding a Senior Consultant within the Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management in Syria to strengthen national disaster risk reduction and emergency preparedness systems. The consultant will engage closely with national stakeholders to support coordinated response capacities and sustainable recovery efforts.

Responsibilities

• Be consistently present in the Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management’s daily operations and meetings to enable close engagement and real-time coordination with other ministries and key national and local stakeholders.
• Provide full-time dedication within MoEDM with deep familiarity with Syria’s evolving panorama regarding DRR and Early Action, including institutional architecture, policy frameworks, and implementation challenges.
• Strengthen UNICEF’s strategic positioning and ability to provide high-quality, context-sensitive support to the Ministry through embedding within MoEDM.
• Support strengthening national disaster risk reduction and emergency preparedness systems to reduce vulnerabilities, improve coordinated response capacities, and support sustainable recovery.

Requirements

• Master’s degree or equivalent in public administration, social policy, international relations, environmental studies, international development/development studies, or another relevant technical field.
• A minimum of five years of professional experience in one or more of the following areas is required: DRR, Early Action, public policy in Syria, government structures and/or governance, external/donor relations, advocacy or other relevant area.
• Fluency (written and spoken) in both Arabic and English is required.
• Familiarity with national systems and global DRR frameworks.
• Strong coordination and facilitation skills with national and international key stakeholders and government entities.
• Relevant experience in a UN system, especially UNICEF, other international development agency or organizations are considered as an asset.
• Experience in donor relations and donor reporting is a strong asset.

Skills

• Disaster Risk Reduction
• Early Action
• Public Policy
• Government Structures
• Governance
• External Relations
• Donor Relations
• Advocacy
• Coordination with stakeholders
• Facilitation Skills
• UN System Experience
• Donor Reporting
• National Systems Familiarity
• Global DRR Frameworks

Languages

Arabic, English