Job ID
45778
Job Title
Built Environment Programme Manager
To work for
Aga Khan Foundation
Country
Syria
City
Hamah
Field of Work
Environment / Geology - Architecture/Interior design - Engineering
Job Type
Full time
Minimum Education Level
Bachelor/ License Degree
Responsibilities
The Aga Khan Foundation in Syria seeks to employ a full-time Built Environment Programme Manager for its office in Salamieh.
JOB NUMBER: BE/ 01
JOB SUMMARY:
The Built Environment Programme Manager (BEPM) leads the strategic direction, management, coordination, and reporting of AKF Syria’s Built Environment (BE) programme portfolio. The BEPM role includes overseeing the design, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and reporting of the entire BE portfolio, providing strategic oversight and ensuring quality and impact. The incumbent manages and mentors the performance and capacity development of programme leads and technical and engineering teams, fostering a culture of accountability and continuous learning. In addition to driving technical excellence, the BEPM contributes to resource mobilization through concept development and proposal design and represents AKF Syria in various coordination platforms to strengthen partnerships and advocate for inclusive, sustainable built environment solutions aligned with the AKF’s broader development goals. The BEPM will report directly to the Programmes Director, AKF Syria.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
* Programme and Projects Development:
- Lead on technical design, theory of change, technical content of Built Environment (BE) related concept notes, project proposals, budget and framing documents.
- Ensure new funding opportunities are leveraged to advance priority initiatives, in coordination with AKF (Syria) leadership, AKF Global Programme Team (GPT) and AKDN agencies.
- In coordination with other Programme Managers and MERL, support the programme team to develop and/ or update the project log frames, performance measurement framework (PMFs) for new as well as ongoing projects.
- Ensure that gender equality and women’s empowerment (GEWE), safeguarding, environmental sustainability and climate resilience are mainstreamed and adequately elaborated in the project proposal, concept notes and programme interventions.
- Promote the culture of innovation in the process of project design and implementation through utilizing the Human Centered Design approach and tools.
- Ensure climate resilience underpins all new project design and activities across the portfolio.
- Contribute to organizing and conducting project inception and close-out meetings.
* Programme and Projects Management
- Coordinate the development of Annual Work Plans (AWPs) for all BE-related projects. Ensure the AWPs are developed in line with the approved project budget, grant agreements and donor-approved project documents.
- Conduct regular meetings with the programme team to review the implementation of AWPs and budget spending. Take actions to ensure the activities are implemented on time, on budget, in the most cost-efficient and effective ways.
- Oversee and conduct regional and urban/ rural planning exercises to develop guidelines and plans for Habitat development.
- Lead and coordinate with the respective teams for the implementation of Housing initiatives, infrastructure, AKDN institutional buildings, water, sanitation, and environment-related programmes. Ensure that the designs, plans and execution of any infrastructure projects are technically sound with regard to safety and resilience and comply with AKDN Construction Standards.
- In close coordination with the Programme Manager - Agriculture and Food Security and Climate Resilience (AFSCR), design and implement renewable energy, and climate change adaptation and mitigation interventions with sound technical and engineering support.
- Ensure that the designs and structural plans of large-scale rural and urban structural risk mitigation projects are thoroughly vetted and approved in a timely manner.
- Provide leadership and direction to the structural engineering team to ensure structural risk assessment and implementation of risk mitigation projects are based on analysis of hazard vulnerability risk assessment (HVRA) data, nationally and internationally accepted quality standards of assessment, design, and implementation.
- Develop and/or update relevant guidelines, manuals and tools to support the implementation of project interventions.
- Lead and support the projects teams to develop and regularly update the projects level risks management matrixes.
- Provide leadership and mentorship support to direct subordinates as relevant to develop and nurture their skills, competencies and improved performance.
- In close coordination with AKF HR, support the recruitment of project staff, consultants and service providers by developing TORs/Job Descriptions, test and interview questions and participation in the selection panels.
- Conduct annual performance assessments and development planning of direct reports in accordance with AKF HR policies, procedures and approved forms.
- Engage with relevant organizations and institutions working on issues related to the BE to ensure "state of the art" knowledge and influence donor and government policies.
* Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning
- Coordinate with MERL and programme responsible to ensure that each project under the BE theme has an adequate and timely updated monitoring and evaluation plan and its efficient and timely implementation.
- In coordination with MERL and GPT, set the annual programme targets of BE for AKF Syria. Review the progress on a quarterly and annual basis and provide progress updates on actuals against the targets.
- Review and provide feedback and inputs to develop TORs for conducting programme and projects surveys, assessments, evaluations and reports produced by MERL or external evaluators.
- In coordination with BE team, ensure MERL is provided with timely and accurate data for AKF’s Awards Information Management System (AIMS) and other data platforms.
- Conduct regular field monitoring visits to projects sites, provide de-briefing and share monitoring findings, and recommendations in written form.
- Support MERL and Project Coordinators in setting up effective community feedback, complaint and reporting mechanisms.
