Job ID
44975
Job Title
Area Manager
To work for
Aga Khan Foundation
Country
Syria
City
Tartous
Field of Work
Humanitarian/Disasters
Job Type
Full time
Minimum Education Level
Master
Responsibilities
The Aga Khan Foundation in Syria seeks to employ a full-time Area Manager for its offices in Damascus, Aleppo and Tartous.
JOB SUMMARY:
The Area Manager provides strategic and operational leadership to AKF Syria’s programmes and teams at the area level. The postholder is accountable for programme implementation, financial stewardship, and local stakeholder engagement, while fostering a strong organisational culture rooted in AKF and AKDN values. As part of the Senior Management Team (SMT), the Area Manager ensures the area office is integrated into AKF Syria’s national priorities while remaining responsive to local needs and dynamics. The incumbent will report directly to the Chief Executive Officer.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
*Strategic Leadership and Programme Delivery
- Lead the planning and implementation of the full programme portfolio in the designated area, ensuring quality, relevance, and alignment with AKF Syria’s strategic priorities.
- Provide leadership in both programmatic and operational areas, ensuring coordination across programme themes (humanitarian, education, economic livelihoods, civil society, ).
- Drive results-based management, ensuring projects deliver on time, within budget, and with measurable outcomes.
- Anticipate and respond to local and regional needs and dynamics, adapting programme delivery while maintaining coherence with national frameworks.
- Ensure area teams are appropriately sized, equipped and trained to facilitate smooth programme delivery, anticipating changes and ensuring cost efficiency.
- Support the MERL unit to implement monitoring and evaluation frameworks to assess programme impact and effectiveness.
*Stakeholder Engagement and Representation:
- Build and sustain strong relationships with local government authorities, community leaders, donors, partner organisations, Civil Society Organisation (CSOs), and private sector actors at the area-level.
- Represent AKF Syria effectively in relevant external engagements, positioning the organisation as a credible, trusted, and value-driven development actor.
- Work closely with area-based AKDN agencies to ensure alignment and coordination where relevant.
*Organisational Leadership and Culture:
- Lead and nurture the Area Leadership Team, ensuring strong collaboration, accountability, and cohesion.
- Foster a positive, inclusive organisational culture that reflects AKF and AKDN values of pluralism, integrity, and service.
- Foster a deep understanding of AKF’s systems, processes, and tools within the team to align with organizational goals and practices.
- Identify, mentor, and develop local talent, creating clear pathways for growth and succession planning.
- Promote cross-functional collaboration, breaking down silos between programmes, operations, and support functions.
* Financial Stewardship and Accountability:
- Exercise full budget oversight and control at the area level, ensuring sound financial management, compliance, and transparency.
- Ensure resources are optimised for maximum impact and aligned with donor requirements and AKF’s internal policies.
- Proactively identify funding gaps and support the Partnerships team in developing locally grounded concepts and proposals.
*Integration with National Leadership and Management Teams:
- Operate effectively within a national organisation, working closely with national leads in Finance, HR, Operations, Programmes, and Partnerships.
- Contribute actively to national leadership deliberations, ensuring area-level perspectives inform strategic and policy decisions.
- Ensure seamless information flow and accountability between the area office and national teams.
*Risk Management and Compliance
- Ensure strict compliance with AKF, donor, and government regulations, including safeguarding, security, and risk management policies.
- Proactively identify and mitigate risks (financial, operational, reputational) at the area level.
- Ensure adherence to data protection, safety, and safeguarding standards.
JOB SUMMARY:
The Area Manager provides strategic and operational leadership to AKF Syria’s programmes and teams at the area level. The postholder is accountable for programme implementation, financial stewardship, and local stakeholder engagement, while fostering a strong organisational culture rooted in AKF and AKDN values. As part of the Senior Management Team (SMT), the Area Manager ensures the area office is integrated into AKF Syria’s national priorities while remaining responsive to local needs and dynamics. The incumbent will report directly to the Chief Executive Officer.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
*Strategic Leadership and Programme Delivery
- Lead the planning and implementation of the full programme portfolio in the designated area, ensuring quality, relevance, and alignment with AKF Syria’s strategic priorities.
- Provide leadership in both programmatic and operational areas, ensuring coordination across programme themes (humanitarian, education, economic livelihoods, civil society, ).
- Drive results-based management, ensuring projects deliver on time, within budget, and with measurable outcomes.
- Anticipate and respond to local and regional needs and dynamics, adapting programme delivery while maintaining coherence with national frameworks.
- Ensure area teams are appropriately sized, equipped and trained to facilitate smooth programme delivery, anticipating changes and ensuring cost efficiency.
- Support the MERL unit to implement monitoring and evaluation frameworks to assess programme impact and effectiveness.
*Stakeholder Engagement and Representation:
- Build and sustain strong relationships with local government authorities, community leaders, donors, partner organisations, Civil Society Organisation (CSOs), and private sector actors at the area-level.
- Represent AKF Syria effectively in relevant external engagements, positioning the organisation as a credible, trusted, and value-driven development actor.
- Work closely with area-based AKDN agencies to ensure alignment and coordination where relevant.
