Country Director, Syria

The Organisation

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We believe in the power and potential of every child but know this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And it is girls who are most affected.

Working together with children, young people, supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges girls and vulnerable children face. We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood and we enable children to prepare for and respond to crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge.

For over 85 years, we have rallied other determined optimists to transform the lives of all children in more than 80 countries.

We won’t stop until we are all equal.

Our global strategy has a specific focus on girls, as they are often the most marginalised and most often left behind. We have committed ourselves to the ambitious target of reaching 200 million girls over 5 years, to ensure they can learn, lead, decide and thrive. This is our contribution to reaching the sustainable development goals, and in particular the goals on gender equality. Our organisation is transforming itself to meet the enormous challenge everywhere we work. We need bold, forward-thinking, and innovative individuals to lead our country operations, driving change and delivering results that will allow us to reach our target of 200 million girls.

Syria remains one of the world’s most complex humanitarian and political contexts, shaped by over a decade of protracted conflict compounded by the February 2023 earthquake and a significant political transition in late 2024. Plan International has been operational in Syria since 2022, working through implementing partners, and reached over 1.5 million crisis-affected people in the earthquake response alone. Our current programming spans education in emergencies, child protection and psychosocial support, youth economic empowerment, WASH, and multipurpose cash assistance, delivered through a network of local and international partners. The political transition of early 2025 has opened new opportunities but also introduced significant uncertainty around regulatory frameworks, access, and the funding landscape. Navigating this environment requires a seasoned leader with a clear-eyed understanding of Syria’s political economy, the ability to mobilise and manage funding from a diverse base of institutional donors, and an unwavering commitment to the safety and duty of care of staff operating in a volatile and unpredictable security environment. Plan International is at a pivotal moment in Syria, and this role is central to shaping what comes next.

The Opportunity

The Country Director will lead Plan International Syria’s strategic and operational efforts to deliver high-quality humanitarian and early recovery programming that addresses the needs and vulnerabilities of children, girls, youth, and affected communities across Syria, in line with the Country Strategic Plan.

The Country Director will ensure that:

• Our programmes are well-funded, contextually relevant, and responsive to humanitarian and early recovery needs, with a growing and credible presence recognised locally, regionally, and internationally.
• Our teams are motivated, skilled, and supported, and that our organisation operates effectively, efficiently, and in compliance with Plan International’s global policies, standards, and expectations. This includes ensuring robust and adaptive risk management systems suitable for a highly complex and evolving operating environment.
• Our work is guided by effective operational systems, strong financial stewardship, and sound programme management to deliver accountable, timely, and impactful interventions for children, youth, and their communities.
• Our governance and oversight structures are actively engaged and contribute effectively to organisational accountability and strategic direction.
• Safeguarding Children and Young People and Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded.

In Syria, Plan International will focus on humanitarian and early recovery programming in child protection, education, and youth economic empowerment, working primarily with and through national and local partners while strengthening local capacities and systems. The Country Director will play a leading role in establishing and positioning Plan International in Syria, building the organisation’s reputation, operational presence, and funding portfolio, while fostering strong and constructive relationships with key stakeholders, including local partners, UN agencies, donors, civil society organisations, and relevant line ministries and authorities.

The Country Director will also drive Plan International Syria’s localisation and partnership approach, promoting principled, conflict-sensitive, and context-responsive programming, and ensuring effective coordination and collaboration with partners, communities, and government stakeholders to support sustainable recovery and resilience-building efforts.

Key Responsibilities

Plan’s work in Syria is well funded, growing, and recognised locally and internationally, while remaining responsive to the needs of girls and highly vulnerable children:

• Drive forward a sustainable and inclusive Country Strategy that is aligned with Plan International’s Values and Global Strategy and our ambition under the global strategy to achieve 100 per cent gender transformative programmes and courageous local, national and regional influencing for maximum impact
• Provide leadership in exploring and diversifying new programme and business opportunities from institutional donors, conducting donor analysis needed for business plan and contributing to Plan Syria’s growth as per its strategic plan
• Representation of Plan’s work and advocacy/ campaign priorities to all key stakeholders (advisory group, local leaders, workshops, cluster groups, INGOs locally and internationally, etc.)

