Health Advisor for Emergency Medical Systems

Job description

GIZ has been operating in Syria since 1976. It has thus established valuable contacts in civil society and garnered experience that is now crucial for supporting the country. From 2013 onwards, it worked without government involvement with the assistance of local non-governmental organizations. Despite the difficult conditions, GIZ has consistently contributed to improving people’s living conditions.

In view of the developments since December 2024, which have led Syria into a decisive phase of transformation, GIZ reopens its Country Office in Damascus in 2026. It is currently implementing 14 projects on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Federal Foreign Office (FFO), with co-financing from the European Union and other donors. From 2026, the portfolio is planned to be expanded by several new projects.

Your tasks

• Provide strategic, technical, and process-oriented advice on the analysis, optimization, and implementation of emergency referral pathways and emergency medical services.
• Advise on the development, revision, and implementation of evidence-based national standards for emergency medical services and patient transport, including systems for quality assurance, data collection, validation, analysis, monitoring, and continuous quality improvement.
• Coordinate the implementation of activities related to the procurement, deployment, and operationalization of emergency vehicles and medical and non-medical equipment, as well as the institutionalization of related maintenance management and operating costs into the regular health budgets.
• Provide technical advisory support for the revision and further development of training, continuing education, and professional development curricula for relevant occupational groups, including referral coordinators, drivers, paramedics, emergency medical technicians, and incident commanders.
• Advise on the renovation, equipping, and operational strengthening of dispatch centers and coordination offices, including the central building of ambulance and referral system.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with the Ministry of Health, relevant government institutions, training institutions, service providers, technical experts, and other project partners to facilitate coordinated implementation and achievement of agreed results.
• Monitor, prepare and contribute to regular progress reports, implementation plans, technical documentation, and other project and indicator reporting requirements.

Your profile (required qualifications, competencies and experience)

• Advanced degree in medicine, emergency care, public health, health management or a related field.
• At least 7 years of progressive experience in the development, implementation or reform of emergency care systems, patient ambulance referral systems or pre-hospital care.
• Demonstrated experience with national emergency service strategies, implementation of protocols and quality assurance for pre-hospital care and patient management.
• Practice in curricula development, training and further education of relevant professional groups (e.g. control center personnel, drivers, EMT/paramedics, incident management).
• Several years of experience in working with health ministries and government agencies as well as in stakeholder and partner management.
• In-depth knowledge of the Syrian Emergency Care System, standards and frameworks.
• Strong understanding of inclusive HR processes and gender-responsive, disability-inclusive approaches in health workforce development.
• Experience with procurement and lifecycle management for emergency equipment and medical devices is an asset
• Professional fluency in written and spoken English and Arabic, knowledge of German is an asset