BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

Over more than a decade, Syria has faced a relentless crisis that has driven hunger and humanitarian needs to unprecedented heights. The convergence of ongoing insecurity, widespread displacement, economic deterioration, infrastructural damage, and inadequate basic services has severely heightened vulnerability among men, women, and children. According to the 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO), a staggering 12.9 million people, or 55% of the population, are food insecure, including 3.1 million facing severe food insecurity. Additionally, 2.6 million people are at imminent risk of becoming food insecure. In today”s Syria, the minimum wage can only afford a fifth of a family”s food needs.

The VAM team is a technical information and decision support service for WFP and partners. The team aims to provide high quality and timely information to support and inform operational decision-making and well designed and better targeted programmes. This includes conducting household assessments, food security monitoring, geo spatial analysis, monitoring of food prices in local markets as well as conducting emergency food security surveys and in-depth studies to understand the nature of food insecurity affecting a population. VAM also assesses the risks to people’s livelihoods as well as tracking emerging food security problems.
Under the overall guidance of the head of Research Assessment and Monitoring (RAM) team, and the direct supervision of the National VAM officer (Lead Food Security Analyst), the incumbent will have the responsibility of conducting food security assessments and related analysis in Syria WFP Country Office.

CONTRACT DETAILS:

Contract Type: Fixed Term (FT)
Duration: 12 months
Duty Station: Damascus Country Office.
Number of required employees: 1
The position is advertised internally and externally.

ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Under the direct supervision of the Food Security Analyst, and within delegated authority, the incumbent will be responsible for the following duties:
• Contribute to the drafting, design, publication, and dissemination of food security and market analysis products, including mVAM bulletins, food security assessments, and market assessments, in line with WFP standards.
• Provide support to the Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) team in the preparation and design of Post-Distribution Monitoring (PDM) reports, and ad-hoc outcome analytical products.
• Assist the Food Security Analysis and Monitoring team in transforming complex datasets into clear, concise, and user-friendly communication products tailored to diverse audiences.
• Lead on the dissemination of RAM (Research, Assessment, and Monitoring) products through internal and external channels, ensuring timely and strategic outreach.
• Oversee knowledge management and archiving systems within the RAM unit to ensure effective documentation, storage, and retrieval of key data, products, and reports.
• Coordinate the design and delivery of capacity strengthening initiatives for RAM staff and partners, including planning, implementation, and reporting.
• Support the implementation and operational management of food security assessments, including procurement, contracting, invoicing, and coordination with partners.
• Collaborate with the GIS Officer to support the production of maps and visualizations, utilizing appropriate data visualization platforms and tools.
• Collaborate with other RAM team members to create dashboards and visualization products.
• Draft meeting minutes, maintain an action point tracker, and follow up on the implementation of decisions and commitments within the VAM unit.
• Conduct food security analyses and contribute to analytical outputs as required.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Functional Capabilities and required skills:
The incumbent will require the following skills to be able to complete the expected responsibilities effectively:
Solid understanding of food security concepts, with proven ability in analytical reporting and narrative development.
Demonstrated experience in designing high-quality reports, PowerPoint presentations, and data-driven dashboards for diverse audiences.
Proficiency in developing interactive dashboards using tools such as Tableau, Power BI, R Shiny, or similar platforms.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:
Education:

• Completion of secondary school education.
• Preferably a university degree in Social Studies, Mathematics, Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, Economics or other related fields.

Education:
Minimum 6 years of experience composed of a minimum of 4 years of relevant work experience in research, reporting writing, and data visualization and 2 years in any other field but preferably in the field of the position.

Knowledge & Skills:
Knowledge of presenting complex data into both operational and executive visual summaries.
Understanding of GIS and Remote Sensing.
Good communicator and able to train large groups of people
Languages:
Fluency (Level C) in both oral and written communication in Arabic and English.