ILO: Project Manager – Damascus

Introduction

The garment sector in Syria, concentrated in Aleppo and Damascus and traditionally cotton based, employed some half a million people before the crisis that lasted for 14 years starting from 2011, with current estimate stands below 100,000 people. The garment sector supply chains in Syria have significant potential for creating decent job opportunities. The political change that occurred since 8th December 2024, coupled with the resilience of the sector paves the way for the revitalisation of the garment and textile sectors. Manufacturers face systemic challenges, including high energy costs, outdated machinery, market dumping from low-cost imports, and a lack of access to international markets due to sanctions. Despite these challenges, the industrial sector is determined to revive and promote the recovery of the country.

Against this backdrop, Weaving Hope is a collaborative intervention by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) aiming to enhance the competitiveness and proper job creation potential of the garment supply chain. This intervention targets the entire supply chain, from production to export, through comprehensive measures that integrate economic, social and environmental dimensions. The initiative leverages UNIDO”s technical support for infrastructure and technology improvements to incentivize factories to improve labour practices, as well as ILO’s expertise in promoting sustainable enterprises while promoting decent work, thus ensuring both productivity and livelihoods enhancement and adherence to decent work standards.

Reporting lines: The Project manager will be based in the ILO project office in Damascus and will report to the ILO Syria Country Coordinator and will receive technical backstopping support from the ILO Senior Specialist, Employers Activities, the Enterprises Specialist at the Regional Office for Arab States (ROAS) in Beirut, and technical support from Textile and Garment Advisor in Amman. The incumbent will perform the following tasks.

Description of Duties

Project management:

1. Ensure effective implementation of the Project through the provision of inputs, the delivery of outputs, and the planning, monitoring and evaluation of activities. Deliveries and outcomes must be in conformity with ILO policies and project strategies and in accordance with ILO programming guidelines and country/action programs, and the administrative and financial procedures in consultation with the responsible Field Office, if applicable.
2. Responsible for the effective management of funds/budget allocated to the project including the management of joint UN programming.
3. Manage the human resources of the project efficiently, including recruitment and performance management.
4. Prepare technical progress reports, new project documents, ILO outcome-based work plan reporting in collaboration with the Country Coordinator

Technical leadership and advice:

5. Provide technical advice and support to relevant employers’ organizations, governments, ministries and other key partners, in close collaboration with the DWT in Beirut and the Syria Country coordinator.
6. Coordinate studies and analysis as well as support and undertake enterprise assessment of labour standards and management systems at the enterprise level.
7. Support in coordination with garment, supply chain and HR expert’s specific factory level analysis in English on 1) assessments findings, 2) recommendations for improvement, 3) enterprise improvement plans, and 4) progress/monitoring report on implementation, in close coordination with ILO and UNIDO experts.
8. Design capacity building programmes in different aspects including decent work and working conditions, access to markets, etc. to improve enterprise performance and compliance, and assist in coaching, facilitating management and evaluation, using the ILO tools and standards
9. Support data collection, monitoring and evaluation of advisory activities or any other service provided.
10. Select, adapt and contextualize ILO’ enterprises development and supply chain tools for use at the individual enterprise level based on needs.
11. Write and disseminate information on project materials in close collaboration with other relevant technical specialists at HQ.

Advocacy, networking and partnership:

12. Engage with employers and business organizations and sectoral organizations in Syria to identify specific needs supporting their advocacy functions and capacity to deliver added value services to garment sector.
13. Engage with line ministries and governmental organizations or other supply chain actors  as per the project needs, including to support measures aiming at improving the sector performance such as business development support provision or market access and business procedures facilitation
14. Liaise with UNIDO and other UN counterparts to promote ILO”s values, increase the project”s visibility and facilitate the scaling-up of the project interventions.

Mobilization of resources:

15.  Undertake local and international resource mobilization activities with the multi-lateral and bilateral donor community for the development of future activities linked to the project in coordination with the responsible Country Office and PARTNERSHIPS.
16.  Undertake other duties as required.

Required qualifications

Education

Advanced university degree with demonstrated experience in international development, social sciences, industrial relations or another relevant field.

A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s or equivalent) in in one of the afore-mentioned fields or other relevant field with an additional two years of relevant experience, in addition to the required experience stated below, will be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Experience

At least seven years of relevant professional experience, including at the international level, in the management and implementation of technical assistance programmes in areas relevant to this role such as training and capacity building programmes in developing countries, social dialogue, corporate social responsibility, labour standards compliance etc. Experience of working with businesses and with the garment sector is highly desirable.

Languages

Excellent knowledge of English. Knowledge or Arabic is a strong asset.

Competencies

• Excellent leadership and management skills. Can motivate and lead multidisciplinary team of professionals and provide authoritative policy and technical advice and guidance.
• Strong strategic skills with ability to adapt them to different challenges. Skills in designing and evaluating programmes in relevant fields including evaluating capacity building programmes in developing country contexts.
• Technical knowledge of corporate social responsibility (CSR) issues, such as compliance needs assessments, remediation, capacity building and training, including a proven capacity to liaise and work with ILO constituents, and with international buyers of the textile and garment sectors.
• Demonstrated experience in industrial relations particularly in the garment sector.
• Demonstrated ability to define and resolve problems in a manner that reflects the interests of stakeholders in technical assistance projects and activities, the ILO’s commitment to fundamental principles and rights, social dialogue and tri-partism as well as supporting sustainable private sector development
• Ability to maintain effectiveness when experiencing major changes in work tasks or environment, and to adjust effectively to work within new work structures, processes, requirements or cultures.
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment and to demonstrate gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory behaviour and attitudes.

optional section (if needed)

Candidates assessed by the Panel and considered to be eligible for appointment but who are not selected for this vacant post may be offered an assignment to another position at the same or lower grade provided that they meet the minimum qualifications required