Job ID
51977
Job Title
Team Leader Syria Pharma Recovery Project
To work for
Expertise France
Country
Syria
City
Damascus
Field of Work
Education/Training - Pharmacy - Medicine/Nursing
Job Type
Full time
Minimum Education Level
Diploma
Qualifications
Mission description
About Expertise France
Expertise France is the French public agency for international technical cooperation and the leading operator in this field. As a subsidiary of the Agence Française de Développement Group (AFD Group), it designs and implements projects that contribute to the sustainable strengthening of public policies in developing and emerging countries. The agency is active in key development sectors, including governance, security, climate, health, education, and skills development. Together with its partners, it contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
EF in Syria
Expertise France has been active in Syria since 2013 as part of stabilization programs, initially implemented in areas outside the control of the former Syrian regime. As part of the humanitarian-development-peace nexus approach, its work aims to create the conditions for sustainable stabilization, economic recovery, and the strengthening of community resilience. Its work in Syria aims to strengthen human security and the resilience of affected populations by improving their livelihoods and their capacity to prepare for crises. Around 25 were implemented (access to basic services, health care, support for civil society, agriculture, economic recovery), allowing to develop partnerships with local organisations, and benefiting to more than 3,8 million people.
Since January 2025, Expertise France has been scaling up its activities throughout Syria to support reconstruction and recovery efforts, in coordination and collaboration with the Syrian government.
Syria Pharmaceutical Sector Recovery Project
Since 2011, Syria has experienced a prolonged crisis that has significantly weakened public institutions, disrupted economic systems, and reduced the capacity of essential service delivery, particularly in the health sector. Health infrastructure has been damaged, institutional capacities have eroded, and shortages of skilled personnel have constrained system functionality. Access to essential medicines remains uneven, with recurrent shortages, increased reliance on imports, and rising out-of-pocket expenditure. Pharmaceutical supply chains remain fragmented and vulnerable, while economic and financial constraints continue to limit access to raw materials, reagents, spare parts, and other essential pharmaceutical inputs.
Before the conflict, Syria had one of the most developed pharmaceutical industries in the region, supplying a large share of domestic demand and exporting to neighboring markets. Although manufacturing capacity was significantly disrupted during the conflict, parts of the industry have remained operational and gradually recovered, largely through private manufacturers that preserved technical know-how, adapted to disrupted supply chains, and continued to contribute to domestic medicine supply. However, the sector continues to face significant structural and institutional constraints. Regulatory responsibilities remain fragmented and under-resourced, with key functions distributed across several departments within the Ministry of Health and no autonomous medicines regulatory authority currently in place.
In this context, the UE is funding a project aiming to strengthen Syria’s pharmaceutical regulatory and quality-assurance system to ensure compliance of medicines and pharmaceutical manufacturers with applicable quality and safety international standards.
Achieving this outcome requires simultaneous progress across three mutually reinforcing outputs :
- Output 1: Establishing and operationalising the Syria Drug Authority (SDA) provides the institutional backbone for regulatory governance.
- Output 2: Rehabilitating, equipping and operationalising the National Drug Quality Control Laboratory ensures the generation of reliable laboratory evidence essential for regulatory decision-making.
Output 3: Supporting manufacturers in meeting WHO GMP standards and developing pharmaceutical workforce competencies to strengthen compliance, improve quality of medicines, and ensure that systems and industrial capacities can be effectively operated and sustained.
About Expertise France
Expertise France is the French public agency for international technical cooperation and the leading operator in this field. As a subsidiary of the Agence Française de Développement Group (AFD Group), it designs and implements projects that contribute to the sustainable strengthening of public policies in developing and emerging countries. The agency is active in key development sectors, including governance, security, climate, health, education, and skills development. Together with its partners, it contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
EF in Syria
Expertise France has been active in Syria since 2013 as part of stabilization programs, initially implemented in areas outside the control of the former Syrian regime. As part of the humanitarian-development-peace nexus approach, its work aims to create the conditions for sustainable stabilization, economic recovery, and the strengthening of community resilience. Its work in Syria aims to strengthen human security and the resilience of affected populations by improving their livelihoods and their capacity to prepare for crises. Around 25 were implemented (access to basic services, health care, support for civil society, agriculture, economic recovery), allowing to develop partnerships with local organisations, and benefiting to more than 3,8 million people.
Since January 2025, Expertise France has been scaling up its activities throughout Syria to support reconstruction and recovery efforts, in coordination and collaboration with the Syrian government.
Syria Pharmaceutical Sector Recovery Project
Since 2011, Syria has experienced a prolonged crisis that has significantly weakened public institutions, disrupted economic systems, and reduced the capacity of essential service delivery, particularly in the health sector. Health infrastructure has been damaged, institutional capacities have eroded, and shortages of skilled personnel have constrained system functionality. Access to essential medicines remains uneven, with recurrent shortages, increased reliance on imports, and rising out-of-pocket expenditure. Pharmaceutical supply chains remain fragmented and vulnerable, while economic and financial constraints continue to limit access to raw materials, reagents, spare parts, and other essential pharmaceutical inputs.
Before the conflict, Syria had one of the most developed pharmaceutical industries in the region, supplying a large share of domestic demand and exporting to neighboring markets. Although manufacturing capacity was significantly disrupted during the conflict, parts of the industry have remained operational and gradually recovered, largely through private manufacturers that preserved technical know-how, adapted to disrupted supply chains, and continued to contribute to domestic medicine supply. However, the sector continues to face significant structural and institutional constraints. Regulatory responsibilities remain fragmented and under-resourced, with key functions distributed across several departments within the Ministry of Health and no autonomous medicines regulatory authority currently in place.