Plan’s work is delivered by a motivated and skilled team within an effective, efficient organisation, compliant with the policies and expectations of PII:

• Recruit, develop and retain a high performing team, skilled and motivated to deliver and support the achievement of Global and Country Strategic Plans
• Ensure that the senior management team working close to the point of impact are aligned with our purpose, strategy and values-based leadership framework and working within strong lines of horizontal and vertical mutual accountability
• Be a role model in driving positive culture change across the country office, consciously embracing and personifying the values-based leadership framework under pinned by feminist principles, holding self and others accountable for behaviours, drawing on strengths and reflecting on areas of self-development.
• Be intentionally aware of the impact and power, purposeful and visible about changing the organisational culture and our internal power dynamics and empower teams to live and participate in the culture as a group
• Ensure that the country office’s organisation design (structure, roles, people, processes, systems and leadership) is cost effective and efficient.

Plan’s work is guided by effective operations, strong financial management of budgets and performance of workplans to create a positive change for children, youth and their communities.

• Continuously improve all elements in the country office operations (grants and sponsorship management, people and financial management, safety and security, supply chain and planning and performance) to deliver excellence in performance and maximum value in development and humanitarian work to all stakeholders including the girls we work with and for, National Organisations, donors, and partners
• Ensure accurate and timely Annual Plans and Budgets for interventions and efficient and fully compliant financial management in the allocation/budgeting, disbursement, and accounting for all resources
• Deliver work on time with clear measurable impact on children and in full compliance with donor requirements and Plan International’s policies and procedures ensuring that effective monitoring and evaluation systems are in place to measure outcomes and stimulate learning within and beyond the organization
• Ensure organisational risks are identified, discussed and clear roles and responsibilities for risk management are set, and a culture where managers are able and supported to make risk based decisions is promoted.

Safeguarding Children and Young People and Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded.

• Ensure that Plan International’s global policies for Safeguarding Children and Young People and Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy including relevant Implementation Standards and Guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring staff and associates are aware of and understand their responsibilities under these policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), their relevance to their area of work, and that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures.

As Country Director, you will bring a strong background in business development, humanitarian programming, and external influencing, with the credibility and track record to sustain the momentum of Plan International’s programme in Syria and advance girls’ rights at the highest levels.

You will drive Plan International’s programme and influencing work, setting overall direction, leading a high performing team, ensuring accountability for meeting demanding targets and maintaining alignment with the global strategy.

You will be deeply comfortable with leading transformative change, have a demonstrable commitment to gender equality and relish the prospect of representing Plan International to the highest levels of government, civil society, the media, and international media.

You will understand and drive efforts to deliver positive change for girls through advocating, campaigning, and communicating at a national level. Equally, you will ensure the country-operating model is fit for purpose, we have the right funding mix to achieve our ambition, key business processes are in place and organisational values are embedded in everything we do.

You will lead by example in ensuring gender equality is evident in everything we do from staffing to programming and influencing, to ways of working. You will work with your team to bring about the right culture that ensures we are champions for girls and gender equality.

As a member of Middle East, East and Southern Africa (MEESA) regional Leadership team, the Country Director will have shared accountability, with Country Directors, Regional Director and Directors of Sub regions, to contribute to the overall learning and strategic direction of Plan International’s MEESA.

The Requirements

You are an experienced international leader with a strong track record of leading diverse, high-performing teams in complex environments.

You bring deep expertise in delivering programmes in fragile contexts, with a strong understanding of child rights, gender equality, and the wider political, social, and humanitarian landscape.

Skilled in building partnerships and influencing stakeholders across government, NGOs, and donors, you have proven capability in negotiation, donor compliance, and financial management.

A strategic and values-driven leader who sets clear direction, makes sound decisions in uncertainty, and delivers results through others, you, lead by example, champion inclusion and gender equality, and build strong, motivated teams.

An effective communicator you are able to engage and influence a wide range of audiences while fostering a culture of learning and continuous improvement.

Location: Damascus, Syria

Type of Role: Two year fixed term contract. This is a global search and support with relocation is available.

Reports to: Director of Sub Region

Closing Date: 1st July 2026

Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the very heart of everything that Plan International stands for.

We want Plan International to reflect the diversity of the communities we work with, offering equal opportunities to everyone regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

Plan International is based on a culture of inclusivity and we strive to create a workplace environment that ensures every team, in every office, in every country, is rich in diverse people, thoughts, and ideas.

We foster an organisational culture that embraces our commitment to racial justice, gender equality, girls’ rights and inclusion.

Plan International believes that in a world where children face so many threats of harm, it is our duty to ensure that we, as an organisation, do everything we can to keep children safe. This means that we have particular responsibilities to children that we come into contact with and we must not contribute in any way to harming or placing children at risk.

A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Plan International's Safeguarding Children and Young People policy. Plan International also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this scheme we will request information from 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 their understanding of these recruitment procedures.

Please note that Plan International will never send unsolicited emails requesting payment from candidates.