About ONSUR:
The International Association for Relief and Development (ONSUR) is a non-governmental organization established in early 2012 and registered in Syria. ONSUR is dedicated to implementing relief and development projects that empower local communities and promote a dignified life for vulnerable populations. , the organization operates through a network of execution offices in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Turkey, and Yemen. ONSUR delivers humanitarian assistance and sustainable development initiatives in conflict-affected regions, with a focus on transparency, community engagement, and long-term impact.
Location: Damascus
POSITION SUMMARY:
The Early Recovery and Livelihood Program Coordinator provides technical and operational leadership for ONSUR’s early recovery, livelihoods, and economic empowerment portfolio . The postholder leads the development and implementation of market-informed interventions that restore productive assets, strengthen local economies, create decent employment and self-employment opportunities, and help crisis-affected households move towards sustainable income and greater economic self-reliance.
A core responsibility of the role is to lead ONSUR’s economic empowerment initiatives across multiple complementary modalities: micro, small and medium-sized enterprise (MSME/SME) development; small business and start-up grants; entrepreneurship and business recovery support; agricultural and rural economic development; vocational skills and employment pathways; and market and value-chain linkages.
The coordinator ensures that these interventions are inclusive, economically viable, accountable, compliant with donor requirements, and tailored to local market conditions.
Duties and Responsibilities
Key Responsibilities
1. Skills development, employment and community economic recovery
• Oversee market-driven vocational and technical training, apprenticeships, employability skills, job placement and business start-up pathways, ensuring curricula and trades reflect realistic employment and enterprise demand.
• Connect graduates to employers, mentorship, relevant business networks, start-up toolkits or eligible enterprise grants, with follow-up that tracks transition from training to sustainable work or self-employment.
• Provide technical oversight of cash-for-work and labor-intensive rehabilitation initiatives that restore community or productive assets while promoting safe working conditions, fair and transparent worker selection, and appropriate employment standards.
• Coordinate with Shelter, WASH, FSL, Protection and other ONSUR sectors to link rehabilitation of services and productive infrastructure with livelihood restoration and area-based economic recovery.
2. Agricultural livelihoods and rural economic recovery
• Lead agricultural economic empowerment and agribusiness interventions, working with Food Security and Livelihoods (FSL) colleagues and sector specialists to support viable farming, livestock-related activities, food processing and other rural enterprises.
• Design support packages for smallholder producers and agricultural businesses, which may include productive inputs, machinery and tools, irrigation improvements, climate-smart practices, post-harvest handling and income-generating agricultural assets, based on local feasibility.
• Strengthen producer groups, cooperatives and agricultural value chains through technical assistance, business planning, aggregation, storage, processing, marketing and buyer connections.
• Ensure interventions account for agricultural seasons, water-resource constraints, environmental sustainability, land and tenure risks, input availability, market demand and potential negative effects on local markets.
3. Economic empowerment, SMEs and small-grant initiatives
• Lead the design, rollout and technical oversight of economic empowerment interventions for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, including business establishment, recovery, expansion, formalization support where feasible, and entrepreneurship development.
• Design and manage small-grant and start-up assistance schemes (cash and/or in-kind), including clear eligibility and selection criteria, business-plan review, enterprise viability assessment, due diligence, approval workflows, grant documentation, disbursement coordination and post-grant verification.
• Ensure that grant packages are paired, where appropriate, with tailored business development services, financial literacy, basic bookkeeping, market research, coaching, mentorship, and follow-up support to improve business continuity and growth.
• Develop enterprise support interventions that strengthen productive capacities through tools, equipment, working capital or other eligible inputs, based on demonstrable business needs and donor-approved programme modalities.
• Facilitate linkages between supported enterprises and relevant suppliers, customers, buyers, business networks, chambers of commerce and service providers; promote local procurement and sustainable market participation.
• Promote equitable access to opportunities for women, young people, returnees, displaced populations, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups, with appropriate protection safeguards and market-based targeting.
4. Strategy, programme design and resource mobilization
• Lead the technical direction and planning of ONSUR’s Early Recovery, Livelihoods and Economic Empowerment programming, aligned with organizational priorities, area-based recovery approaches, and relevant coordination frameworks.
• Oversee household economic assessments, labour-market studies, market-system and value-chain assessments, business feasibility analysis, and context/risk analysis to identify viable livelihood and enterprise opportunities.
• Design integrated, evidence-based interventions and implementation models; develop theories of change, results frameworks, activity packages, technical specifications, detailed budgets, and operational plans.
• Lead the technical development of concept notes and proposals for livelihoods, MSME support, small grants, agribusiness, cash-for-work and other early recovery interventions, in coordination with Programs, Finance, Supply Chain and MEAL teams.
5. Implementation quality, grant controls and risk management
• Guide project teams in preparing realistic workplans, procurement requirements, cash forecasts, technical guidelines, beneficiary-targeting tools and implementation schedules; monitor delivery, budgets and results against approved plans.
