Who are we?

The Danish Refugee Council assists refugees and internally displaced persons across the globe: we provide emergency aid, fight for their rights, and strengthen their opportunities for a brighter future. We work in conflict-affected areas, along the displacement routes, and in the countries where refugees settle. In cooperation with local communities, we strive for responsible and sustainable solutions. We work toward successful integration and – whenever possible – for the fulfillment of the wish to return home.

The Danish Refugee Council was founded in Denmark in 1956 and has since grown to become an international humanitarian organization with more than 7,000 staff and 8,000 volunteers. Our vision is a dignified life for all displaced.

All of our efforts are based on our value compass: humanity, respect, independence and neutrality, participation, and honesty and transparency.

DRC Syria

DRC has been operating in Syria since 2008, initially responding to the Iraqi refugee crisis before pivoting to a full-scale response to the Syria crisis from 2011 onwards. Our work encompasses the full cycle of displacement—responding to life-saving humanitarian needs and supporting community recovery until durable solutions can be achieved. DRC Syria takes an area-based approach to supporting internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees, and host communities across our key sectors: Economic Recovery and Resilience, Protection, WASH, Shelter and Infrastructure, and Humanitarian Disarmament and Peacebuilding (including Humanitarian Mine Action).

With an established rapid response mechanism, DRC can rapidly respond to emerging crises and shocks to meet acute emergency needs. Recognizing the significant need for early recovery and resilience programming to ensure dignified, sustainable, and cost-effective solutions for fragile communities, DRC’s programmes foster resilience for individuals and communities in situations of protracted displacement and during the initial stages of post-conflict recovery, towards a durable solution of their choice. With active portfolios in the neighboring countries of Jordan, Lebanon, Türkiye and Iraq, DRC offers a cross-border, regional response to the Syria crisis, through cross-border protection monitoring, advocacy, and trends analysis.

About the job

Under the line management of the Head of Programme and under technical supervision of the Protection Coordinator (country technical protection lead), the Legal Aid & Housing Land Property (HLP) Specialist will lead the strategic relaunch and technical oversight of DRC Syria’s Legal Aid and HLP programming. The Legal Aid & HLP Specialist will be responsible for developing the legal analysis for Syria, designing context-appropriate guidelines, tools, SOPs, and referral pathways that ensure the delivery of high quality, conflict sensitive, and rights-based legal services. The role includes mentoring and building the capacity of the national Legal Aid specialist, national legal teams, and local partners, ensuring coherence and high-quality across interventions. The Specialist will also drive systems-strengthening, policy, and advocacy efforts to enhance access to justice including restitution and compensation, and tenure security for conflict-affected populations. The Specialist will promote the integration of legal aid support and HLP programming such as due diligence with other sectors—including protection, economic recovery, shelter, and humanitarian mine action & peacebuilding to support durable solutions and area-based approaches that advance recovery, social cohesion, and equitable access to HLP rights.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Program Design & Technical Oversight

• Working closely with the Protection Coordinator, and with support from the Global HLP Advisor, lead the relaunch of Legal Aid and start Housing Land and Property (HLP) programming in Syria, ensuring alignment with DRC’s regional protection strategy and durable solutions framework.
• Lead the development of a legal and HLP analysis for DRC Syria, including mapping of relevant legislation, customary practices, and institutional actors and conduct legal and HLP assessments to inform strategy development, program design, and donor proposals.
• Provide inputs to proposal development that include legal aid and HLP components.
• Develop and adapt SOPs, technical guidance notes, and legal tools tailored to the Syrian context, including civil documentation, inheritance rights, land tenure, property restitution, secondary occupation, expropriation and alternative dispute resolution.
• Ensure legal aid activities (legal awareness, legal counselling, and legal assistance) are harmonized across field offices and partners, including HLP-specific support (e.g. claims preparation and mediation).
• Regularly and pro-actively monitor and analyze ongoing trends in Syria and the region as related to legal/HLP programming, including changes in legislation, decrees, and administrative practices affecting documentation, HLP rights and displacement. Provide regular updates and analysis on how they affect legal programming.

