Food Security and Agriculture Program Coordinatornew

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 Food Security and Agriculture Program Coordinator leads the technical design, delivery and quality assurance of ONSUR’s food security and agricultural programming .

The role supports crisis-affected households and communities to meet immediate food needs, restore and strengthen crop and livestock production, protect productive resources, and build resilient, sustainable local food systems. Programming is informed by food availability, access, utilization and stability, and adapted to seasonal, market, climate and conflict-related risks.

The Coordinator is accountable for food-security results and the technical quality of agricultural interventions from emergency food assistance, crop and livestock inputs, agricultural extension and irrigation to animal health, post-harvest practices and the resilience of farming systems.

In ONSUR’s integrated programming, agricultural commercialization, farmer-to-market linkages, producer-enterprise development, SME support, small grants and agribusiness financing are led by the Early Recovery and Livelihoods (ERL) Program Coordinator and requires high level of coordination between the FSA and ERL programs.

This position provides the agricultural and food-security technical inputs to such initiatives and ensures interventions are complementary and well-coordinated.

Duties and Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

1. Program strategy, technical assessments and design

• Lead food security and agriculture Program planning in line with ONSUR priorities, national and local context, humanitarian principles, area-based approaches and applicable donor and sector guidance.

• Oversee household food-security assessments, agricultural needs and capacity assessments, market and price analysis, seasonal calendars, crop and livestock production assessments, water-resource considerations and conflict-sensitivity reviews.

• Develop context-specific responses that address urgent food gaps while linking, where feasible, to recovery of agricultural production, natural resources and local food systems.

• Lead technical inputs to concept notes, proposals, theories of change, log frames, budgets, implementation plans and sector-specific SOPs, working closely with Program , Finance, Supply Chain and MEAL colleagues.

2. Emergency food security and household access to food

• Provide technical leadership for appropriately targeted food assistance, including in-kind food distributions, food vouchers and cash-based food assistance where needs, markets, donor rules and risk analysis support the modality.

• Guide selection of transfer or food-basket content, adequacy, frequency, distribution arrangements and monitoring in relation to household needs, local diets, food prices, market functionality and dignity of recipients.

• Ensure sound beneficiary targeting and verification, safe and accessible delivery, appropriate food quality and shelf-life controls, post-distribution monitoring and effective community feedback processes.

• Promote nutrition-sensitive food security, food safety, dietary diversity and practical links with WASH, Health and Protection services; identify referral needs without duplicating specialist nutrition or health functions.

3. Crop production, seed systems and farmer support

• Design and technically supervise agricultural recovery packages covering quality seeds and seedlings, tools, appropriate fertilizers, soil inputs, home gardens, field crops, horticulture and protected agriculture, based on agroecological suitability.

• Strengthen smallholder production through agricultural extension, demonstration plots, farmer field schools, crop calendars, soil management, integrated pest management and safe input handling.

• Ensure agricultural inputs meet agreed quality specifications, locally appropriate varieties and planting seasons; coordinate verification, transparent distribution and post-assistance technical follow-up.

• Assess and support rehabilitation of essential on-farm productive assets and community agricultural services where feasible, with due attention to safe land access, tenure, affordability and maintenance.

4. Livestock production and animal-source food security

• Lead technically appropriate support for small-scale livestock, poultry and other relevant animal production systems, focusing on household food supply, herd or flock productivity and resilience.

• Coordinate animal feed and fodder assistance, veterinary outreach, vaccination, animal-health services, husbandry training and disease-prevention measures through suitably qualified veterinary personnel and responsible authorities.

• Promote animal welfare, biosecurity, adequate water provision, safe handling of animal-source foods and environmentally responsible livestock management.

• Monitor seasonal feed availability, animal health risks, local service capacities and the practical sustainability of supported livestock assets.

5. Irrigation, climate resilience and natural-resource stewardship

• Provide technical direction for agricultural water access and irrigation rehabilitation, including water-efficient equipment and practices, in coordination with qualified engineers and relevant authorities.

• Integrate climate-smart and resource-efficient farming practices, drought preparedness, crop diversification, soil and water conservation and other locally suitable risk-reduction measures.

