UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to a chance 

UNICEF Syria was established in 1970 and has been working with partners to help empower children to fully claim and enjoy their rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

UNICEF works with partners across Syria to deliver supplies, services and expertise in areas of Child Protection, Education, Health, Nutrition, Water, Hygiene and Sanitation for every child. UNICEF also provides humanitarian assistance when needed.

The humanitarian situation in Syria remains dire, especially for children. After more than fourteen years of conflict, around 7.5 million children are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. The prolonged conflict has led to repeated mass displacement, with many families living in overcrowded and unsafe conditions. The economic crisis has exacerbated the situation, pushing more families into poverty and increasing the reliance on negative coping mechanisms such as child labour and early marriage. Additionally, the destruction of infrastructure, including schools and hospitals, has severely limited access to essential services, leaving many children without education and adequate healthcare.

Despite dramatic contextual changes, including the change of authorities in December 2024, Syria remains a major humanitarian emergency with some 70 per cent of the population in need of humanitarian assistance. As of February 2026, the humanitarian situation in Aleppo Governorate is critical following a major escalation of hostilities in early January 2026 between the government forces and the Kurdish military ( SDF), which triggered displacement, damaged infrastructure, and severely disrupted essential services. While an 18 January ceasefire has enabled some returns, hundreds of thousands require urgent aid, including food, water, and shelter, amid harsh winter conditions.

Conflict and resulting Displacement: Sporadic hostilities have continued in eastern rural Aleppo but also in Idleb. These conditions have triggered new and secondary displacements, exacerbated protection risks, and increased needs across all sectors. The northern part of Aleppo Governorate remains under SDF control.

Explosive Ordnance (EO) Threat: Increased population movement has revealed widespread EO contamination. Between December 2024 and October 2025, 1,498 casualties were recorded, double the number from the previous year, with 60 per cent of incidents occurring in agricultural areas, threatening livelihoods and food security.

Climatic Shocks: Syria is facing its worst drought-like conditions in 36 years. Crop failures in key regions have reduced wheat and barley yields, with FAO projecting a 70 per cent wheat production deficit, which could leave over 16 million people unable to meet their nutritional requirements. The drought-like conditions have also severely impacted the country’s main water resources, affecting access for over 10 million people already struggling to meet basic water needs. Aleppo Governorate is among the worst affected governorates.

How can you make a difference? 

As a Strategic Business Partner, the incumbent will be accountable for operations functions, facilitate change, provide risk-informed, solution-focused analysis, advice, and services, and contribute to programme and management decisions for delivering results for children in specific operational contexts.

The Operations Specialist will accomplish this by:

• Facilitating services in the functional areas of operations support: budget, financial management and reporting, facilities management, administration, supply and logistics management, information and communications technology, human resources, and safety and security.
• Supporting the line manager to implement career development and opportunities for staff.
• Acting as a member of the Country and Senior Management Teams, representing the organizational risks, governance systems, and policies, and promoting results-based management.
• Understanding business needs for the office, to anticipate challenges, propose viable/creative solutions aimed at value for money.
• Providing key contributions to CPD, CPMP, AMP, and support to Results-Based Management and implementation using Value for Money criteria.
• Promoting the fundamentals of ICT management, information security, and controls;
• Supporting supply and logistics strategies and interventions to meet programmatic needs while ensuring Value for Money (VfM), including procurement of fit-for-purpose products and services, and providing advisory support to governments, national systems, and partners on supply chain management;
• Supporting the country office during external and internal audit reviews, responding to audit observations, and monitoring the implementation of recommendations.
• Providing regular feedback on risks and achievements of operations functions in the office;
• Leading on facility management with a specific focus on inclusive accessibility, eco sustainability, and common premises;
• Monitoring business transactions processed by GSSC from a perspective of Efficiency, Performance, Risk Management, and Fraud prevention;
• Supporting the management of PSFR operations and promoting efficiency across systems and processes, where applicable.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:  TOR-Operations Specialist-TA-P3-Aleppo (VA).pdf

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Minimum requirements:

Education:  

An Advanced University Degree (Master’s and above) in one of the following areas is required: Business management; Financial management; Accounting; Public Finance; and related operations function (Supply Chain, Human Resources, Information Technology, International Business, Project management, etc.) is required or a full professional accounting designation (CA, ACA, ACCA, CPA, CIMA, CPFA, Expert Comptable) from an internationally recognized institute/body of accountancy with valid membership in good standing is required.”

 

Work Experience:  

A minimum of 5 years of professional experience, at the national and/or international level, is required, specifically in implementing organizational initiatives in one or more operations management area including budget; financial management and reporting; facilities management; administration; supply and logistics management; information and communication technology; human resources.

Knowledge of Results-Based Management is a requirement.

Familiarity with Microsoft Office applications is required.

Language Requirement:  

Fluency in English is required. 

 

Desirables:

• Prior experience in the development sector or UN system/ international NGOs would be an asset.

• Additional experience in one or more of the following areas, would be desired:

  • Audit and investigations
  • Safety and security
  • Grant Management
  • Enterprise Risk Management

• Experience in a UN system agency, large private or public company, or experience working in a developing country and/or humanitarian/ emergency context is an asset.

• For country offices with a significant private sector fundraising operation, prior experience working with or in the private sector, and supporting private sector fundraising, is desirable

• Experience in working with corporate ERPs (Enterprise Resource Planning) and IPSAS (International Public Sector Accounting Standards) is highly desirable.
  
  
• Experience in supporting successful client-oriented work units is an asset.
  
  
• Knowledge of Arabic language is considered an asset.
  
  

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

Builds and maintains partnerships (2)

Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (2)

Drive to achieve results for impact (2)

Innovates and embraces change (2)

Manages ambiguity and complexity (2)

Thinks and acts strategically (2)

Works collaboratively with others (2)

Nurtures, Lead and Manages People (1)

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable [female candidates] are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

“The Vacancy Announcement is open to Internal & External International/non-Syrian candidates."

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.