Operational Agent (Group IV)

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR EUROPEAN CIVIL PROTECTION AND HUMANITARIAN AID OPERATIONS (ECHO)

ECHO Office in Syria - Damascus

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

The Directorate-General for European Civil protection and Humanitarian aid Operations (ECHO), funds relief operations for victims of natural disasters and conflicts outside the European Union. For humanitarian aid, the Commission works with about 200 operational partners, including United Nation agencies, the Red Cross/Crescent movement and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Aid is channeled impartially, straight to victims, regardless of their race, ethnic group, religion, gender, age, nationality or political affiliation.

The ECHO Office in Syria is seeking to recruit one national staff to be based in Damascus for the following position:

Operational Agent (FG IV)

Vacancy Ref: OA-DAM 2025-01

Minimum requirements:

Education:

• Secondary education or equivalent.

Knowledge and Experience:

• Minimum 3 years of relevant experience at national or international level in secretarial / assistance positions;
• Relevant experience in programme/project operations would be an asset;
• Excellent drafting skills;
• Good communication skills;
• Capable of working under pressure in a multitasking position;
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment;
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc).

Languages

• A Good knowledge of the English language (verbal & written).
• Fluency in Arabic (Verbal & written).

Detailed Terms of Reference (including competencies required and more detailed information on the tasks) are available here: TERMS OF REFERENCE.pdf

How to apply

This is a local position open to nationals and other residents of Syria with valid work and residence permits. DG ECHO applies a policy of equal opportunities. Our recruitment policy is based on respect for diversity, maintaining the gender balance, as well as the balance between professional and private life, and support for training and development opportunities.

The contract is initially for one year with the possibility of renewal subject to a 3-month probationary period that may be extended once without exceeding 6 months.

As an indication, the basic monthly salary is on average approximately EUR 1,604 which corresponds to 3 years’ relevant work experience. The salary will be adapted according to the exact duration of relevant professional experience supported by a work certificate. In addition, the employee will receive disability/retirement allowance, a 13th salary, as well as medical coverage. Considering that salaries in Syria are paid in USD.

Shortlisted candidates will have to bring the full supporting documentation in original with them during the testing or interview stage in addition to references (including contact details of the HR department and the supervisor) that can be consulted by ECHO. At least one of the references must include a recent employer.

Candidates who meet the required standards and demonstrate strong performance during the selection process but are not initially selected for the position may be placed on a reserve list. Inclusion on the reserve list does not guarantee future selection. This list will remain valid for a period of 1 year from the date of final selection, during which candidates may be considered for similar positions should vacancies arise.

Interested candidates MUST submit:

• a cover letter setting out the candidate’s motivation and suitability for the position,
• a detailed CV in English in the EUROPASS CV Template only which can be found at https://europass.europa.eu/en/create-europass-cv
• academic and employment certificates.

Documents should be shared via this mailbox: [email protected] until 09/09/2025 midnight Damascus local time at the latest.

The vacancy reference must be indicated in the subject line, applications with no vacancy reference number will not be considered.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. NO INFORMATION WILL BE GIVEN BY PHONE. Candidates who will not have been contacted by 08/11/2025 should consider that they have not been selected.

The national staff members observe the NS Code of Conduct published on https://ec.europa.eu/echo/who/about-echo/field-network_en

Any processing of your personal data will be done in accordance with the applicable EU legislation (Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data. The privacy statement can be found on ECHO website.

https://ec.europa.eu/echo/system/files/2020-01/privacy_statement_recruitment_ns_final_version.pdf

Any form of canvassing, soliciting or influencing will be treated as grounds for disqualification

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