Program Manager (National Position)

Near East Foundation

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Title: Program Manager- NEF Syria Program

Reports to: Country Director

Location: Damascus, Syria

Type: Full-time

Travel: Up to 10%

The Near East Foundation (NEF) is seeking candidate for a Program Manager for its Syria program to be based in Damascus. NEF is a non-profit international development organization that has supported livelihoods recovery and community-based economic development in the Middle East, Africa, and Caucasus since 1915. NEF draws on local teams, experience, and partnerships in these regions to create community-led solutions to improve livelihoods and local governance among conflict and crisis-affected groups, while maintaining neutrality and ensuring inclusiveness in our approach. Working through a network of country offices and local partners, NEF currently has operations in ten countries: Armenia, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Mali, Morocco, Palestine, Sudan, South Sudan, and Syria. Our programs are organized around three pillars: Inclusive Economic Development, Climate-resilient Development, and Stabilization and Peacebuilding.

Position Description:

The Program Manager, in coordination with the Country Director, shall lead the planning implementation and closing of NEF projects in Syria including oversight and management of Syria-based staff as well as management of subcontractors. The Program Manager will also manage all program related activities, ensuring that they align with donor and organizational objectives, delivering high-quality outcomes within the approved budget and timeline. He/She will support the compliance and communications of the program and represent NEF and its Syria program to outside parties as or when needed.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Develop detailed program plans that outline the objectives, timeline, and resources required.
• Coordinate and prioritize activities across multiple projects under the program.
• Ensure all program activities are executed according to schedule and meet quality standards. Monitor progress against the implementation plan and ensure that activities are conducted on schedule and the deliverables are developed and submitted on a timely basis. Provide managerial support to the project team, ensuring that staff have appropriate resources and guidance to implement the project.
• Address and resolve program issues and obstacles, escalating when necessary.
• Collaborate with NEF field offices and partner organizations to maintain and share a current understanding of implementation progress and challenges.
• Ensure project compliance with local laws and with donor regulations.
• Represent NEF and the program as needed to outside parties.
• Monitor the program budget and ensure that resources are allocated effectively. Ensure that the program operates within the financial constraints and donor requirements.
• Provide regular reports to senior management on the program’s status, including key achievements, issues, and budget updates.
• Lead the planning, implementation, and close-out of a multi-project portfolio across Syria, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities, donor requirements, approved budgets, and implementation timelines.
• Develop comprehensive program implementation plans, including objectives, workplans, milestones, resource allocation, and risk mitigation strategies.
• Coordinate and oversee the delivery of multiple concurrent projects, ensuring quality implementation, timely achievement of targets, and effective cross-functional collaboration.
• Provide strategic leadership and technical guidance to multidisciplinary project teams, strengthening performance, accountability, and program quality.
• Monitor implementation progress, manage program risks, and proactively address operational challenges to ensure timely delivery of project outputs and donor commitments.
• Lead program budget management, including expenditure monitoring, forecasting, resource allocation, and financial oversight to ensure compliance with donor and organizational policies.
• Ensure full compliance with donor regulations, contractual obligations, local legislation, and NEF policies throughout the project lifecycle.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with donors, government counterparts, implementing partners, financial institutions, and other key stakeholders, representing NEF in high-level coordination meetings and external engagements.
• Prepare and review high-quality donor reports, management updates, presentations, and technical documentation, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and timely submission.
• Support business development by contributing to proposal design, technical writing, budget development, partnership building, and the identification of new funding opportunities.
• Coordinate closely with field offices and partner organizations to monitor implementation progress, resolve operational issues, and strengthen collaboration across teams.
• Promote adaptive management, organizational learning, and continuous improvement by documenting lessons learned, best practices, and program achievements, and integrating evidence into future programming.
• Support senior management in strategic planning, program expansion, and organizational decision-making, serving as Acting Country Director when required.

Qualifications & Requirements:

• Master’s degree in economics, agronomy, agricultural science, or related field.
• Demonstrated ability to successfully manage and motivate teams toward a project vision.
• Proven ability to take initiative and to develop creative solutions in project implementation.
• At least eight years of progressively responsible experience in the humanitarian, transition, or development field.
• In-depth knowledge and demonstrated engagement on Syria-specific development issues required.
• Demonstrated ability in managing sub-contractors or sub-agreements is highly desirable.
• Excellent interpersonal and oral and written communication skills.
• Previous experience in data analysis, working with indicators and targets, and report writing.
• Fluency in Arabic (Levantine dialect and MSA) and English, written and spoken is required.