Oxfam is a global movement of people working together to end the injustice of poverty.
Oxfam in Syria is looking for Human Resources Manager based in Damascus, Syria
TEAM PURPOSE: To provide a professional, business focussed organisational development and human
resource management service, delivering a proactive and solutions based approach for resolving issues
and ensuring that staff are effectively resourced, managed and developed to deliver organisational
strategy.
JOB PURPOSE: To provide support to the Country Director and Leadership Team in order to achieve the
country strategy and Oxfam’s mission, being aligned to the Oxfam People Strategy. To interpret strategy to
develop and implement operational plans to support the delivery of quality programmes, through skilled
people resources.
Drawing on deep functional HR process and policy knowledge, and as custodian of HR policies and services
in country, deliver the HR country plan to ensure that staff have the full range of skills and capabilities
required to implement the country strategy. Ensures that all staffing issues are managed in line with Oxfam
Policy and procedures and facilitate effective implementation with managers, by working alongside
managers, to support delivery.
DIMENSIONS OF THE ROLE:
• Decisions are made within a professional specialist, country context to further the objectives of Oxfam
and with reference to the external HR environment.
• Use judgement, weighting risk against the imperative to act. We make decisions consistent with
organizational strategies and values.
• Impact of this role is significant within the country could have some impact affiliate or even Oxfam-wide.
• Managing/supervising resources within Syria which include people, assets and/or budgets with defined
boundaries of the role.
• Flexibility to anticipate and resolve challenges within OGB or affiliate parameters, with moderate scope as
needed
• Interpreting and applying operational and specialist information in a variety of formats from a variety of
sources
• Member of the country senior management (SMT)
• Providing professional advice to senior managers on areas of work covered in the CHRM remit.
• Lead learning and development opportunities for staff development and capacity building to support
talent development and retention for OiS.
• Legal knowledge, analysis and ability to foresee possible problems and develop solutions to diverse and
complex problems within organizational policy.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
Advisory:
• Act as a member of the Country Management Team, supporting the development of an
organizational culture that reflects our values.
• Provide detailed advice and problem resolution on complex and sensitive policy interpretation and
procedural issues to managers and employees across the range of HR processes; In all aspects of
engagement to maintain high levels of collaboration with stakeholders, standards of delivery, to
remain solution focused and to own the implications of decisions taken.
• Pro-actively anticipate and mitigate any HR risks associated with programming in an insecure and
rapidly changing context.
Change Management
Recognise changes in the internal and external environment that will impact the programme and ensure
timely communication, planning with stakeholders to inform timely response.
Talent Management
Work closely with Syria Country Programme to provide guidance and counsel on the country programme’s
overall staff development needs and assist in the process of prioritising resources in order to develop and
promote the strategic talent; with either management potential or technical expertise. To also take on a
coaching and mentoring role with senior managers to help them develop their people management skills in
order to grow talent.
Performance Management
Ensure coaching of line managers at key stages of the employee performance management cycle
(probation, interim review and annual review). Where concerns are identified to work closely with line
managers to effectively support required outcomes.
Employee Relations
• Manage all employee relation matters including grievances, disciplines and appeals in line with Oxfam
GB policies and procedures whilst taking account of the local labour law and ensuring Oxfam GB remains
complaints.
Operational:
Change Management
Co-ordinate and project-manage organisational change processes and restructures, ensuring best practice
compliance.
Talent Management
Develop an L&D plan for the Syria programme ensuring staff have the necessary skills and competence to
perform effectively in their roles and support the development of retention and succession plans for key
posts
Compensation & Benefits
Manage annual pay reviews and ensure the organisation has an appropriate, competitive and effective
approach to pay and reward. Including conducting salary surveys, ensuring appropriate salary
benchmarking and market pay analysis inform our pay positioning, and individual pay positioning.
Resource Management
• Work with recruiting managers to plan recruitment needs, oversee drafting of Job Descriptions, write
job adverts, and ensure using creative and appropriate recruitment channels to advertise vacancies.
• Ensure effective short-listing and selection processes and participate within interview panels
• Manage and coordinate all international recruitments for the Syria programme, including national
teams when necessary Employee Life- Cycle
• Accountable for all aspects of the employee life cycle from on boarding to job role changes to periods
of leave to off boarding.
HR Management
Attendance at Regional/EA HR meetings to support aligned working, methodologies, roll out of projects at
country level. In addition to provide support and engagement across projects where needed in agreement with
Line manager.
Drive data quality in the maintenance of the HR Information System (GOLD – People Soft), EArcu (recruiting
system) and any other systems, manual or electronic.
Manage and capacity build HR team focusing particularly on the competencies required for a complex
programme - at all opportunities role modelling best practice.
