Partnership Coordinator- Damascus Syria

General Description of the Programme:

GOAL has been working in Syria since 2013, responding to the acute needs of conflict-affected communities. GOAL is working in Idleb, Aleppo, Hama, Homs and Latakia Governate, and expanding to other governorates both through direct implementation and through partners, delivering food, non-food programming to highly vulnerable populations, Nutrition, ERMS, Shelter, and WASH through support to Water units and working closely with the General Water Directorate and the line ministry (Ministry of Energy).

Job Purpose:

Reporting to the Director of Strategic Engagements, the Partnership Coordinator will provide leadership and technical expertise to advance GOAL Syria’s partnership agenda in line with GOAL Global and GOAL Syria’s country programme strategy. The Partnership Coordinator will ensure that GOAL and its partners uphold partnership principles of responsibility, results-oriented approach, accountability, transparency, and complementarity. The Partnership Coordinator will lead coordination of GOAL Syria’s partnership portfolio to safeguard strong, high-quality partnerships that deliver timely, appropriate, and effective assistance; ensure a high level of risk management and donor compliance; and lead GOAL Syria’s strong commitment to localization.  The Partnership Coordinator will lead on the expansion of GOAL Syria’s partnership portfolio to ensure it is fit for purpose in the new operating environment.

 Duties, objectives and competencies

1. Leadership & Management 

• Working closely with the Director of Strategic Engagements, lead the development of a comprehensive partnership strategy review process for GOAL Syria with defined strategic objectives and outcomes.
• Work with the Director of Strategic Engagements to ensure that budgets and resources support the implementation of the partnership strategy.
• Manage effective collaborative working relationships with Systems and Finance departments to ensure smooth, effective and streamlined engagement.
• Supervise the Partnership Officer. Overall responsibility for annual appraisals, work plans and supporting with ensure access to training and professional development resources appropriate to their skill gaps/needs.
• Represent GOAL Syria when needed at relevant forums.

 

2. Partnership Accountability & Results

• Oversee, facilitate, and coordinate aspects of partnership life cycle management, from stakeholder analysis, partner identification, due diligence, agreement, start-up, performance monitoring framework, implementation through to close-out, coordinating effectively with all programme, programme quality, systems, and compliance components.
• Coordinate the pre-award due diligence process with respect to all new partnerships, including through appropriate vetting, coordinating the pre-award assessment with other departments, analysis of risks associated with the award, and the identification and implementation of appropriate measures to manage those risks, working with other departments as appropriate.
• Report to the Director of Strategic Engagements identified capacity gaps to mitigate, prevent, and manage risk.
• Develop agenda and materials for grant opening meetings, in coordination with support functions and programme staff. Brief sub-award partners on agreements, as well as GOAL’s and donors’ rules and regulations, in coordination with the Compliance Coordinator.
• Ensure programme quality minimum standards are in place and the alignment with GOAL country strategic plans.
• Support the development of programme quality strategies, targets and workplans with Partners in close coordination with both GOAL & partner Technical Advisors, MEAL Coordinators, Programme Coordinators; support their implementation and monitoring.
• Stay informed and updated on partner progress with regards to implementation and monitoring through reading of routine partner reports. Contribute to improvement and capacity building processes for partner reporting.
• Leading on the report templates development process in close coordination with the Grants, Finance and Programme Departments
• Coordinate effective partnership close out processes, incorporating reflection, lessons learned and future planning in collaboration with programme and programme quality teams.
• Contribute to donor reporting for partnership-related matters.
• Ensure GOAL maintains documented analysis of Partner programming and systems and review, analysis, and performance.

 

3. Promote Effective Partnerships

• Champion robust partner relationship management characterised by the core partnership principles of responsibility, results-oriented approach, accountability, transparency, and complementarity.
• Ensure appropriate proactive and reactive communications and engagement with partners through regularly scheduled partnership management meetings and outside of formal partnership relationships.
• Facilitate systematic partner feedback on GOAL’s management of the partnership relationship, as well as appropriate action in response to the feedback, engaging senior management as needed.
• In coordination with the technical coordinators, Grants Coordinator, Programme Director, and the Director of Strategic Engagements, proactively engage partners on programme development and design efforts.
• Working closely with the Director of Strategic Engagements, Country Director and Programme Director, lead the systematic mapping and analysis of potential partners and stakeholders (including NGOs, government, private sector, and academia) to identify strategic opportunities for collaboration, risk mitigation, and advocacy.
• Work closely with the Programme and Grants teams to carry out regular health check meetings to discuss GOAL team reflections on partner performance and document lessons learned and challenges in addition to doing the required follow up on the action’s points.
• Lead the two-way partnership evaluation process with all GOAL partners and implementing action plans informed by its findings.
• Collaborate with the MEAL Coordinator to promote a learning culture with GOAL and partners through facilitating and organising thematic two-way learning reviews.
• Support the Partnership Officer in completing all documents related to contracting with entities.
• Provide actionable analysis and recommendations from stakeholder mapping to inform programmatic design, resource mobilization, and strategic decision-making.

