National Officer-Architect Restorer

The National Officer-Architect Restorer will provide technical support to UNESCO's cultural heritage programme in Syria, focusing on architectural conservation and restoration activities primarily in Aleppo. The role involves coordination with national and local partners, technical supervision of conservation works, preparation of documentation, and support to heritage institutions.

Responsibilities

• Act as a national technical focal point for UNESCO-supported architectural conservation and restoration activities in Syria, with primary day-to-day responsibility for Aleppo and regular missions to other priority locations as required.
• Maintain close working-level coordination with the Ministry of Culture, DGAM, governorates and municipalities, museums and site authorities, contractors, consultants, academic institutions, local professionals, communities and other relevant partners.
• Translate UNESCO project objectives, approved workplans, conservation principles and technical requirements into practical field actions across the national culture portfolio, ensuring that interventions are aligned with national heritage regulations and relevant UNESCO approaches and standards, including the World Heritage Convention, the Historic Urban Landscape approach, and relevant post-conflict and post-disaster recovery guidance.
• Review, consolidate and update existing documentation and damage assessments for priority cultural properties in Syria, initially and principally focusing on the Ancient City of Aleppo and other UNESCO-supported sites.
• Undertake or coordinate architectural condition surveys, measured and photographic documentation, material and pathology mapping, risk identification and other technical investigations required to establish reliable baselines and support transparent prioritization of interventions.
• Prepare, review and/or technically coordinate conservation and restoration documentation for priority heritage sites throughout Syria, including architectural drawings, intervention proposals, specifications, bills of quantities, cost estimates, work schedules, conservation method statements, material specifications, phasing plans and maintenance requirements.
• Provide continuous technical supervision and quality assurance for UNESCO-supported emergency stabilization, consolidation, rehabilitation and restoration works, including regular site inspections and verification of conformity with approved technical documentation.
• Ensure that all interventions apply sound conservation principles, including respect for cultural significance, authenticity and integrity; minimum necessary intervention; compatibility of materials; reversibility where appropriate; and systematic documentation of interventions and changes to historic fabric.
• Support architectural and technical assessments of museums, storage facilities, archives and other cultural institutions across Syria, with particular emphasis on the Aleppo National Museum and related institutions.
• Provide technical inputs to UNESCO procurement and contracting processes for heritage activities throughout Syria, including preparation or review of technical Terms of Reference, tender documentation, scopes of works, specifications, technical evaluation criteria, site handover documentation and technical assessment of contractors, service providers and deliverables.
• Monitor the technical progress of activities against approved workplans, results frameworks, timelines and indicators; maintain systematic site logs, photographic records, drawings, intervention records and technical files; identify delays, bottlenecks, material shortages, cost, quality or access risks; and promptly bring issues requiring programme, managerial or specialist attention to UNESCO.
• Prepare high-quality technical notes, progress reports, mission reports, assessment reports, conservation recommendations, briefing materials and contributions to donor reporting for activities in Aleppo and elsewhere in Syria.
• Carry out any additional technical and programme-related duties that may be required to ensure the effective implementation, monitoring, quality and sustainability of UNESCO’s cultural heritage programme in Syria, including support to emergency missions or priority assignments outside Aleppo when requested.

Requirements

• An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Architectural Conservation, Architectural Restoration, Built Heritage Conservation, Cultural Heritage Conservation or a closely related field.
• A professional degree in Architecture combined with a recognized postgraduate specialization in conservation/restoration may be accepted as equivalent.
• At least two (2) years of relevant professional experience in architectural conservation and restoration, including field-based assessment, preparation of technical documentation and supervision of works on historic buildings or sites.
• Demonstrated experience in conservation, stabilization, rehabilitation or restoration of traditional masonry and historic structures, including diagnosis of building pathology and coordination with structural engineers and other conservation specialists.
• Sound knowledge of architectural conservation theory and practice and the ability to apply conservation principles to emergency stabilization, repair, restoration and adaptive rehabilitation of historic buildings.
• Demonstrated ability to prepare and review architectural surveys, measured drawings, condition assessments, technical specifications, bills of quantities, cost estimates, work schedules and conservation method statements.
• Strong field supervision and quality-control skills, with the ability to identify technical risks, defects, inappropriate materials or methods and to propose practical corrective measures.
• Good organizational, planning, monitoring and reporting skills, with the ability to manage multiple technical activities and priorities across different sites and locations under tight timelines.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including very good drafting and technical writing skills and the ability to work effectively with national and local authorities, communities, contractors, specialists and multidisciplinary teams.
• Ability and willingness to undertake regular field missions within Syria and to work with discretion, initiative and sound professional judgement in a complex and evolving operational environment, including under pressure.
• Excellent knowledge (spoken and written) of English and Arabic.
• Professional experience in Syria, including knowledge of Syrian historic building typologies, traditional construction techniques and the institutional framework for cultural heritage; direct experience in Aleppo or comparable historic urban areas would be a strong asset.
• Experience working on World Heritage properties and applying requirements related to Outstanding Universal Value, authenticity, integrity and heritage impact.
• Experience in post-conflict, post-earthquake or other emergency heritage contexts in Syria or comparable settings, including temporary protection, emergency stabilization, disaster-risk reduction and recovery planning.
• Experience with rehabilitation or technical upgrading of museums, collection storage areas, laboratories, archives or other cultural facilities, particularly where preventive conservation and collections safeguarding requirements are relevant; experience related to Aleppo National Museum or comparable institutions would be an asset.
• Experience working with governmental heritage authorities such as DGAM, and/or with UNESCO, other United Nations entities, ICOMOS, ICCROM, ALIPH or comparable international heritage organizations on projects implemented in Syria or the region.
• Experience contributing technical inputs to procurement, tendering, contract management, donor-funded projects, monitoring frameworks and technical reporting.
• Knowledge of UNESCO’s 1972 World Heritage Convention, the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, the 2011 Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape, the CURE Framework and relevant international guidance for heritage recovery and reconstruction.
• Knowledge of French would be an asset.

Skills

• Architectural Conservation
• Architectural Restoration
• Built Heritage Conservation
• Field-based Assessment
• Technical Documentation Production
• Supervision of Conservation Works
• Traditional Masonry Conservation
• Historic Structures Rehabilitation
• Building Pathology Diagnosis
• Coordination with Structural Engineers
• Conservation Principles Application
• Emergency Stabilization
• Architectural Surveys Preparation
• Measured Drawings
• Condition Assessments
• Technical Specifications
• Development of Bills of Quantities
• Cost Estimation
• Work Scheduling
• Conservation Method Statements
• Field Supervision
• Quality Control
• Technical Risk Identification
• Corrective Measures Proposal
• Project planning and monitoring
• Technical Reporting
• Stakeholder Coordination
• Heritage Impact Assessment
• Post-conflict Heritage Recovery
• Disaster Risk Reduction
• Museum Rehabilitation
• Collections Safeguarding
• Procurement Support
• Tendering and Contracts Management
• Donor-funded Project Management
• UNESCO World Heritage Convention Knowledge
• 1954 Hague Convention Knowledge
• Historic Urban Landscape Recommendation
• CURE Framework Knowledge
• ICOMOS Collaboration
• ICCROM Collaboration
• ALIPH Collaboration
• Arabic Language
• English Language

Languages

English, Arabic