Assessment Specialist

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Client:

IMPACT Initiatives

Location:

Amman, Jordan

Job Category:

Other

Job Reference:

1691e877a3d2

Job Views:

7

Posted:

21.01.2025

Expiry Date:

07.03.2025

Job Description:BACKGROUND ON IMPACT AND REACH

REACH was born in 2010 as a joint initiative of two International NGOs (IMPACT Initiatives and Acted) and the United Nations Operational Satellite Applications Programme (UNOSAT). REACH’s purpose is to promote and facilitate the development of information products that enhance the humanitarian community’s decision making and planning capacity for emergency, reconstruction and development contexts. REACH facilitates information management for aid actors through three complementary services: (a) need and situation assessments facilitated by REACH teams; (b) situation analysis using satellite imagery; (c) provision of related database and (web)-mapping facilities and expertise.

IMPACT Initiatives is a humanitarian NGO, based in Geneva, Switzerland. The organisation manages several initiatives, including the REACH Initiative. The IMPACT team comprises specialists in data collection, management and analysis and GIS. IMPACT was launched at the initiative of Acted, an international NGO whose headquarter is based in Paris and is present in thirty countries. The two organizations have a strong complementarity formalized in a global partnership, enabling IMPACT to benefit from Acted’s operational support on its fields of intervention.

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

Department: REACH

Position: Assessment Specialist

Starting Date: 19 January 2025

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

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:

1. Identify and materialize opportunities for the scale-up of the climate resilience workstream, in line with strategic directions of the mission;
2. Develop new climate-related concept notes and proposals;
3. 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:

1. Proactively engage with the relevant external partners to understand informational needs and coordinate planning and implementation of activities;
2. Ensure activities are implemented in a structured and efficient manner, in line with their programmatic and strategic objectives;
3. 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;
4. For all initiatives requiring primary data collection and/or output production, prepare ToRs and ensure their validation by IMPACT Headquarters on the appropriate timeline;
5. Coordinate with other REACH Syria staff, including technical departments and field teams, as needed for support;
6. 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;
7. Ensure regular updates on projects are provided to REACH Syria team members and external counterparts;
8. Provide support and follow up on identified challenges during the research cycle;
9. 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:

1. Direct line management of team member(s);
2. Day-to-day management of team member(s), including the development of work plans and performance indicators;
3. Development and implementation of capacity training plans for team member(s).

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