In this context, the UE is funding a project aiming to strengthen Syria’s pharmaceutical regulatory and quality-assurance system to ensure compliance of medicines and pharmaceutical manufacturers with applicable quality and safety international standards.
Achieving this outcome requires simultaneous progress across three mutually reinforcing outputs :
- Output 1: Establishing and operationalising the Syria Drug Authority (SDA) provides the institutional backbone for regulatory governance.
- Output 2: Rehabilitating, equipping and operationalising the National Drug Quality Control Laboratory ensures the generation of reliable laboratory evidence essential for regulatory decision-making.
Output 3: Supporting manufacturers in meeting WHO GMP standards and developing pharmaceutical workforce competencies to strengthen compliance, improve quality of medicines, and ensure that systems and industrial capacities can be effectively operated and sustained.
Specific Vacancy Requirements
Education & qualification
·Advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in International Development, Project Management, Public Administration, Political Science (with a focus on health policy), or a related field.
Professional experience
·Minimum 8 years of professional experience in international cooperation, with at least 5 years in managing international development projects in the Middle East.
·Knowledge of internal Expertise France procedures and operations is considered an asset.
·Proven experience leading multidisciplinary teams.
·Experience engaging with national authorities (MoH…), international agencies (WHO…), and donors (EU, AFD, World Bank).
·Prior work in crisis-affected or fragile environments is essential.
·Proven track record managing projects in multicultural, multi-stakeholder settings.
Skills and Competencies
·Strong project management expertise, especially in health-related or development cooperation contexts.
·Deep understanding of public development aid mechanisms, international donors (especially the EU), and cooperation frameworks.
·Proven ability to manage complex, multi-stakeholder projects and ensure alignment with donor standards and policy environments.
·Excellent negotiation, strategic thinking, and problem-solving abilities, particularly in high-stakes or politically sensitive settings.
·Strong skills in stakeholder engagement, coordination, and network mobilization, including with civil society, government bodies, and technical partners.
·Advanced analytical, reporting, and writing capabilities for both technical and policy-level documents.
·Experience leading high-level dialogue and relationship-building with public and private partners, including ministries, donors, and civil society actors.
·Excellent written and oral communication in English; Arabic and/or French are a plus.
·Proficient with Microsoft Office tools (Excel, Word, Outlook), and familiar with financial and planning software.
Personal Attributes
·Strong leadership and coordination skills, with a collaborative mindset.
·Excellent interpersonal and diplomatic skills.
·Proactive, autonomous, and adaptable to changing contexts.
·Strong decision-making and organizational abilities.
·Analytical thinking and capacity for synthesis.
·Results-oriented with strong anticipation and planning skills.
The closing date for applications is 15/11/2026. To apply, please send your CV (max 3 pages) accompanied by a cover letter (max 1 page).
·Advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in International Development, Project Management, Public Administration, Political Science (with a focus on health policy), or a related field.
Professional experience
·Minimum 8 years of professional experience in international cooperation, with at least 5 years in managing international development projects in the Middle East.
·Knowledge of internal Expertise France procedures and operations is considered an asset.
·Proven experience leading multidisciplinary teams.
·Experience engaging with national authorities (MoH…), international agencies (WHO…), and donors (EU, AFD, World Bank).
·Prior work in crisis-affected or fragile environments is essential.
·Proven track record managing projects in multicultural, multi-stakeholder settings.
Skills and Competencies
·Strong project management expertise, especially in health-related or development cooperation contexts.
·Deep understanding of public development aid mechanisms, international donors (especially the EU), and cooperation frameworks.
·Proven ability to manage complex, multi-stakeholder projects and ensure alignment with donor standards and policy environments.
·Excellent negotiation, strategic thinking, and problem-solving abilities, particularly in high-stakes or politically sensitive settings.
·Strong skills in stakeholder engagement, coordination, and network mobilization, including with civil society, government bodies, and technical partners.
·Advanced analytical, reporting, and writing capabilities for both technical and policy-level documents.
·Experience leading high-level dialogue and relationship-building with public and private partners, including ministries, donors, and civil society actors.
·Excellent written and oral communication in English; Arabic and/or French are a plus.
·Proficient with Microsoft Office tools (Excel, Word, Outlook), and familiar with financial and planning software.
Personal Attributes
·Strong leadership and coordination skills, with a collaborative mindset.
·Excellent interpersonal and diplomatic skills.
·Proactive, autonomous, and adaptable to changing contexts.
·Strong decision-making and organizational abilities.
·Analytical thinking and capacity for synthesis.
·Results-oriented with strong anticipation and planning skills.
The closing date for applications is 15/11/2026. To apply, please send your CV (max 3 pages) accompanied by a cover letter (max 1 page).
Salary and Benefits
Type of contract: 12 month fixed-term national employment contract, renewable
Starting date: December 2026
Remuneration: according to EF salary scale and profile
Starting date: December 2026
Remuneration: according to EF salary scale and profile
About us
Expertise France is the French public international cooperation agency. It designs and implements projects which aim to contribute to the development of partner countries, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda and the priorities of France’s external action.
Required employees number
1
Posted On
Oct 29, 2026
Expiry Date
Nov 28, 2026
CV Language
English