Human Rights and Reporting Advisor

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.

The project “Strengthening the Rule of Law in Syria,” funded by the BMZ, aims to reinforce and sustainably anchor the principles of the rule of law within the Syrian justice system. The project supports the professionalisation of judicial institutions by assisting training institutes and courts in improving their institutional structures, technical competencies as well as transparency and efficiency. At the same time, access to justice for the population is being expanded, including through local legal counselling services as well as information and awareness raising campaigns. In addition, the project promotes independent civil society reporting that monitors compliance with international human rights standards and helps bring relevant developments to public attention, and provide actionable recommendations to the Syrian government on its’ obligation under International Human Rights Law.

Your tasks

• Provide technical advice to local civil society actors on international human rights standards, principles, and documentation mechanisms.
• Support civil society organizations in developing robust reporting methodologies to track compliance with human rights frameworks.
• Deliver methodological support to partner organizations for drafting actionable policy recommendations on human rights compliance.
• Coordinating and managing the activities of external contractors and service providers
• Conduct comprehensive legal research and analysis on the rule of law, justice sector developments, and human rights trends in Syria.
• Produce high-quality reports, brief analytical notes, and working papers to inform project strategies and stakeholder briefings.
• Design and facilitate capacity-building workshops, technical consultations, and training sessions for civil society and human rights defenders.
• Establish operational networks with local actors, international organizations, and legal experts to strengthen project cooperation.
• Monitor and evaluate the implementation and impact of technical support activities provided to civil society partners.
• Perform additional tasks related to project implementation as requested by the project management

Your profile (required qualifications, competencies and experience)

• University degree (Bachelor’s degree or higher) in Law, International Law, Human Rights, or a closely related field.
• Minimum of 5 years of professional experience in rule of law, human rights documentation, or civil society support.
• Proven experience in managing, steering, and evaluating external short-term experts or consultants.
• Deep understanding of the Syrian socio-political and legal context, local civil society landscape, and contextual human rights challenges.
• Proven experience in legal research and drafting, analytical writing and human rights reporting
• Proven knowledge and experience of the UN human rights mechanisms.
• Proven experience in designing human rights-based training methodology and successfully delivering training and coaching programmes.
• Demonstrated success in organizing technical workshops, managing partner relationships, and handling equipment distribution processes.
• Strong soft skills and core competencies, including excellent interpersonal communication skills for high-level dialogue, meticulous attention to detail and analytical rigor in drafting, high operational flexibility to adapt to volatile environments, a strong ability to follow through on long-term institutional commitments, as well as high integrity and conflict sensitivity.
• Native or professional fluency in Arabic and full professional proficiency in English; knowledge of German is an asset.
• Excellent cross-cultural communication, adaptability in fragile contexts, and strong diplomatic skills