We’re looking for a candidate who cares about Oxfam's mission to end poverty and is personally aligned to our feminist principles and values of empowerment, accountability and inclusion in all you do.
An ideal candidate for the role will also be / have:
Experience, Knowledge & Competencies:
Essential
• Self-Awareness
• Sound judgement and decision making
• Listening
• Relationship Building
• Vision Setting
• Influencing
In addition:
• A Degree in Human Resources or related field (where appropriate in the local context) or a minimum
of 8 years demonstrated knowledge and experience of general human resource management in
complex environments, with expertise in providing a superior, proactive, business focused service.
• Demonstrated experience operating as a coordinator /HR Manager in an international NGO, with
proven experience in resourcing in fragile, humanitarian, early recovery and development contexts.
• Demonstrated experience providing leadership and direction on all HR issues, at the same time as
balancing the need to deliver effective day-to-day HR services.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with ability to develop and build and maintain trust (internal and
external); strong team player with high level of self-awareness about your actions and behaviours
• Demonstrated working knowledge and experience of Syrian labor law with the ability to interpret
and apply at ground level.
• Ability to manage the full employment lifecycle, translate and implement consistently HR
processes and procedures.
• Demonstrated experience of handling employee relations matters sensitively,, with the ability to
stop any trends and lead on initiatives to improve.
• Demonstrated experience of working within an INGO, supporting a number of satellite offices in
same country.
• Proven experience of managing teams, supporting and developing capacity of teams including
remotely.
• Successful track record of consistent personal achievement at both an operational and strategic
level.
• Demonstrating ability to spot trends and issues, propose strategic solutions, make critical
decisions and deliver practical results.
• Proven ability to plan, organise and prioritise work, manage conflicting priorities
• Excellent analytical skills.
• Demonstrated management and leadership skills, including displaying humility, ensuring strict
confidentiality and unbiased, impartial and objective decision making.
• Experience of working in a multicultural team environment with both national/global staff.
• Ability to influence and motivate others to achieve results
• Skills in MS. Office and HR Software, good numeracy and reporting.
• High degree of flexibility and willingness to travel at short notice, and often in difficult
circumstances.
• Strong ability to communicate in English, both verbally and in writing.
• Gender and cultural sensitivity, commitment and understanding of the values of Oxfam and the
principles of equal opportunities.
Desirable
• Experience with emergency response delivery in similar conflict situations is preferably
• Experience of salary benchmarking and pay positioning
• Knowledge of Arabic Language.
Organisational Values:
• Accountability – Our purpose-driven, results-focused approach means we take responsibility for our
actions and hold ourselves accountable. We believe that others should also be held accountable for their
actions.
• Empowerment – Our approach means that everyone involved with Oxfam, from our staff and supporters to
people living in poverty, should feel they can make change happen.
• Inclusiveness – We are open to everyone and embrace diversity. We believe everyone has a contribution
to make, regardless of visible and invisible differences
We offer a competitive salary and a range of additional benefits to staff including flexible working options, annual leave, additional leave allowances, company sick pay, life assurance and a range of other benefits.
From the day you join Oxfam we invite you to stretch and learn in your role. Our wide range of Learning & Development opportunities includes in-house courses, e-learning modules, on-the job learning opportunities, coaching and mentoring, and much more.
You can read more about all Oxfam has to offer here.
How to apply:
As part of your online application, please upload your up to date CV and Cover Letter explaining your suitability against the essential criteria in the job profile.
Oxfam is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behaviour at work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct; and committed to promoting the welfare of children, young people, adults and beneficiaries with whom Oxfam GB engages. Oxfam expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our code of conduct. We place a high priority on ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us.
The post holder will undertake the appropriate level of training and is responsible for ensuring that they understand and work within the safeguarding policies of the organisation.
All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks. Oxfam GB also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this Scheme, we will request information from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms his/her understanding of these recruitment procedures.
We are committed to ensuring diversity and gender equality within our organisation and encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply.
Oxfam is a global community who believe poverty isn’t inevitable. It’s an injustice that can be overcome. We are shop volunteers, women’s right activists, marathon runners, aid workers, coffee farmers, street fundraisers, goat herders, policy experts, campaigners, water engineers and more. And we won’t stop until everyone can live life without poverty for good.
Oxfam GB is a member of international confederation of 21 organisations working together with partners and local communities in the areas of humanitarian, development and campaigning, in more than 90 countries.
A thriving diverse Oxfam:
It’s people power that brings about change. To play our part as a global organisation working to overcome poverty and inequality, we need equality, diversity and inclusion across our community of staff, partners and volunteers. Together, we’re committed to becoming a more diverse workforce, better able to tackle the global challenges that face our world today.
To do that:
Subscribe & get all related jobs notification
© 2025 Oxfam