UNFPA, the United Nations agency working for a world where every pregnancy is intended and every childbirth is safe, is recruiting a Deputy Representative at P-5 level in Damascus, Syria, with applications open until 07 November 2026. The role asks for a postgraduate degree and 10 years of experience. At Youth Works Hub, we reviewed the full vacancy and set out every duty, requirement and condition below.
The Deputy Representative's Place in the Country Programme
The Deputy Representative plays a leading role in the design and delivery of the UNFPA country programme. Through alliances and partnerships with governments, UN and bilateral agencies, development partners, civil society, academia and the private sector, the programme aims to realize the 2030 Agenda and make a positive difference in the lives of millions of people, especially those furthest behind.
The post also carries responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the Country Office, including supervising assigned Country Office staff.
Already Applied? This Is a Re-Advertisement
🔁 This vacancy is a re-advertisement. All candidates who have previously applied need not re-apply.
What UNFPA Works For
UNFPA is the lead United Nations agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is intended, every childbirth is safe, and every young person's potential is fulfilled.
Four Outcomes in the UNFPA Strategic Plan 2026-2029
The Strategic Plan for 2026-2029 sets out the organization's response to a complex global environment and provides a roadmap for resilience and renewal. It is designed to accelerate the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. The mandate is pursued through four interconnected outcomes:
👪 Ending the unmet need for family planning
🤰 Ending preventable maternal deaths
🛡️ Ending gender-based violence and harmful practices
📈 Adapting to demographic change through evidence and rights-based policies
The Kind of Staff UNFPA Is Looking For
In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, UNFPA says it needs principled and ethical staff who embody international norms and standards and will defend them courageously and with full conviction.
The organization is seeking candidates who transform, inspire, and deliver high-impact sustained results, ensuring effective external relations, communications, partnership-building and resource mobilization in a rapidly changing development and funding landscape. It also wants staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them, and committed to delivering excellence in programme results.
Job Purpose: Working Alongside the UNFPA Representative
In collaboration with the UNFPA Representative, the Deputy Representative plays a leading role in strengthening the country's capacity to implement the ICPD Programme of Action, supporting national development efforts to achieve the SDGs, and ensuring national ownership.
Together with the Country Representative, the post holder is accountable for the effective development and management of an innovative Country Programme of Cooperation focused on population and development and universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights, including maternal health, family planning, gender, and adolescent and youth empowerment.
The Deputy Representative is responsible for promoting the goals of the programme at national level and ensuring that sexual and reproductive health and rights are integrated into the broader national development agenda. Through engagement with national counterparts, compelling advocacy, and delivery of effective programmes, including in emergency settings, the post holder serves on the frontline, validating the mandate of the organization and its ability to deliver high quality results.
Programme Leadership Duties
🧩 Develop, manage and monitor the Country Programme, in line with the strategic plan and on the basis of demographic, socio-economic data and national population policies
🔎 Assess and address the implications of national trends on UNFPA work in the country
🌱 Expand and diversify UNFPA's portfolio in pursuit of strategic new programme options in its mandate area
🔄 Feed back country specificities on policy, procedures and lessons learned to the RO/SRO for the development of the global and regional strategic plan
✅ Establish quality standards for project development and delivery
📊 Oversee monitoring and evaluation of the programme, ensuring regular, rigorous monitoring, incorporation of lessons learned, adherence to the country programme theory of change, and adherence to corporate reporting requirements on Country Office results
🚨 Take a leading role in ensuring UNFPA's mandate areas are reflected in the humanitarian preparedness and response plans of the country and the UN country team, and ensure the Country Office develops capacities for humanitarian response
Building National Capacity on ICPD Commitments
🏗️ Develop and implement a strategy for developing national capacity to deliver effectively on ICPD commitments, leading the identification of capacity gaps and needs among partner institutions, and providing technical assistance and leveraging resources to support the development of capacities
🔬 Promote the capacity of national research and academic institutions to produce, analyse, disseminate and use demographic data and statistics for evidence-based policy making in support of rights-based development programming
🏥 In collaboration with development partners, promote health system strengthening to address the country's ability to provide universal access to health care, including SRHR
⚖️ Take the lead in articulating strategies to develop the country's capacity to develop, implement and monitor rights-based policies and laws, focusing on Government entities, human rights institutions, academia and civil society
💬 Engage in a continuous dialogue with national partners to promote an enabling environment for the implementation of the ICPD agenda
📏 Create or improve national capacities to monitor, evaluate and learn from capacity development initiatives
💡 Foster knowledge sharing and innovative thinking in the Country Office, country and region
Partnership and Advocacy Work
🏛️ Build and maintain positive and collaborative relationships with key Government partners in support of shared objectives
📣 Advocate for the inclusion of the ICPD agenda within national policies, plans and strategies, including those focused on humanitarian preparedness and response
🌐 Represent UNFPA's mandate within the UN, ensure the inclusion of ICPD issues in common country assessments, UN Development Assistance Frameworks and other strategies, and where relevant lead or participate in inter-UN theme groups and task forces
💼 Liaise continuously with donors and development partners, contribute to joint positions on issues of common concern, identify allies in advocacy for key UNFPA issues, and articulate UNFPA's niche areas of value added
🏦 Pursue resource mobilization opportunities among traditional and new donors
📰 Support efforts to communicate UNFPA's mandate issues and visibility for its donors by engaging with media partners, drafting articles and opinion pieces, and engaging on social media
Managing Resources, Staff and Security
📅 Support the UNFPA Representative in the management of the Country Office, including the formulation of annual work plans and monitoring implementation through consultations and field visits
