Human Resources Specialist

Who are we?

The Danish Refugee Council assists refugees and internally displaced persons across the globe: we provide emergency aid, fight for their rights, and strengthen their opportunities for a brighter future. We work in conflict-affected areas, along the displacement routes, and in the countries where refugees settle. In cooperation with local communities, we strive for responsible and sustainable solutions. We work toward successful integration and – whenever possible – for the fulfillment of the wish to return home.

The Danish Refugee Council was founded in Denmark in 1956 and has since grown to become an international humanitarian organization with more than 7,000 staff and 8,000 volunteers. Our vision is a dignified life for all displaced.

All of our efforts are based on our value compass: humanity, respect, independence and neutrality, participation, and honesty and transparency.

DRC Syria

DRC has been operating in Syria since 2008, initially responding to the Iraqi refugee crisis before pivoting to a full-scale response to the Syria crisis from 2011 onwards. Our work encompasses the full cycle of displacement—responding to life-saving humanitarian needs and supporting community recovery until durable solutions can be achieved. DRC Syria takes an area-based approach to supporting internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees, and host communities across our key sectors: Economic Recovery and Resilience, Protection, WASH, Shelter and Infrastructure, and Humanitarian Disarmament and Peacebuilding (including Humanitarian Mine Action).

With an established rapid response mechanism, DRC can rapidly respond to emerging crises and shocks to meet acute emergency needs. Recognizing the significant need for early recovery and resilience programming to ensure dignified, sustainable, and cost-effective solutions for fragile communities, DRC’s programmes foster resilience for individuals and communities in situations of protracted displacement and during the initial stages of post-conflict recovery, towards a durable solution of their choice. With active portfolios in the neighbouring countries of Jordan, Lebanon, Türkiye and Iraq, DRC offers a cross-border, regional response to the Syria crisis, through cross-border protection monitoring, advocacy, and trends analysis.

 

Overall purpose of the role: The purpose of the position is to ensure smooth running of the day to day human resource activities for the entire country program. The position gives support with recruitment, Employment relations, Performance Management, HR Reporting and Office Administration, Ensuring consistent Approach and high quality HR Standards, while ensuring consistent application of DRC policies, national labour law, and high-quality HR standards. The position contributes to strengthening fair, inclusive, and transparent HR systems in line with DRC’s organisational values and localisation commitments.

 

Main Responsibilities:

Payroll

• Initiate and prepare the national employee payroll.
• Social Security and Income Tax payment sheets
• Ensure timely caption of all payroll adjustments as expected during preparation of monthly payroll.
• Ensure that all staff receive their pay slips on a monthly basis.
• Manage any grievance pertaining to employees’ salaries as may be raised from time to time

Recruitment

• Support the Interview process and participate in Oral assessments and salary negotiations
• Ensure smoothing running of the recruitment process for the positions category you are in charge of
• Encourage use of the recruitment workflow
• Guide and support hiring managers on the recruitment processes and procedures
• Champion compliance of Recruitment policies, processes and procedures
• Support HR staff in Area offices when needed.

Contracts

• Review the offer letters before CD’s approval
• Review contracts of employment before CD’s approval
• Support HR Assistant & Officer during preparation of employment contracts.

Dynamics System

• Focal point for maintain the data clean & updated on Dynamics.
• Hiring and separating of employees
• Renewal of contracts in the system
• Creation of positions
• Creation of calendars
• Ticketing management
• Updating leave

Performance & Development management

• Proactively respond to and manage performance counselling, employee grievances and disciplinary issues as required, with a focus on building manager competency and ensuring that documentation is kept
• Lead the performance management process and ensure its compliance across the country.
• Guide the process of performance management system to both employees and managers at the beginning and end of every year.
• Coordinate all training activities and keeping records
• Assist in conducting training on Code of Conduct, Confidentiality, Conflict of Interest, etc. as needed.

Well being

• Act as an impartial mediator in disciplinary procedures and ensure it is administered in an equitable and fair manner and meets all legal and labor regulations and requirements.
• Coordinate activities with Admin officer- external relations for employees
• Insure that all staff are taking their leaves as expected to promote good physical and mental health in the workplace.
• Make sure to maintain a positive work environment.
• Focal point for medical insurance (Criteria, Tenders, Tracker, etc...).

On Boarding process

• Coordinate the orientation process and help new staff with onboarding for national employees for CO national staff.
• Coordinate new hire on boarding process you are in charge of (contracts, Social Security, Medical Insurance, DRC ID , Dynamics account , new hire forms , Tour between the offices).
• Conduct the HR orientation for all joiners at Country Office.

Leave Management

• Guide and support the staff and managers who may require broader understanding of leave applicability
• Ensure compliance of all leave types by the international staff

HR Administration

• Support HRM with updating country Organogram in a presentable state 
• Always ensure HR information is secure whilst exercising high integrity, confidentiality and professional levels
• Act as back up for the Country HR/Administration Manager during their absence.
• Provide supervisor and technical guidance to the HR Assistant & Officer in the CO & Area offices.
• Focal point for HR audit requirements.
• Support HR-related due diligence assessments of national partners in coordination with the Partnerships and Grants teams, including review of partners’ HR policies, recruitment procedures, safeguarding frameworks, staff contracts, and Code of Conduct compliance.
• Contribute to partner capacity assessments by identifying gaps in HR systems and supporting the development of practical capacity strengthening plans.
• Ensure partner HR documentation and practices meet DRC minimum standards and donor compliance requirements, particularly regarding safeguarding, prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA), and ethical recruitment.
• Provide technical guidance to partners on improving HR policies, personnel file management, payroll compliance, and statutory obligations where relevant.

Reporting 

• Ensure that all HR Trackers are well updated and maintained at all time, for accurate information management in the HR department.
• Support HRM with drafting HR Quarterly/ monthly reports.

 

Experience and technical competencies:

• At least 3 year of experience in a busy HR department, preferably in INGO setting 
• Excellent levels of confidentiality and professionalism.
• Strong knowledge of national labour law and HR compliance requirements.
• Excellent commitment to accountable practices.
• Knowledge of working in challenging environments.
• Proven ability to manage large varied workloads and deal constructively with stress and periods with long hours.
• Proven ability to prioritise tasks, meet deadlines and work with limited supervision
• Proactive, stable and robust character and a good team player.
• Excellent communication skills, calm and a good sense of humor.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to establish effective working relations at all levels. 

 

Education:

Essential:

• A Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences, Business Administration, Humanities or related field. Master’s degree is an added advantage.
• Excellent communication in English and Arabic both written and oral.  
• Knowledge of MS office applications

Languages:  Must be fluent in both English and Arabic

 

In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’ five core competencies:  

• Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process.  
• Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback.  
• Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.  
• Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly.  
• Demonstrating integrity: You act in line with our vision and values.

 

We Offer:

Contract length: six months (extension based on performance and funds)

Level: Non-Management – G.2

Location: Syria - Damascus

Expected Start Date: As soon as possible

Application process

Interested? Then apply for this position here: Talentech - Human Resources Specialist - Application Form

All applicants must send a cover letter and an updated CV (no longer than four pages). Both must be in the same language as this vacancy note. CV only applications will not be considered.

Applications close on 19 August 2026

NOTE: Due to the urgency of this position, the applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis

 

Need further information?

For further information about the Danish Refugee Council, please consult our website www.drc.org

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