Chief of Operations – Land Release Project Manager – Syria

Position description

• Place: Syria – Raqqa (with travels to basis)
• Starting date: ASAP
• Duration of contract: 12 months
• Closing date for applications: November 20th 2025

Humanity & Inclusion is an independent and impartial aid organisation working in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict and disaster. The organisation works alongside people with disabilities and vulnerable populations, taking action and bearing witness in order to respond to their essential needs, improve their living conditions and promote respect for their dignity and fundamental rights.

Since its creation in 1982, HI has run development programmes in more than 60 countries and responded to numerous emergencies. Today, we have a budget of approximately 255 million euros, with 4794 employees worldwide.

At Handicap International-Humanity & Inclusion, we truly believe in the importance of inclusion and diversity within our organisation. This is why we are engaged to a disability policy to encourage the inclusion and integration of people with disabilities.

Please indicate if you require any special accommodation, even at the first interview. For more information about the organisation: www.hi.org

JOB CONTEXT:

The Syrian crisis is in its 14th year and is still in semi-acute emergency, shifting slowly to resilience. According to UN figures, about 12 million people are currently affected by the crisis in Syria, including about 7 million Internally Displaced People, while over 5 million Syrians have sought refuge in neighboring countries or in Europe. The current humanitarian response only provides a patchy and partial coverage of the growing humanitarian needs. 14 years after the beginning of the crisis, the number of injured persons in Syria keeps rising, with a severe lack of healthcare in many areas. In large areas of the country, the local economy is in bad shape with local populations and IDPs in need of livelihoods assistance. The inclusion of the most vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, in the humanitarian response remains a major concern. From its office in Amman, HI is managing its Syria program which is implemented via three different hubs (Beirut, North-West and North-East), along four main pillars:

• Support to health partners (hospitals, psychosocial support centers, local Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) for the provision of multidisciplinary rehabilitation services (physical rehabilitation, psychosocial support and/or prosthetics and orthotics) and standalone psychosocial support services, through training, technical supervisions and donations of assistive devices and/or equipment.
• Humanitarian Mine action (HMA), including education to the risks and effects caused by conventional weapons (including mines, explosive remnants of war and small arms light weapons), non-technical survey of hazardous areas and clearance operations.
• Livelihoods assistance, with a combination of cash for work, vocational training, small grants for businesses and apprenticeships.
• Training and technical support to other humanitarian actors on the inclusion of people with disabilities and other vulnerable people in the humanitarian response (with a special focus on inclusive health and inclusive livelihoods).

The actual intervention is based on a mix of remote management of national teams, remote partnerships with local structures and organizations, and direct implementation programs. The access to Northeast Syria is done via Erbil, in Iraq, with the support of HI Iraq program.

YOUR MISSION:

Working with support from HQ AVR Land Release Specialists and general direction and line management from the Hub Manager North-East Syria, the Chief of Operations (CoOps) – also called Land Release Project Manager (LRPM) at HI – leads the implementation of Humanity & Inclusion’s Mine Action operational strategy in the Syria in the implementing areas of Hama, Raqqa and Deir ez-Zour governorates, with potential extensions to other areas upon funding obtention.

They draw on global and national best practices in all elements of Humanitarian Mine Action, training, external cooperation and beyond, to enhance and steer HI’s Mine Action efforts. While providing technical expertise to the program as well as the Mine Action projects, they ensure all programmatic, operational, and strategical elements comply with all the relevant international/national standards and internal SOPs in coordination with the relevant HI staff including technical referents and management.

As the CoO, you will plan your activities closely with the Technical Field Managers (TFM) – also called Land Release Project Officers (LRPO) – and the Armed Violence Reduction Project Manager and Officer at HI. The TFMs will work very closely with other Technical Advisors, National Demining Supervisors and other demining team members.

Responsibility 1. Oversee EO-related safety and awareness aspects across the Syria Program:

• Support all relevant HI and partners field activities, including humanitarian access and security (HAS), in the distribution of effective and relevant EO related awareness and safe practices.
• Provide direct advice to HASM on EO related security matters and threat assessments.
• With direct liaison and support to Local Mine Action Authorities, ensure all activities are
• safely executed and are within HI’s mandate, insurance requirements and SOPs.
• Identify training needs and skill gaps of HI staff in relation to EO awareness.
• Provide or facilitate EO relevant training where applicable.

Responsibility 2. Contributes to AVR and land release strategy development:

• Assesses needs, feasibility, opportunities, and risks of potential land release activities in Syria.
• Contributes to the development of HI’s AVR strategy in Syria.
• Monitors implementation of HI’s land release strategy in Syria.
• Stays abreast of EO related trends in Syria and their impact on conflict-affected populations.

Responsibility 3. Provides guidance and technical support to Land Release components of AVR projects:

• Responsible for development and updating technical guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for NTS and clearance activities, under the technical supervision of HI’s EOD Specialists in HQ.
• Provides appropriate technical guidance (including tools) on land release.
• Develop documents for accreditation (certification) of land release activities.
• Contributes to the integration of land release with other AVR and non-AVR activities.
• Advises the Technical Unit on technical EO and land release aspects relevant for HI’s EORE and VA interventions, including for the design and update of training packages.
• Provides EO expertise to support Global HQ EORE Specialists and National EORE PMs and agents with EORE/CPP messaging and materials.
• Provides support for data analysis, together with the MEAL team.

Responsibility 4. Develop future NTS and clearance capacities:

• Develops the implementation plan for phases of land release interventions (staff recruitment plan, training plan, supply plan, financial plan) with the support and guidance of HR, finance, and logistics department.
• Leads the recruitment, inception and management of any future clearance capacities.
• Supports AVR Project Manager in the recruitment and onboarding of NTS field staff and supports THOP in integration of NTS capacity in EORE teams when relevant.
• Designs training packages on land release (including NTS) and oversees the organization and delivery of the training.
• Contributes to the drafting of new proposals for new opportunities under their technical scope.

Responsibility 5. Ensures external coordination and compliance:

• Liaises and coordinates relevant stakeholders, mine action authorities and other mine action actors on LR topics, in close collaboration with the Technical Unit and AVR Project Manager.
• Supports HI’s representation in and, when necessary and/or topically relevant, represents HI in the mine action sub-working group, Mine Action Area of Responsibility, Protection Sector meetings and other external forums or events in support of the AVR Specialist.
• Ensures that all relevant national, regional, and local permissions are in place for HI’s land release activities.
• Oversees accreditation (certification) processes for land release activities, in conjunction with other departments (HR, Finance, Logistics…).

YOUR PROFILE:

• Relevant and certified EOD and IEDD qualifications to fulfil organizational need.
• IMAS Level 3+ qualification from accredited school or organization.
• Experience in planning, managing, and supervising/controlling surveys, and clearance operations.
• Experience in NGOs and humanitarian settings.
• A thorough understanding of international mine action standards.
• Demonstrated capacities to formulate strategic thinking in the humanitarian mine action sector
• Experience in engaging high level institutional stakeholders
• Demonstrate ethical values and a constructively critical mindset.

Application instructions

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