• Ensure that the stakeholder database remains updated and is regularly leveraged to guide engagement priorities and organizational positioning within the humanitarian and development landscape. 

 

4. Partner Capacity Building

• Provide and/or facilitate partnership management trainings, refresher trainings and ongoing support on partnership management, systems-support, programme quality and compliance for partners.
• Identify and assess Partner programme quality capacity-building needs and work with, and ensure a collaborative, positive, and proactive progressive working relationships with Partners.
• Collaborate with GOAL’s Global Partnership Centre on facilitating partnership management trainings, refresher trainings and ongoing support on partnership management, systems-support, programme quality and compliance for partners.
• Ensure Organisational Capacity Assessments, financial assessment, programme assessments are conducted yearly for each Partner (and as required). Assist in the development, delivery, and reporting of assessments.
• Work closely with related departments to develop yearly Organisational Capacity strengthening plans, monitor their implementation, and provide progress updates to the Partnership Coordinator.
• Carry out gap analyses and identify programme quality and other technical, and operational capacity building needs and requirements for GOAL partners. Coordinate with MEAL and programme teams to design and deliver trainings, and workshops; create and facilitate, mentoring and coaching opportunities, share online learning opportunities, best practice resources and tools etc. to strengthen Partner organizations institutionally and technically.

 

Requirements (essential)

• Degree (Masters preferred) in subject relevant to position (e.g. business administration, development studies, project management, etc.).
• Minimum 5 years working in the humanitarian, development, or NGO sectors, at country management level, and/or relevant experience in the private sector.
• Experience in partnership development, compliance and financial management within the humanitarian / development sector.
• Experience managing subawards and of working with downstream partners (sub recipients).
• Experience in designing partner mapping, two-way partner performance evaluation methodologies and capacity assessment tools, templates, SoPs, and guidelines to support partner identification, management, and support.
• Experience providing capacity building to partners.
• Strong team leadership skills; including developing, motivating, and problem solving.
• Highly developed, analytical, and relationship management skills.
• Excellent time management aptitudes, and the ability to prioritise work when under pressure.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to interact well with people.
• Proactive, independent, flexible and able to work independently on own initiative, assess risk and make plans accordingly.
• Demonstrable understanding of accountability, monitoring & evaluation, and learning principles and practices.
• Enthusiastic, committed and keen to work hard to achieve the objectives of the programme.
• Availability to travel on regular basis to other locations in Syria when needed.
• Fluency in English and Arabic, including strong writing skills in both languages.
• Excellent computer skills (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, Outlook, etc.).

 

Requirements (desired)

• Experience working in Syria/for Syria related programmes highly preferred.

 

Interested? Then apply for this position via clicking on the "apply now" button and fill out the application form. All applicants must send a Cover letter and an updated CV (no longer than four pages). Both must be in English.

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

GOAL has the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with GOAL at the same grade level and with similar job descriptions, experience, and educational requirements.

Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

The application deadline is 16 April 2026 however, you are encouraged to apply immediately as we will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis, therefore we may withdraw the position before the advertisement’s closing date if a suitable candidate/s is identified.

Please note that GOAL does not charge a fee of any kind or any other financial obligation at any stage of its recruitment process (application, interview, processing, training, induction) or other fees, or request information on applicants’ bank accounts. GOAL does not work with intermediary institutions and individuals or employment agencies during the recruitment process. If any fee or payment is requested from you at the application or any stage of the recruitment process, please do not respond.  

GOAL does not accept any responsibility for the accuracy, errors or omissions of any of the information contained in translated advertisements by an independent party on other sites or through other channels.

 

 General terms and conditions Safeguarding

Children and vulnerable adults a must be safeguarded to the maximum possible extent from deliberate or inadvertent actions and failings that place them at risk of abuse, sexual exploitation, injury and any other harm. One of the ways that GOAL shows this on-going commitment to safeguarding is to include rigorous background and reference checks in the selection process for all candidates.

Accountability within GOAL

Alongside our safeguarding policy, GOAL is an equal opportunities employer and has a set of integrity policies. Any candidate offered a job with GOAL will be expected to adhere to the following key areas of accountability:

• Comply with GOAL’s policies and procedures with respect to safeguarding, Code of Conduct, health and safety, data protection and confidentiality, do no harm principles and unacceptable behavior protocols.
• Report any concerns about the welfare of a child or vulnerable adult or any wrongdoings within our programming area.
• Report any concerns about inappropriate behavior of a GOAL staff or partner.

This Job Description only serves as a guide for the position available. GOAL reserves the right to change this document. Any published closing dates are estimated.  Due to the nature of GOAL’s work we aim to fill vacancies as quickly as possible.  This means that we will close adverts as soon as we have found the right candidate and this may be before the published closing date.  We would therefore advise interested applicants to submit an application as early as possible.

Thank you.