Assessment Specialist - Climate Resilience

We are currently looking for an Assessment Specialist to support our team in Amman.

Department:                 REACH

Position:                      Assessment Specialist

Contract duration:     12 months[1]

Starting Date:               19 January 2025

Location:                      Amman, Jordan

COUNTRY PROFILE

The climate situation in Syria increasingly impacts the humanitarian landscape, exacerbating vulnerabilities for communities already affected by years of conflict and economic instability.

The country has faced four years of consecutive drought, beginning in 2021, which severely impact water availability, agriculture, livelihoods, and power generation. This ongoing drought has led to water shortages, reduced crop yields, and rising food insecurity, making it difficult for communities to sustain themselves and adapt to environmental changes. In addition to drought, the region is also highly vulnerable to flooding, which displaced thousands of people in 2021.

Climate-related disruptions not only affect daily life but also hinder long-term recovery and stabilization efforts. Humanitarian actors are increasingly integrating climate adaptation strategies into their response plans, focusing on disaster risk reduction, sustainable agricultural practices, and building resilience in local communities.

However, limited data and resources, along with the ongoing conflict, make it difficult to implement large-scale, coordinated climate action in Syria. Therefore, there is a growing recognition of the need for more localized climate assessments, better data collection, and more robust strategies to address the intersection of climate change and humanitarian needs.

POSITION PROFILE

REACH Syria is seeking to recruit an Assessment Specialist passionate about addressing climate change in one of the world’s most challenging environments. The Climate Assessment Specialist (CAS) will conceptualise and lead impactful research and help communities adapt to climate challenges. This role is an exciting opportunity to conduct in-depth climate assessments, identify critical vulnerabilities, and develop resilience strategies linked to strengthening the climate responsive programming in Syria.

Building on REACH’s established work on climate and water scarcity, the CAS will collaborate with skilled research, field, and partner teams to enhance humanitarian planning, sustainable resource management, and community resilience in the face of climate and conflict challenges.

FUNCTION

The Climate Assessment Specialist (CAS) will lead REACH Syria’s climate resilience research portfolio under the guidance of the Deputy Country Representative. The ideal candidate will bring experience in humanitarian work and climate-focused research, particularly in climate resilience, water access, agricultural hazards, and disaster risk reduction. Skills in mixed-methods research design, analytical reporting, project proposal development, and external engagement are essential.

The CAS will further develop and strengthen REACH’s Climate Resilience portfolio. The portfolio currently includes an Agricultural Hazards Assessment, a Socio-Economic Water Survey, Water Stakeholder Mapping, and climate monitoring. The CAS will play a key role in shaping REACH Syria’s climate resilience strategy and workstream at a pivotal time, requiring both technical and strategic adaptability across multiple responsibilities, from research management to partner coordination and proposal development.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Unit Strategy, program, and project development

The CAS will also contribute to the continued development and sustainable implementation of REACH Syria’s climate resilience strategy. Responsibilities for this function may include but are not limited to:

•        Identify and materialize opportunities for the scale-up of the climate resilience workstream, in line with strategic directions of the mission;

•        Develop new climate-related concept notes and proposals;

•        In pursuit of effective external communication of REACH Syria’s programmatic and strategic vision, represent the mission’s climate resilience portfolio to external stakeholders, including coordination actors, NGO fora, and potentially donors.

EXTERNAL ENGAGEMENT AND PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

The CAS will be expected to lead on REACH Syria external engagements around climate-adaption in humanitarian practice. They will also be tasked with identifying and maintaining key partnerships within the climate research space.

PROJECT PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION

The CAS will be expected to lead on REACH Syria’s climate resilience assessments. Responsibilities for this function include but are not limited to:

•        Proactively engage with the relevant external partners to understand informational needs and coordinate planning and implementation of activities;

•        Ensure activities are implemented in a structured and efficient manner, in line with their programmatic and strategic objectives;

•        Design new approaches and methodologies for the collection of primary data to fill priority information gaps and design of relevant resources and tools for mapping and analysis of existing data;

•        For all initiatives requiring primary data collection and/or output production, prepare ToRs and ensure their validation by IMPACT Headquarters on the appropriate timeline;

•        Coordinate with other REACH Syria staff, including technical departments and field teams, as needed for support;

•        Develop final outputs and analytical products in line with deliverables and objectives, which may include dashboards, factsheets, presentations, briefs, etc, and which comply with IMPACT’s guidelines and quality standards;

•        Ensure regular updates on projects are provided to REACH Syria team members and external counterparts;

•        Provide support and follow up on identified challenges during the research cycle;

•        Lead presentation of findings/outcomes to relevant external stakeholders to enhance their use and impact.

