Job Description Title Support Services Director
Location Damascus - Syria Country Office
Travel 30%
Job Family and Level Management & Leadership Family M8
Pre hire checks This role is classified as requiring enhanced pre-employment checks and due-diligence
Context
Relief International (RI) is an international non-profit organization that partners with communities impacted by conflict, climate change and disaster to save lives, build greater resilience and promote long-term health and wellbeing.
Our team of more than 4,000 staff and local volunteers work in 14 countries across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, providing Health and Nutrition, WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene), Education and Livelihoods programming that creates the foundation for community resilience.
We do this by working with local actors to develop safe and inclusive local programming that is evidence based, conflict sensitive, climate smart, and reaches those in need.
Relief International is an alliance of four organizations with one shared mission, comprised of Relief International, Inc., Relief International-France, Relief International-UK and Relief International-Europe, which operate under a one-team concept under a single senior leadership team.
Job Profile
The Support Services Director (SSD) is a member of the Country Senior Management Team and serves as the Country Director's principal strategic advisor on support services, operational performance, compliance, and organizational risk.
Your role will be to provide strategic leadership, oversight, and direction across Finance, Human Resources, Supply Chain and Logistics, Administration, Information Technology, and Operational Risk Management. You will ensure that effective systems, resources, and internal controls are in place to enable quality program implementation, ensure donor and organizational compliance, manage operational risks, and support the country program's strategic priorities and sustainable growth.
You will ensure that support services operate as strategic enablers of humanitarian and development programming while promoting accountability, service excellence, innovation, continuous improvement, safeguarding, and adherence to Relief International's values and ethical standards.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership and Senior Management
- Serve as a core member of the Country SMT and contribute to strategic planning, organizational development, risk management, and decision-making.
- Lead the development and implementation of country support services strategies aligned with RI's global policies and country strategic objectives.
- Ensure support services deliver timely, efficient, and client-focused support to programme operations while maintaining compliance with organizational and donor requirements.
- Ensure effective integration and coordination between support services and program teams.
- Advise the Country Director on operational capacity, organizational risks, compliance requirements, and resource allocation.
- Drive organizational effectiveness through continuous improvement of systems, structures, and processes.
- Lead annual planning processes related to support services and contribute to country strategy development.
- Represent RI with donors, government authorities, auditors, UN agencies, NGO coordination forums, and external stakeholders on support service matters.
- Participate in relevant coordination platforms related to finance, logistics, operations, and compliance.
- Directly supervise senior managers responsible for Finance, Human Resources, Supply Chain, Administration, IT, and other support functions as applicable.
Finance Leadership and Compliance
- Provide strategic oversight of all financial management functions including budgeting, forecasting, accounting, reporting, treasury management, and financial controls.
- Ensure compliance with donor regulations, local legislation, RI policies, and international accounting standards.
- Oversee the preparation and monitoring of country master budget and support proposal development processes.
- Strengthening financial risk management systems and internal control mechanisms.
- Ensure timely and accurate financial reporting to headquarters, donors, and regulatory authorities.
- Lead external and internal audits and ensure implementation of audit recommendations.
- Monitor budget performance and support corrective action planning where required.
Human Resources Leadership
- Provide strategic leadership for all HR functions including workforce planning, recruitment, performance management, compensation and benefits, learning and development, employee relations, and staff wellbeing.
- Ensure compliance with national labor laws and RI global HR policies.
- Promote diversity, equity, inclusion, safeguarding, and ethical workplace practices.
- Lead succession planning and talent development initiatives for national and international staff.
- Foster a high-performance culture focused on accountability, professional growth, and staff engagement.
- Ensure HR systems and policies remain current, effective, and responsive to operational needs.
- Oversee implementation of staff performance management and organizational learning initiatives.