• Ensure proposals are grounded in water availability, environmental and social risk screening, feasibility, safe maintenance arrangements and avoidance of harm to other water users.

• Coordinate infrastructure interfaces with WASH, Shelter and other technical teams without duplicating engineering approval or sector-specific accountabilities.

6. Agricultural services, post-harvest management and integrated technical support

• Strengthen agricultural extension networks, community seed systems, farmer technical training and access to essential agricultural inputs, veterinary support and production-related services.

• Improve on-farm and post-harvest handling, safe storage, food safety, produce quality and loss reduction to protect agricultural output and food availability.

• Assess agricultural input availability, production constraints, crop and livestock service gaps, seasonal risks and food losses, and translate findings into technically sound food security and agricultural recovery interventions.

• Coordinate with the ERL Program Coordinator on initiatives involving agricultural commercialization, farmer-to-market linkages, producer organizations and enterprises, SME support, small grants, business incubation or agribusiness finance. The ERL Program Coordinator leads the economic empowerment components; this role provides technical oversight of agricultural production, livestock systems, input quality and food-security outcomes.

7. Implementation quality, operations and risk management

• Provide technical oversight to project teams on workplans, activity sequencing, procurement specifications, bills of quantities, distribution protocols, supplier quality and seasonal delivery timelines.

• Develop or review technical guidelines, SOPs, eligibility criteria, site assessments and inspection checklists for agricultural assistance, food commodities and productive-asset rehabilitation.

• Conduct regular field visits and technical reviews; track progress, expenditure implications, input performance and implementation risks; agree corrective actions with project teams and management.

• Coordinate with Supply Chain and Finance on due diligence, commodity and input traceability, transport, storage, distribution documentation and appropriate segregation of duties.

• Enforce ONSUR and donor requirements on safeguarding, PSEA, accountability, anti-fraud, data protection, conflict sensitivity, environmental responsibility and safe access for women and marginalized groups.

8. MEAL, results measurement and reporting

• Work with MEAL colleagues to establish baselines, outcome indicators, field verification, beneficiary feedback, seasonal follow-up and suitable post-distribution monitoring systems.

• Measure food-security changes using context-appropriate indicators (for example Food Consumption Score, reduced Coping Strategies Index and dietary diversity), alongside agricultural production, yields, asset functionality and adoption of improved practices.

• Analyze food prices, crop and livestock outcomes, access barriers, environmental risks and sustainability; adjust programming based on evidence and community feedback.

• Prepare accurate technical and narrative inputs for donor reports, proposals, learning notes and internal performance reviews, reconciled with MEAL and financial records.

09. Team leadership, coordination and partnerships

• Provide technical leadership, mentoring and quality assurance for food security and agriculture staff and implementing partners, including capacity-building plans and field coaching.

• Maintain effective working relationships with agriculture and veterinary directorates, local authorities, farmers and community agricultural structures, research and extension bodies, UN agencies, NGOs and relevant agricultural service providers.

• Represent ONSUR in appropriate Food Security and Agriculture coordination platforms and technical working groups, as delegated by the Programs Manager.

• Advance integrated and area-based programming with the ERL Program Coordinator and other relevant sector teams, ensuring complementary interventions, clear technical accountabilities and appropriate referral or coordination pathways.

10. 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 agriculture, Agronomy, Agricultural Engineering, Animal Science, Veterinary Medicine, Food Security, Rural Development or a closely related field. A relevant postgraduate qualification is an advantage.

Experience:

• Experience: At least 04 years of relevant experience in food security and/or agriculture Programs, including at least two years of program management, technical supervision or sector coordination.

Technical Skills

• Technical expertise: Practical knowledge of food assistance modalities, agricultural inputs and extension, crop or livestock production, seasonal planning, food-price and agricultural-input availability assessments, and rural community-based programming.
• Experience with agricultural irrigation, climate-smart practices, producer services, post-harvest systems or natural-resource management is highly desirable; specialists should demonstrate the ability to coordinate complementary disciplines.
• Strong capability in proposal and budget preparation, technical specifications, donor compliance, risk analysis, MEAL frameworks and constructive engagement with local institutions and communities.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint; experience with data collection, GIS or analytical dashboards is an 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.