SUPERVISION

The CAS may have the opportunity to supervise other staff. Responsibilities for this function may include but are not limited to:

•        Direct line management of team member(s);

•        Day-to-day management of team member(s), including the development of work plans and performance indicators;

•        Development and implementation of capacity training plans for team member(s).

The CAS will maintain the strictest confidentiality on all data collected and related processes. They will actively take measures to prevent the unauthorized sharing of any information and data belonging to IMPACT and its partners or collected during their assignment with IMPACT.

[1] Conditional on sufficient funding being secured.

REQUIREMENTS

• Academic: Excellent academic qualifications, preferably including a Master’s degree in a relevant discipline (Agriculture, Hydrology, Development Studies, Social Research, International Relations, Political Science, Economics, Urban Studies, or similar);

• Research skills: Excellent research and analytical skills required, including experience designing research and conducting primary data collection using probability sampling, with experience in both qualitative and quantitative research and mixed-methods approaches being a strong advantage. Experience with participatory approaches (participatory action research) and community engagement also a strong advantage.

• Independence: Strong existing ability to work independently, ideally demonstrated through previous experience leading on a project.

• Multi-tasking: Ability to multitask effectively with tight deadlines on various workstreams.

• Experience in relevant sectors: Experience working on resilience / climate / water access / agriculture a strong advantage.

• Aid system familiarity: Familiarity with the aid system (humanitarian and/or development) is required.

• Communication/reporting skills: Excellent communication and drafting skills for effective reporting, including proven experience in contributing to presentations/briefings, are required.

• Years of work experience: At least 3 years of relevant working experience are required, including work on climate.

• Cross-cultural competency: Proven ability to operate effectively in a cross-cultural environment is required.

• Software skills: Proven knowledge of the Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Skills in analysis software are an asset (Atlas.ti/Nvivo/MAXQDA, R/SPSS/STATA), as is experience with InDesign and KoBo Toolbox.

• Experience in the geographical region: Knowledge of or experience in Syria or the wider region is desirable.

• Experience in managing others: Experience in managing other team members, particularly national staff, is desirable.

• Language skills Fluency in English required, fluency in Arabic is an asset.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

• For this position, salary between 3000 CHF and 3240 CHF monthly (before income tax), as well as a monthly living allowance of 300 USD NB – IMPACT salaries are strictly determined by our salary grid depending on the grade of the position and the level of education of staff. A location-dependent security and/or isolation adjustment is then applied as a recognition that some staff are required to work in difficult places where living and working conditions are much more difficult than elsewhere.

• Accommodation and food provided in a guesthouse. Depending on the country situation, a contribution to a housing allowance of up to 75% of country-specific benchmark can be considered instead.

• Enrolment in Swiss private pension fund (Swisslife – approx. 9.975% of staff gross salary), health insurance, life insurance and repatriation assistance.

• On a case-by-case basis, accompanied status and relevant benefits can apply (health insurance and flight tickets for dependents, education allowance for children)

• Flight tickets every 6 months & visa fees covered (in-country travel costs and professional expenses are fully covered).

• Contribution to the luggage transportation: between 20 and 100 kgs, depending on the length of the contract (+ luggage and personal property insurance)

• Annual leave of 36 days per year. Public holidays of the country of assignment. Family/compassionate leave when applicable.

• Predeparture induction – 3 days at IMPACT Initiatives’ HQ in Geneva + one-week pre-departure training in Acted HQ in Paris, including a 4-days in situ security training;

• Enrolment in IMPACT Initiatives Research Foundational Learning Programme within the first 3 months from the start of contract.

• IMPACT prioritizes the psychological safety of its staff and the health insurance provided covers, among others, up to 1000 € per year of psychosocial counselling fees.