• Develop and maintain fit-for-purpose Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and quality-assurance processes for livelihood assistance, enterprise support and grant mechanisms, including transparent selection, verification, approvals, documentation and follow-up.
• Coordinate closely with Finance and Supply Chain on grant transfers, vendor or beneficiary payments, procurement, asset handover, financial documentation and verification, maintaining appropriate segregation of duties.
• Carry out regular field monitoring and technical reviews, identify delivery bottlenecks and emerging economic or protection risks, and agree corrective actions with project teams and management.
• Ensure activities follow ONSUR policies, donor rules, anti-fraud measures, safeguarding/PSEA requirements, conflict-sensitive and do-no-harm approaches, accountability to affected people, data protection and inclusion standards.
6. MEAL, reporting, sustainability and learning
• Work with the MEAL team to establish baselines, realistic outcome indicators, market monitoring plans, beneficiary feedback mechanisms, post-distribution monitoring and, where relevant, follow-up/tracer assessments.
• Monitor meaningful economic outcomes such as enterprise survival or growth, income improvement, employment or self-employment, grant utilization, productive capacity, agricultural earnings and sustained access to markets—not only activity completion.
• Analyze performance, delivery costs, inclusion and sustainability risks; use evidence and lessons learned to adapt Program design and improve results.
• Consolidate accurate technical inputs for donor and internal reporting, success stories and learning products, ensuring consistency with verified data, expenditure information and donor requirements.
7. Team leadership, partnerships and representation
• Provide technical supervision, mentoring and quality assurance to ERL project managers, officers and field teams; identify capacity gaps and deliver practical training on business development, grants, agriculture and market-based programming.
• Build working relationships with relevant local authorities, agricultural and economic directorates, private-sector actors, financial-service and business-development providers, producer groups, NGOs and community representatives.
• Represent ONSUR in relevant Early Recovery, Livelihoods, FSL and economic empowerment coordination structures and technical discussions, as delegated by the Programs Manager.
• Ensure meaningful participation of communities and foster coordination across Programs to avoid duplication, support complementarity and strengthen locally led recovery.
8. Safeguarding and Compliance
• Ensure all interventions are designed and implemented with due consideration of protection, gender, age, disability inclusion, housing-land-and-property rights, conflict sensitivity, and the do-no-harm principle.
• Promote safe, accessible, and accountable programming and ensure staff, contractors, and communities understand feedback and reporting mechanisms for misconduct or abuse.
• Ensure compliance with ONSUR’s Code of Conduct, Child Safeguarding Policy, PSEA standards, procurement rules, technical approvals, and donor requirements.
• Report safeguarding, fraud, safety, environmental, or compliance concerns through established organizational procedures and support timely corrective action.
Note:
The above responsibilities are illustrative and not exhaustive. Additional tasks may be assigned based on organizational needs and evolving program requirements.
Required Qualifications & Experience
Education:
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in Economics, Business Administration, Agriculture, Agribusiness, International Development, Development Studies or another relevant discipline. A postgraduate qualification is an advantage.
Experience:
- Experience: Minimum 03 years of relevant experience in humanitarian, early recovery, livelihoods or economic development programming, including Program/project management or technical coordination responsibilities.
Technical Skills
- Technical experience: Demonstrated practical experience in economic empowerment, ideally spanning at least two modalities such as MSME/SME development, small-business or start-up grants, entrepreneurship support, agricultural livelihoods/agribusiness, vocational training or employment creation.
- Knowledge: Strong understanding of market-based livelihoods approaches, business feasibility and selection, grant-management controls, private-sector engagement, risk management and sustainable income-generation pathways. Familiarity with Syria’s economic and agricultural context is a strong asset.
Core Competencies
- Strong coordination, communication, negotiation, leadership, and decision-making skills.
• Ability and willingness to travel within Syria and to ONSUR’s project locations as required.
• Commitment to upholding the highest standards of safeguarding, accountability, technical integrity, impartiality, and professional ethics
Languages:
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills in Arabic and English.
Child Protection Policy
ONSUR maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy toward all forms of child abuse and exploitation. The organization is fully committed to creating and maintaining a child-safe environment across all areas of its work. All employees are expected to uphold the highest standards of behavior to ensure the safety and well-being of children, and any breach of this policy will result in immediate disciplinary action.
Anti-Discrimination, Harassment, and Abuse Policy
ONSUR is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and respectful workplace for all. Discrimination, harassment, or abuse of any kind — whether based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, age, disability, marital status, citizenship, or military status — is strictly prohibited and will not be tolerated.
All staff are expected to promote a culture of respect and integrity. Participation in any form of abuse, harassment (verbal, physical, or sexual), intimidation, or exploitation — whether inside or outside the workplace — is a violation of ONSUR’s core values and policies.
Diversity & Inclusion
ONSUR is strongly committed to gender equality and encourages qualified female candidates to apply for this position.
How to apply
Interested candidates are invited to apply by filling out the Google Form linked below. Please provide your CV explaining your relevant experience for the role.
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Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. ONSUR reserves the right to close the vacancy before the deadline if a suitable candidate is identified