The Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM) is an independent, non-governmental, non-profit civil society organization founded in 2004. It works to achieve justice, defend human rights, promote media freedom, support civil society, and encourage active citizenship. The center has gained expertise in combating impunity and promoting the rule of law. The center has held special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council since 2011. Its work focuses on documenting human rights violations and presenting legal cases to hold perpetrators accountable, strengthening the role of victims and their families, and supporting journalists, human rights defenders, and independent media to build democracy and support civil peace. The center has established a developed database to serve as a reference for transitional justice processes.
Vacancy details:
Vacancy code: 2025VDC/01
Date to launch announcement: 19June 2025
Job title: Documentation Officer
Employer/Employeur: The Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM)
Program/ Project/ Department: Documenting violations.
Positions available: 1 vacancy.
Type of Announcement: External
Duration of the contract: 7 Months
Application deadline: 29 June 2025.
Work Station: Latakia city/Syria
Roles and Responsibilities:
- Documentation of Violations:
Conduct thorough documentation of human rights violations within the assigned geographical area by engaging directly with witnesses, victims, and credible sources. Utilize open-source information and adhere to the center’s established workflows and methodologies. - Community Engagement and Representation:
Establish and maintain effective communication with witnesses and victims while building a robust network of contacts in the assigned area. Represent the center professionally when interacting with individuals and organizations. - Collection and Entry of Testimonies:
Collect victims’ testimonies following the center’s internal protocols and ensure proper documentation by entering the collected data into the Formera database. - Project-Related Tasks:
Undertake any additional tasks assigned by the direct supervisor, focusing primarily on activities related to the project**.**
Requirement, Skills, and Experience:
- Holds a bachelor’s degree in law or/and has relevant experience in International Humanitarian Law and/or Human Rights Law
- Excellent experience working on Excel spreadsheets
- Online research experience, the ability to learn new technical issues, and a sense of initiative to develop work and its mechanisms
- Team spirit and the ability to work under pressure
- Previous experience working on human rights documentation is preferred.
- Previous experience in research using open-source intelligence is preferred
- Good knowledge of English is preferred
- At least 2 years of experience in a relevant field
- Understanding the context in the target area
- Good knowledge of political and media issues
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
- Highly motivated with a strong work ethic
About the Center:
The Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM) is an independent, non-governmental, non-profit civil society organization, founded in 2004. It works to achieve justice, defend human rights, promote media freedom, support civil society, and encourage active citizenship. The center has gained expertise in combating impunity and promoting the rule of law. The center has held special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council since 2011. Its work focuses on documenting human rights violations and presenting legal cases to hold perpetrators accountable, strengthening the role of victims and their families, and supporting journalists, human rights defenders, and independent media as a means of building democracy and fostering civil peace. The center has also established a sophisticated database to serve as a reference for transitional justice processes.
Ad details:
- Job Code: 2025 VDC/01
- Job title: Documentation Officer.
- Section: Documenting Violations.
- Number required: 1 (one).
- Ad Type: Outdoor
- Contract period: 7 months.
- Application deadline: June 29, 2025.
- Location: Latakia, Syria.
Responsibilities:
- Documenting violations:
- Implement a comprehensive documentation process for human rights violations within the geographic area assigned by the documentation coordinator, through direct communication with witnesses, victims, and reliable sources. Additionally, utilize open source information while adhering to the Center’s established working mechanisms and methodologies.
- Community Outreach and Representation:
- Establish and maintain effective communication channels with witnesses and victims, and build a strong network for the center in the assigned geographic area. Represent the center appropriately when dealing with various individuals and entities.
- Collect and enter certificates:
- Collecting victim testimonies in accordance with the center’s internal protocols, and ensuring accurate documentation of data entered into the Formera database.
- Project related tasks:
- Carry out any additional tasks assigned by the direct manager, focusing primarily on project-related activities.
Required certificates and competencies:
- Law graduate or with experience in international laws.
- Excellent experience working on Excel spreadsheets
- Online research experience, the ability to learn new technical matters, and a sense of initiative to develop work and its mechanisms
- Have a team spirit and the ability to handle work pressure
- Previous experience documenting human rights violations is preferred.
- Previous experience in open source research is preferred.
- Preferably in Lattakia.
- Good knowledge of English is preferred
- At least 2 years experience in a related field.
- Understand the context of the target area.
- Good knowledge of political and media issues
- Excellent communication and interaction skills.
- High motivation and strong work ethic.
How to apply
- How to apply:
- The CV must include contact information (telephone number, Mail address), previous experiences with professional references, academic qualifications
- CV must be in PDF with the full name of the applicant in the title
- Applications sent via
- Any application received after the deadline will be rejected.
- CVs will be reviewed after the deadline of submission, and only shortlisted will be called for interviews. We apologize for not sending replies to all.
- The CV must include full contact information (phone number – email), previous experience, including the names of the organizations with which the applicant worked, and the academic certificates he holds.
- CVs are accepted in PDF format with the full name of the person named in the file.
Applications are sent via the following link:**
- Any application submitted after the deadline will be ignored.
- The CV review process will begin after the announcement closes, and only candidates who have advanced to the second stage of the hiring process will be invited for interviews. We apologize for not responding to other applicants.