🗺️ Support the design and implementation of a resource mobilization and partnership strategy, securing and using mobilised funds and budget allocations for the country programme
👥 Support the Representative in the management of staff, providing direction and motivation and fostering empowerment, learning and career management
📚 Facilitate capacity building of national staff by devolving authority for portfolio management, and guide programme implementation with substantive oversight and effective programme representation
🏅 Demonstrate performance appraisal and transparent leadership approaches that support a culture of growth and development, where good performance is incentivized and underperformers are held to account
🎯 Set standards of performance and assign responsibilities for achieving results according to the Country Office Strategic Information System
🌟 Provide support to JPOs on career issues and advise managers on the JPO programme
📝 Support the development of a strategic plan for UNFPA's humanitarian and preparedness actions in-country
🔐 Support staff safety by driving compliance with Minimum Operating Security Standards (MOSS) and Minimum Operational Residential Security Standards (MORSS)
➕ Carry out any other duties as may be required by the Country Representative
Education Required for the Post
🎓 A postgraduate university degree in Public Health, Medicine, Sociology, Demography, Gender, International Relations, International Development, Economics, Public Administration, Management or another related field
Knowledge and Experience UNFPA Asks For
🕰️ 10 years of increasingly responsible professional experience in public administration and international development, including programme designing, appraising and management, of which at least 8 years in the field of population and development, sexual and reproductive health or humanitarian work at the international level
📐 Demonstrated ability to refine programme design to ensure alignment of organizational programme objectives to national priorities and capacities
🗣️ Experience at national and international level in advocacy and policy dialogue
📢 Excellent media and communication skills to foster engaged partnerships and to maintain political partnerships in the assigned country
🚀 Proven ability to lead teams to achieve demonstrable and high quality results
🌏 Experience in international development, particularly in the mandate of UNFPA, and dedication to the principles of the United Nations
🥾 Field experience is essential, and experience from a developing, humanitarian context is an asset
Language Requirements
🔤 Fluency in English is required
📖 Working knowledge of another official UN language is desirable
Values Expected of Every Candidate
💎 Exemplifying integrity
🔗 Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system
🎨 Embracing cultural diversity
🦋 Embracing change
Core Competencies
🏁 Achieving results
📌 Being accountable
🧠 Developing and applying professional expertise and business acumen
♟️ Thinking analytically and strategically
🐝 Working in teams, managing ourselves and our relationships
📡 Communicating for impact
Managerial Competencies
🔭 Providing strategic focus
🌉 Engaging internal and external partners and stakeholders
🌻 Leading, developing and empowering people, creating a culture of performance
🚦 Making decisions and exercising judgment
UN Leadership Characteristics
📜 Norm-based: grounded in UN norms and standards
🧱 Principled: defends norms and standards without discrimination, fear or favour
🏘️ Inclusive of all personnel and stakeholders
🧾 Accountable
🎛️ Multi-dimensional
✨ Transformational
🎼 Collaborative
🔦 Self-applied: modelled in our own behaviour
Compensation and Benefits
🩺 The position offers an attractive remuneration package, including a competitive net salary plus health insurance and other benefits as applicable.
The UNFPA Work Environment
UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. It is committed to gender parity in the organization and therefore encourages women to apply.
Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in appointment, training, compensation and selection for all, regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity, and describes diversity, equity and inclusion as being at the heart of its workforce.
♿ Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process.
Conditions Attached to Selection and Appointment
📋 Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements.
🛂 Applicants for positions in the international Professional and higher categories who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality may be required to renounce that status upon appointment.
No Fees at Any Stage of Recruitment
🚫 UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process, and it does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts. For the wider picture on scam warning signs, see how Youth Works Hub verifies opportunities.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is this UNFPA Deputy Representative post based?
The post is based in Damascus, Syria. It is a P-5 position within the UNFPA Country Office and includes responsibility for the day-to-day operations of that office.
Do I need to apply again if I applied before?
No. The vacancy is a re-advertisement, and UNFPA states that all candidates who have previously applied need not re-apply.
How much experience does the role require?
UNFPA asks for 10 years of increasingly responsible professional experience in public administration and international development. At least 8 of those years must be in population and development, sexual and reproductive health or humanitarian work at the international level.
Is field experience required for the Deputy Representative role?
Yes. Field experience is described as essential. Experience from a developing, humanitarian context is an asset rather than a requirement.
Which degree do I need?
A postgraduate university degree is required in a discipline such as Public Health, Medicine, Sociology, Demography, Gender, International Relations, International Development, Economics, Public Administration or Management. Other related fields are also accepted.
Which languages are required?
Fluency in English is required. Working knowledge of another official UN language is desirable but not mandatory.
Who does the Deputy Representative work with most closely?
The post works in collaboration with the UNFPA Representative and shares accountability with the Country Representative for developing and managing the Country Programme of Cooperation. Externally, it engages Government partners, UN agencies, donors, development partners and media partners.
Does UNFPA charge a fee to apply?
No. UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee at any stage of recruitment. It also does not concern itself with applicants' bank account information.
What does the salary package include?
UNFPA describes an attractive remuneration package with a competitive net salary, health insurance and other benefits as applicable. The vacancy does not state a salary figure.
Deadline
⏳ 07 November 2026
Link
Apply on the UNFPA careers page: https://estm.fa.em2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_2003/job/37834/?utm_medium=jobshare