- Conduct surveys to determine the types of habitat-related needs to be addressed in planning or provide technical support to others conducting such surveys
* Coordination, communication, and reporting:
- Promote collaboration within the BE portfolio of projects and with other themes and organizational functions to achieve synergy, integration and efficiency. This includes joint programme/ project design, planning, implementation, communication, exchanges, resources and information sharing, joint field visits and meetings.
- Actively participate and encourage other team members of BE to engage and participate in AKF’s Community of Practice.
- Enhance collaboration and partnership with AKDN agencies and stakeholders, including donor agencies, relevant government agencies at the national and local levels, local NGOs, Community-Based Originations (CBOs), and academic and research institutions to promote AKF’s BE agenda and priorities.
- Effectively represent AKF and AKDN in external, sectorial and thematic working groups, and coordination meetings at local and national levels.
- In coordination with Communications Officer (or responsible person), contribute to development of high-quality communication materials including case studies, success stories, press releases, photography, and video materials/films.
- In coordination with Partnerships, MERL and Finance of AKF Syria, support the project team in the preparation of high-quality donor reports.
* Gender and Safeguarding:
- Foster a diverse and inclusive work environment that welcomes individuals of all genders.
- Identify and mitigate the safeguarding risks through planning for safeguarding prevention measures within the team, programme and operations, ensuring that staff understand and follow safeguarding policies and that concerns are reported and addressed appropriately.
JOB NUMBER: BE/ 01
JOB SUMMARY:
The Built Environment Programme Manager (BEPM) leads the strategic direction, management, coordination, and reporting of AKF Syria’s Built Environment (BE) programme portfolio. The BEPM role includes overseeing the design, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and reporting of the entire BE portfolio, providing strategic oversight and ensuring quality and impact. The incumbent manages and mentors the performance and capacity development of programme leads and technical and engineering teams, fostering a culture of accountability and continuous learning. In addition to driving technical excellence, the BEPM contributes to resource mobilization through concept development and proposal design and represents AKF Syria in various coordination platforms to strengthen partnerships and advocate for inclusive, sustainable built environment solutions aligned with the AKF’s broader development goals. The BEPM will report directly to the Programmes Director, AKF Syria.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
* Programme and Projects Development:
- Lead on technical design, theory of change, technical content of Built Environment (BE) related concept notes, project proposals, budget and framing documents.
- Ensure new funding opportunities are leveraged to advance priority initiatives, in coordination with AKF (Syria) leadership, AKF Global Programme Team (GPT) and AKDN agencies.
- In coordination with other Programme Managers and MERL, support the programme team to develop and/ or update the project log frames, performance measurement framework (PMFs) for new as well as ongoing projects.
- Ensure that gender equality and women’s empowerment (GEWE), safeguarding, environmental sustainability and climate resilience are mainstreamed and adequately elaborated in the project proposal, concept notes and programme interventions.
- Promote the culture of innovation in the process of project design and implementation through utilizing the Human Centered Design approach and tools.
- Ensure climate resilience underpins all new project design and activities across the portfolio.
- Contribute to organizing and conducting project inception and close-out meetings.
* Programme and Projects Management
- Coordinate the development of Annual Work Plans (AWPs) for all BE-related projects. Ensure the AWPs are developed in line with the approved project budget, grant agreements and donor-approved project documents.
- Conduct regular meetings with the programme team to review the implementation of AWPs and budget spending. Take actions to ensure the activities are implemented on time, on budget, in the most cost-efficient and effective ways.
- Oversee and conduct regional and urban/ rural planning exercises to develop guidelines and plans for Habitat development.
- Lead and coordinate with the respective teams for the implementation of Housing initiatives, infrastructure, AKDN institutional buildings, water, sanitation, and environment-related programmes. Ensure that the designs, plans and execution of any infrastructure projects are technically sound with regard to safety and resilience and comply with AKDN Construction Standards.
- In close coordination with the Programme Manager - Agriculture and Food Security and Climate Resilience (AFSCR), design and implement renewable energy, and climate change adaptation and mitigation interventions with sound technical and engineering support.
- Ensure that the designs and structural plans of large-scale rural and urban structural risk mitigation projects are thoroughly vetted and approved in a timely manner.
- Provide leadership and direction to the structural engineering team to ensure structural risk assessment and implementation of risk mitigation projects are based on analysis of hazard vulnerability risk assessment (HVRA) data, nationally and internationally accepted quality standards of assessment, design, and implementation.
- Develop and/or update relevant guidelines, manuals and tools to support the implementation of project interventions.
- Lead and support the projects teams to develop and regularly update the projects level risks management matrixes.
- Provide leadership and mentorship support to direct subordinates as relevant to develop and nurture their skills, competencies and improved performance.
- In close coordination with AKF HR, support the recruitment of project staff, consultants and service providers by developing TORs/Job Descriptions, test and interview questions and participation in the selection panels.
- Conduct annual performance assessments and development planning of direct reports in accordance with AKF HR policies, procedures and approved forms.
- Engage with relevant organizations and institutions working on issues related to the BE to ensure "state of the art" knowledge and influence donor and government policies.
* Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning
- Coordinate with MERL and programme responsible to ensure that each project under the BE theme has an adequate and timely updated monitoring and evaluation plan and its efficient and timely implementation.
- In coordination with MERL and GPT, set the annual programme targets of BE for AKF Syria. Review the progress on a quarterly and annual basis and provide progress updates on actuals against the targets.
- Review and provide feedback and inputs to develop TORs for conducting programme and projects surveys, assessments, evaluations and reports produced by MERL or external evaluators.
- In coordination with BE team, ensure MERL is provided with timely and accurate data for AKF’s Awards Information Management System (AIMS) and other data platforms.
- Conduct regular field monitoring visits to projects sites, provide de-briefing and share monitoring findings, and recommendations in written form.
- Support MERL and Project Coordinators in setting up effective community feedback, complaint and reporting mechanisms.
- Conduct surveys to determine the types of habitat-related needs to be addressed in planning or provide technical support to others conducting such surveys
* Coordination, communication, and reporting:
- Promote collaboration within the BE portfolio of projects and with other themes and organizational functions to achieve synergy, integration and efficiency. This includes joint programme/ project design, planning, implementation, communication, exchanges, resources and information sharing, joint field visits and meetings.
- Actively participate and encourage other team members of BE to engage and participate in AKF’s Community of Practice.
- Enhance collaboration and partnership with AKDN agencies and stakeholders, including donor agencies, relevant government agencies at the national and local levels, local NGOs, Community-Based Originations (CBOs), and academic and research institutions to promote AKF’s BE agenda and priorities.
- Effectively represent AKF and AKDN in external, sectorial and thematic working groups, and coordination meetings at local and national levels.
- In coordination with Communications Officer (or responsible person), contribute to development of high-quality communication materials including case studies, success stories, press releases, photography, and video materials/films.
- In coordination with Partnerships, MERL and Finance of AKF Syria, support the project team in the preparation of high-quality donor reports.
* Gender and Safeguarding:
- Foster a diverse and inclusive work environment that welcomes individuals of all genders.
- Identify and mitigate the safeguarding risks through planning for safeguarding prevention measures within the team, programme and operations, ensuring that staff understand and follow safeguarding policies and that concerns are reported and addressed appropriately.
Qualifications
- The applicant must have a university degree in Planning/ Civil/ Structural/ Environmental Engineering/ Architecture, or a related discipline. Additional social sciences, management and/or social work qualifications will be an asset.
- A minimum of 5 years’ experience in programme/project management in the relevant fields.
- Experience in project cycle and financial management.
- Experience in the development of concept notes and project proposals, donors reporting.
- Experience in oversight and implementation of initiatives focused on rural and urban habitat assessment, planning, and built environment.
- Strong leadership and programme management skills.
- Technical skills in architecture, planning and engineering. Conversant with design and construction practices with in-depth knowledge of local construction laws, norms and regulations.
- Knowledge of AKDN Construction Standards will be an asset.
- Conversant with estimation, quantity surveying and procurement procedures for construction-related projects. Knowledge of FIDIC will be desirable.
- Good knowledge, skills in project planning, budgeting, implementation and monitoring.
- Strong administrative, managerial, communication and presentation skills.
- Excellent written and verbal skills in English and Arabic languages.
- Strong interpersonal skills and ability to develop effective networking, and partnerships with a range of diverse stakeholders.
- Strong knowledge and understanding of gender equality principles and integration in programme design, planning, budgeting, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
- Good understanding of climate change and principles of climate change adaptation and mitigation measures and resilience building through civil society and safe habitat in the context of Syria.
- Good analytical, writing and project design skills.
- A minimum of 5 years’ experience in programme/project management in the relevant fields.
- Experience in project cycle and financial management.
- Experience in the development of concept notes and project proposals, donors reporting.
- Experience in oversight and implementation of initiatives focused on rural and urban habitat assessment, planning, and built environment.
- Strong leadership and programme management skills.
- Technical skills in architecture, planning and engineering. Conversant with design and construction practices with in-depth knowledge of local construction laws, norms and regulations.
- Knowledge of AKDN Construction Standards will be an asset.
- Conversant with estimation, quantity surveying and procurement procedures for construction-related projects. Knowledge of FIDIC will be desirable.
- Good knowledge, skills in project planning, budgeting, implementation and monitoring.
- Strong administrative, managerial, communication and presentation skills.
- Excellent written and verbal skills in English and Arabic languages.
- Strong interpersonal skills and ability to develop effective networking, and partnerships with a range of diverse stakeholders.
- Strong knowledge and understanding of gender equality principles and integration in programme design, planning, budgeting, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
- Good understanding of climate change and principles of climate change adaptation and mitigation measures and resilience building through civil society and safe habitat in the context of Syria.
- Good analytical, writing and project design skills.
Specific Vacancy Requirements
Deadline for application submission is Sunday December 14th 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
Dec 07, 2025
Expiry Date
Jan 06, 2026
CV Language
English