*Organisational Leadership and Culture:
- Lead and nurture the Area Leadership Team, ensuring strong collaboration, accountability, and cohesion.
- Foster a positive, inclusive organisational culture that reflects AKF and AKDN values of pluralism, integrity, and service.
- Foster a deep understanding of AKF’s systems, processes, and tools within the team to align with organizational goals and practices.
- Identify, mentor, and develop local talent, creating clear pathways for growth and succession planning.
- Promote cross-functional collaboration, breaking down silos between programmes, operations, and support functions.
* Financial Stewardship and Accountability:
- Exercise full budget oversight and control at the area level, ensuring sound financial management, compliance, and transparency.
- Ensure resources are optimised for maximum impact and aligned with donor requirements and AKF’s internal policies.
- Proactively identify funding gaps and support the Partnerships team in developing locally grounded concepts and proposals.
*Integration with National Leadership and Management Teams:
- Operate effectively within a national organisation, working closely with national leads in Finance, HR, Operations, Programmes, and Partnerships.
- Contribute actively to national leadership deliberations, ensuring area-level perspectives inform strategic and policy decisions.
- Ensure seamless information flow and accountability between the area office and national teams.
*Risk Management and Compliance
- Ensure strict compliance with AKF, donor, and government regulations, including safeguarding, security, and risk management policies.
- Proactively identify and mitigate risks (financial, operational, reputational) at the area level.
- Ensure adherence to data protection, safety, and safeguarding standards.
Qualifications
- The applicant must have an Advanced Degree in International Development, Social Sciences, Business Administration, or a related field.
- Minimum 5 years of progressive leadership experience in development or humanitarian organisations and in senior management roles.
- Proven track record of leading large, diverse teams, with strong ability to build inclusive and cohesive organisational cultures.
- Demonstrated experience in stakeholder engagement with government, donors, and civil society.
- Strong financial management and budget oversight skills.
- Deep understanding of local and regional dynamics, programme knowledge, and ability to navigate sensitive environments.
- Excellent communication, negotiation, and representational skills (both written and verbal).
- Excellent command of English, both written and spoken.
- Familiarity with complex global, national, and local organisational structures and ability to work effectively across functions.
- Commitment to AKF and AKDN values and principles of ethics, equity, and pluralism.
- Strategic Leadership: ability to set direction, inspire, and mobilise teams around a shared vision.
- Operational Excellence: strong programme and financial management skills, with attention to results.
- Stakeholder Influence: credibility with government, donors, and communities; skilled in partnership development.
- Adaptive Management: ability to navigate complexity, ambiguity, and changing contexts with a solutions-oriented mindset.
- People Leadership: talent development, coaching, and team building.
- Integrity and Values: embodies AKF’s ethos of service, accountability, and respect for pluralism.
- Minimum 5 years of progressive leadership experience in development or humanitarian organisations and in senior management roles.
- Proven track record of leading large, diverse teams, with strong ability to build inclusive and cohesive organisational cultures.
- Demonstrated experience in stakeholder engagement with government, donors, and civil society.
- Strong financial management and budget oversight skills.
- Deep understanding of local and regional dynamics, programme knowledge, and ability to navigate sensitive environments.
- Excellent communication, negotiation, and representational skills (both written and verbal).
- Excellent command of English, both written and spoken.
- Familiarity with complex global, national, and local organisational structures and ability to work effectively across functions.
- Commitment to AKF and AKDN values and principles of ethics, equity, and pluralism.
- Strategic Leadership: ability to set direction, inspire, and mobilise teams around a shared vision.
- Operational Excellence: strong programme and financial management skills, with attention to results.
- Stakeholder Influence: credibility with government, donors, and communities; skilled in partnership development.
- Adaptive Management: ability to navigate complexity, ambiguity, and changing contexts with a solutions-oriented mindset.
- People Leadership: talent development, coaching, and team building.
- Integrity and Values: embodies AKF’s ethos of service, accountability, and respect for pluralism.
Specific Vacancy Requirements
Deadline for application submission is Wednesday, November 5th 2025.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Salary and Benefits
As per AKF Salary Scale
Health and Life Insurance
Health and Life Insurance
About us
The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) is a group of development agencies with mandates that include the environment, health, education, architecture, culture, microfinance, rural development, disaster reduction, and the promotion of private-sector enterprise and the revitalization of historic cities. AKDN agencies conduct their programmes without regard to faith, origin or gender.
Safeguarding Commitments:
AKF is committed to maintaining the highest standard of ethical behaviour among its staff, representatives, and partners to make sure of do no harm of the beneficiaries and whom they deal with. In line with this commitment; the selected incumbent must adhere to the AKF Code of Conduct and the relevant Safeguarding policies
Safeguarding Commitments:
AKF is committed to maintaining the highest standard of ethical behaviour among its staff, representatives, and partners to make sure of do no harm of the beneficiaries and whom they deal with. In line with this commitment; the selected incumbent must adhere to the AKF Code of Conduct and the relevant Safeguarding policies
Required employees number
1
Posted On
Oct 16, 2025
Expiry Date
Nov 15, 2025
CV Language
English