Medical coordinator (F/M) - Syria

Do you want to join a committed, activist-driven organization and take meaningful action for social justice?
For over 40 years, Médecins du Monde has been delivering healthcare to the most vulnerable, challenging barriers to access, and driving long-term change in health policies.

In France and across nearly 30 countries, our work is built around six core missions:

• Sexual and reproductive health and rights (including access to safe abortion)
• Migration, exile, human rights and health
• Harm reduction
• Health and the environment
• Healthcare systems
• Humanitarian spaces

MdM in Syria

Following the rapid power shift in Damascus on 8 December 2024, the Syrian Arab Republic is undergoing a pivotal transformation that is fundamentally reshaping its humanitarian, political, and recovery landscape. The legacy of more than 14 years of conflict continues to manifest in an ongoing and unprecedented humanitarian crisis, characterized by significant challenges.

Currently, 16.5 million people are in need, with 8 million individuals urgently prioritized—representing 33% of the Syrian population. Syria’s health crisis is compounded by multisectoral fragilities and overlapping crises, including severe shortages of human resources, insufficient medical supplies, disparities in salary scales between the Ministry of Health and INGOs, weak governance and monitoring systems, political uncertainty, evolving humanitarian coordination mechanisms, reduced funding amid increasing needs, and expanded humanitarian access to previously restricted yet highly contaminated areas.

MdM is adapting its interventions to remain effective and impactful within Syria’s evolving humanitarian landscape.

MdM’s strategy in Syria is structured around two main priorities:

Providing primary healthcare services, including outpatient consultations, vaccination, nutritional care, and reproductive health, through the direct support of three health facilities.

Ensuring a community-based approach to promote equitable access to healthcare services for all.

About the role

You will be responsible for designing, implementing, adapting and reporting the quality medical program activities for the Syria mission. You will ensure the relevance and quality delivery of all medical activities, and practices, with a particular focus on health data analysis. You are the technical supervisor for the medical team (MdM or implementing partners) within the mission.

You will take part in the country strategy elaboration for the medical sector led by the General Coordinator (along with the Desk Officer, HQ Medical and Mental Health (MH), and protection advisors/referents).

What you’ll do

Under the supervision of the General coordinator, your main responsibilities are the following:

• Participate in the definition of the country strategy led by the general coordinator and drive the medical and technical aspects in the development of this strategy
• Design, plan, implement, adapt and monitor the programme’s health activities
• Ensure the quality and relevance of health activities, supervise the collection and analysis of medical data
• Recruit, manage, train, and motivate the medical team
• Ensure the management of pharmaceutical products
• Carry out health needs assessments and evaluations of medical partners
• Cooperate with the administration team regarding budgeting and supervise the medical purchase process
• Represent MdM with authorities, partners and other NGOs on health issues
• Participate in the writing of proposals and reports

Who you’ll work with

You are the technical supervisor for the medical team (MdM or implementing partners) within the mission.

You are the right match if you:

• Have a Medical Doctor (MD), or an advanced degree in Public Health, Nursing, Midwifery or a related health discipline (required)
• Have an additional qualification in public health, epidemiology, or humanitarian health program management (an asset)
• Have minimum 5 years' experience in medical coordination, health program management, or a senior technical health advisory role, including at least 3 years in humanitarian or conflict-affected settings
• Have Demonstrated experience leading multi-site health programs at strategic level, with a proven ability to delegate operational and facility-level management to HAMs and PHCC Officers while retaining technical and strategic ownership
• Have a solid experience in proposal development, donor reporting, and representation with health clusters, Ministry of Health and UN agencies
• Have a previous experience with Médecins du Monde (MdM) and/or prior field experience in Syria (strong asset)
• Speak English fluently, Arabic is highly appreciated

This role may not suit you if you:

• Don't have proven leadership, mentoring and capacity-building skills with multicultural, multidisciplinary teams
• Don't have excellent coordination and representation skills with external stakeholders (donors, clusters, MoH, UN agencies)
• Don't have the ability to work under pressure, in insecure and fast-changing contexts, with sound judgment, diplomacy and adaptability
• You are not aligned with MdM’s values and activist approach

Recruitment process

If shortlisted, you will first meet with our HR team. Technical and managerial interviews, which may include practical case studies, will follow during the month of september.

Please note: as part of our anti–money laundering and counter-terrorism policy, international background checks may be conducted. Data is processed confidentially and securely. More info: https://www.medecinsdumonde.org/en/working-internationally/
All successful candidates must provide a criminal record extract (B3).

Ready to apply?

We only need your CV and a cover letter.
If this role sounds like the right fit for you, apply now – we’d love to hear from you!

Employment conditions

Contract & status:

• Gross monthly salary: 3 663 €
• Fixed-term contract for 6 months starting as soon as possible
• Single posting

Work environment:

• Position based in Damascus, Syria
• Regular field visits

Benefits:

• 13th-month salary (for employees with more than 6 months’ seniority)
• Expatriation allowance: 10% of gross monthly salary
• Coverage of travel (home – mission), visas, and vaccinations
• Accommodation: guesthouse
• Health insurance (50% covered by MdM and 50% by the employee)
• Repatriation insurance
• MdM promotes training and internal mobility

Essentials:

• 5 weeks paid leave + 22.5 RTT days per year
• Strong commitment to inclusion and fighting all forms of discrimination
• More info: https://www.medecinsdumonde.org/en/working-internationally/

Our commitment to diversity and inclusion

MdM is committed to the inclusion of people with disabilities and to fighting all forms of discrimination.
If you are officially recognized as a person with a disability and/or require workplace accommodations, please let us know.