Capacity Strengthening

• Support recruitment and onboarding of national legal and HLP staff, ensuring technical quality and consistency.
• Develop induction and capacity-building packages for DRC legal teams and partner staff. Train and mentor national legal staff and counterparts through structured coaching, shadowing, and training plans with a focus on delivering high-quality legal aid services.
• Provide regular mentorship, technical guidance, and coaching to the national Legal Aid Specialist, ensuring strong technical capacity and continuity of technical expertise within Syria program.

Systems Strengthening & Integration

• Strengthen legal and HLP referral pathways within DRC and with external actors, including ministries, UN agencies, and NGOs.
• Promote integration of legal aid and HLP with other sectors, especially Shelter, Humanitarian Mine Action, and Economic Recovery, to address land and property disputes, secondary occupation of housing, access to agricultural land, and women’s equal rights to housing and inheritance. Contribute to the development and roll-out of HLP due diligence procedures for shelter, WASH, humanitarian mine action, and livelihoods interventions to mitigate risks of secondary occupation or contested land use.

Representation & Advocacy

• Represent DRC in relevant working groups, clusters, and technical fora, including the HLP Technical Working Group, Legal Aid Task Force
• Produce legal analysis, briefs, and position papers to inform advocacy and donor engagement.
• Support donor briefings and contribute to business development through concept notes and funding pipeline mapping, ensuring HLP and legal aid are strategically positioned.

Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning

• Support development and roll-out of MEAL tools for legal aid and HLP programming.
• Document lessons learned and best practices in Legal and HLP programming to inform adaptive implementation and strategic planning.
• Contribute to learning products that highlight linkages between HLP, durable solutions, and community resilience.

Other

• Ensure adherence to DRC national staff policy guidelines and Code of Conduct.
• Ensure compliance with DRC AGD policy and AGD programmatic minimum standards, as well as with the zero-tolerance to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse policy.
• Promote safeguarding, accountability, and do-no-harm principles in all legal and HLP programming.
• Perform any other relevant tasks as requested by the Head of Programme or by the Country Protection Coordinator.

Experience and technical competencies:

• Minimum 5 years of proven professional legal experience in humanitarian response programmes with international organizations, preferably in conflict-related internal displacement contexts.
• Excellent understanding of the international legal frameworks and humanitarian legal aid programming related to internally displaced persons and refugees, focusing on legal identity, family law, labour and employment law, and Housing Land and Property (HLP) rights.
• Knowledge of HLP issues in emergency, post-conflict/disaster, early recovery and solutions settings.
• Commitment to continuously learn and keep abreast of new developments in the field of HLP and Legal Aid.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and working relations in a multicultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity.
• Proven experience in designing and delivering training and learning on legal aid and HLP.
• Prior experience on HLP in Syria is an asset
• Experience on alternative dispute resolution mechanisms and work with community paralegals is an asset
• Excellent analytical and report writing skills.
• Experience in coordination across agencies and sectors.
• Experience in internal and external representation skills.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to quickly develop good insight and understanding of the conflict, the human rights situation, and the political environment of the program country.
• Ability to work in a deadline-driven environment and undertake a proactive approach.
• Willingness to travel regularly as needed.

Education:

Master’s Degree in Law (or equivalent)

Languages:

• English – fluent
• Arabic – fluent

In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’ five core competencies:

• Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process.
• Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback.
• Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.
• Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly.
• Demonstrating integrity: You act in line with our vision and values.

We offer:

Contract length: 12 months

Level: Non-Management – G2

Location: Damascus, Syria

Expected Start date: 01 December 2025

Application process:

Interested? Then apply for this position here:

Or view the advert on DRC’s homepage here:

All applicants must send a cover letter and an updated CV (no longer than four pages). Both must be in the same language as this vacancy note. CV-only applications will not be considered.

Applications close: 10 November 2025

Need further information?

For further information about the Danish Refugee Council, please consult our website www.drc.org

DRC as an employer
By working in DRC, you will be joining a global workforce of around 6500 employees in around 35 countries. We pride ourselves on our:

• Professionalism, impact & expertise
• Humanitarian approach & the work we do
• Purpose, meaningfulness & own contribution
• Culture, values & strong leadership
• Fair compensation & continuous development

DRC’s capacity to ensure the protection of and assistance to refugees, IDP’s and other persons of concern depends on the ability of our staff to uphold and promote the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation DRC’s values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment. DRC conducts thorough and comprehensive background checks as part of the recruitment process.

If you have questions or are facing problems with the online application process, please visit drc.ngo/jobsupport.