Executive Support Specialist to the Country Director

Job description

GIZ has been operating in Syria since 1976. It has thus established valuable contacts in civil society and garnered experience that is now crucial for supporting the country. From 2013 onwards, it worked without government involvement with the assistance of local non-governmental organizations. Despite the difficult conditions, GIZ has consistently contributed to improving people’s living conditions.

In view of the developments since December 2024, which have led Syria into a decisive phase of transformation, GIZ reopens its Country Office in Damascus in 2026. It is currently implementing 14 projects on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Federal Foreign Office (FFO), with co-financing from the European Union and other donors. From 2026, the portfolio is planned to be expanded by several new projects.

Your tasks

• Supporting the planning and implementation of events and meetings including agendas, venues, logistics, participant coordination, materials and on‑site support.

• Coordinating and Managing the Country Directors, including itinery, bookings and travel applications and settlements in line with GIZ procedures

• Managing visa processes for the Country Director and visiting staff and consultants, ensuring timely applications, compliance with host‑country regulations and required documentation.

• Serving as the executive office point of contact, triaging incoming correspondence, preparing briefings, drafting communications and ensuring timely information flow to stakeholders.

• Maintaining accurate records and files (travel, events, visas, contracts, contacts) and prepare required reports for management.

• Contribute to continuous improvement of executive office workflows and tools, i.e. maintenance of mailing lists, documenting SOPs and integrating lessons learned from travel, events and visa cases

Your profile (required qualifications, competencies and experience)

• Education: Completed bachelor’s degree in business administration, office management, public administration or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

• Experience: three years of progressively responsible administrative experience, including coordination of calendars, travel arrangements and event logistics.

• Coordination and planning: Proven ability to manage multiple parallel tasks and deadlines, prioritize effecttively and deliver under time pressure with high attention to detail.

• Communication: Strong written and verbal communication skills in English; ability to draft professional correspondence, briefs and meeting materials. German language skills are an advantage.

• Stakeholder management: Experience liaising with internal and external stakeholders (e.g. authorities, service providers, partners) in a professional and service‑oriented manner; high intercultural sensitivity and discretion.

• Digital skills: Confident use of MS Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and virtual collaboration tools; ability to work with internal filing/workflow systems and follow standard operating procedures.

• Compliance and process discipline: Demonstrated adherence to organizational policies, documentation standards and data protection; reliability and integrity in handling sensitive information.

• Personal competencies: Proactive, structured and solutions‑oriented working style; strong team player with a high sense of responsibility and confidentiality