Vacancy Ref: HIHFAD-2025-308
Job Title: Head of Programs (Programs Director)
Department: Programs Division
Direct report to: Country Director
Job Location: HQ / Damascus – Syria
Job Type: Full time
Closing date: 15/12/2025
Job overview
The Director of Programs provides strategic, technical, and operational leadership for all programmatic functions of the organization. This role ensures that programs are designed and implemented with excellence, accountability, and measurable impact while fully aligning with organizational strategy, donor requirements, and global humanitarian standards.
The Director of Programs oversees program implementation across all sectors including Health, Protection, Nutrition, WASH, Education, ERL, Food Security, and Emergency Response. The role also leads program quality assurance, community engagement, partnership development, and cross-departmental coordination, ensuring that programs remain responsive, culturally appropriate, inclusive, and conflict-sensitive.
1. Strategic Program Leadership & Quality Assurance
- Lead the development, implementation, and periodic review of the Country Program Strategy.
- Ensure all programs align with international humanitarian standards (CHS, Sphere, and Do No Harm).
- Provide strategic oversight for program portfolios.
- Coordinate needs assessments and situational analyses to ensure evidence-based programming.
- Champion innovation, sustainability, and community-centered design in all interventions.
- Ensure programmatic compliance with donor rules and national legal frameworks.
- Oversee quality assurance mechanisms including program reviews, audits, and learning cycles.
2. Program Implementation & Performance Management
- Lead and supervise implementation of all projects ensuring quality, timeliness, and effectiveness.
- Monitor program performance using KPIs, workplans, and results frameworks.
- Approve detailed implementation plans (DIPs), procurement plans, HR plans, and MEAL plans.
- Mitigate operational risks and ensure timely corrective actions.
- Ensure seamless collaboration between Programs, MEAL, HR, Finance, Operations, and Security.
- Ensure all projects maintain robust safeguarding, protection, and GESI integration.
3. Community Integration & Partnership Development
- Ensure meaningful and inclusive community participation across the entire program cycle.
- Lead development of community engagement strategies.
- Participate on Building and maintaining partnerships with INGOs, local NGOs, community groups, and government entities.
- Oversee capacity strengthening plans for partner organizations (CBLA/CB Strengthening).
- Ensure cultural and conflict sensitivity is embedded into all programming.
4. Financial Management & Grants Oversight
- Ensure programs are delivered within budget and comply with donor regulations.
- Approve budget forecasts, cash projections, and re-phasing plans.
- Ensure proper linkage between programmatic planning and financial performance (BVA).
- Lead grant kick-off, grant review, and close-out processes.
- Validate narrative reports before submission to donors and headquarters.
- Ensure procurement and logistics plans align with program requirements.
5. Team Leadership & Organizational Capacity Building
- Directly supervise Program Managers, and technical advisors.
- Establish clear performance objectives and accountability structures.
- Identify capacity gaps and implement structured development plans.
- Foster a collaborative, inclusive work environment that upholds organizational values.
- Ensure strong safeguarding practices and compliance across all teams.
6. Representation & External Relations
- Serve as primary programmatic focal point for donors, coordination's Platforms, and government authorities.
- Build strategic partnerships to expand organizational reputation and funding opportunities.
- Represent the organization at national and international events and forums.
- Contributes to the development of fundraising and donor engagement strategies.
Background Knowledge & Experience
Education Level: Advanced degree in International Development, Public Health, Humanitarian Studies, or related field.
Work Experience: Minimum 10 years of progressive experience in NGO program leadership.
Skills and Abilities
• Demonstrated experience managing multi-sector, multi-million-dollar portfolios.
• Strong knowledge of humanitarian standards (CHS, Sphere).
• Experience working in complex, high-risk environments.
• Excellent leadership, communication, analytical, and negotiation skills.
• Proven experience in donor relations (UN, ECHO, USAID, BHA, SCHF, EU).
• Fluency in English; Arabic is an asset
• Strategic Thinking & Innovation
• Program Quality & Impact Orientation
• Leadership & Staff Development
• Partnership Building
• Risk Management & Decision-making
• Accountability & Safeguarding Commitment
• Financial Acumen & Grants Understanding
Disclaimer
Hand in Hand for Aid and Development is committed to creating an inclusive and diverse work environment where all qualified candidates receive consideration based solely on their experience and capabilities. As a humanitarian organization, we recognize the importance of diversity and are committed to ensuring that discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender, age, ethnicity, religion, disability, or marital status does not occur.
We adhere to the Humanitarian Principles and believe that the rights of all individuals, including children, women, and adults at risk, must be safeguarded. We are accountable to the communities we serve, and it is our responsibility to ensure that we do not contribute to their further harm or expose them to additional risks.
Hand in Hand for Aid and Development has a zero-tolerance policy for any form of exploitation, abuse, harassment, or discrimination. To ensure the safety and protection of those we serve, we conduct a range of pre-employment screenings and checks in accordance with our Safeguarding Policy.
HiHFAD renounces all forms of terrorism and will never knowingly support, tolerate or encourage terrorism or the activities of those who embrace terrorism or money laundering. Consistent with numerous United Nations Security Council resolutions, including 1267 Committee list of terrorists and terrorist financiers, S/RES/1269(1999), S/RES 1368(2001) and S/RES1373(2001) and the European Union, HIHFAD is firmly committed to the international fight against terrorism and in particular against the financing of terrorism. It is the policy of HIHFAD to seek to ensure that none of its and its donor funds is used, directly or indirectly, to provide support to individuals or entities associated with terrorism or money laundering. Therefore, HIHFAD will match employees, volunteers and contracted persons against the Sanctions lists on a regular basis
This vacancy is contingent upon project confirmation from the donor.
Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for interview.
In case you meet the requirements and that you are interested in the position, please fill the application via the following link: https://forms.gle/RqriBVTmkKhzUYhV7
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