Supply Chain, Logistics and Operations
- Provide strategic leadership and risk-based oversight of procurement, logistics, warehousing, fleet, asset management, facilities, and administration functions, ensuring they operate as integrated enablers of timely, compliant, and accountable Programme delivery.
- Ensure supply chain and operations systems are compliant, efficient, transparent, and responsive to programmatic priorities, with clear service standards, performance indicators, and escalation mechanisms to improve delivery performance and accountability across field locations.
- Lead country procurement, distribution, demand planning, and forecasting processes, ensuring programme pipelines, procurement plans, stock levels, delivery schedules, and supplier capacity are regularly reviewed and aligned with implementation plans and funding requirements.
- Strengthen supplier management, market analysis, procurement risk mitigation, and due-diligence processes, including monitoring of supplier performance, sanctions and compliance risks, fraud and corruption risks, market volatility, and continuity of supply for critical goods and services.
- Ensure operational readiness to support emergency responses, scale-ups, and field expansion.
- Oversee administration systems, legal compliance requirements, registration matters, and office management functions.
- Promote sustainable and environmentally responsible operational practices
- Facilitate regular cross-functional planning with programmes, finance, security, grants, and field teams to align procurement pipelines, cash-flow needs, logistics capacity, access constraints, donor requirements, and implementation priorities.
Information Technology and Systems
- Ensure effective management of IT infrastructure, systems security, connectivity, and digital services.
- Promote the use of organizational systems and digital solutions to improve efficiency and accountability.
- Support digital transformation initiatives and data-driven decision-making.
- Ensure adequate business continuity and data protection measures are implemented across all locations.
Risk Management, Governance and Compliance
- Lead the development and implementation of country-level operational risk management frameworks.
- Maintain and regularly review organizational risk registers and mitigation plans.
- Ensure effective internal controls across all support functions.
- Support compliance reviews, investigations, donor verifications, and audits.
- Ensure adherence to RI safeguarding, anti-fraud, anti-corruption, ethics, and compliance standards.
- Advise SMT on emerging operational, financial, legal, and reputational risks.
Behavior and Conduct
- Demonstrate the highest standards of integrity, professionalism, and ethical conduct.
- Champion RI's values, Code of Conduct, safeguarding principles, and accountability commitments.
- Promote a culture of transparency, respect, inclusion, and responsibility.
- Foster collaboration and knowledge sharing across departments and field locations.
- Promote a culture of service excellence and continuous improvement throughout support services.
- Ensure all managed staff understand and comply with RI policies and procedures.
- Report concerns and support organizational mechanisms related to safeguarding, fraud prevention, and risk management.
Person Specification
Skills, knowledge, and expertise are required for the role.
- Master's degree in business administration, Finance, Accounting, Supply Chain Management, Human Resources, International Development, Economics, or another relevant field.
- Professional certifications in finance, procurement, logistics, HR, risk management, or project management are desirable.
- Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible management experience in humanitarian, development, or complex operational environments.
- At least 5 years in a senior leadership role overseeing multiple support service functions.
- Demonstrated experience managing Finance, Human Resources, Supply Chain, Administration, and operational support systems.
- Strong experience managing institutional donor compliance (e.g. ECHO, BHA/USAID, FCDO, UN agencies and EU-funded awards).
- Experience leading organizational growth, change management, and operational transformation initiatives.
- Proven experience managing audits, compliance reviews, and organizational risk management processes.
- Experience working in insecure, fragile, or emergency settings preferred.
- Exceptional leadership, external representation, and team management skills.
- Proven ability to solve complex problems and deliver innovative solutions.
- Full professional proficiency in English (written and spoken).
Desirable criteria:
- Knowledge of Syria humanitarian context or Middle East geopolitical dynamics.
- Experience with Relief International programs and systems.
- Proficiency in Arabic or other relevant languages.
RI Values
Guided by the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence, as well as “Do No Harm,” Relief International Values:
- Integrity
- Adaptability
- Collaboration
- Inclusivity
- Sustainability
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