Policy Assistant, EU Delegation to Syria, sub-office in Beirut Lebanon

The European Union Delegation to Syria, sub-office in Beirut Lebanon is looking for a Policy Assistant

We are

The European Union (EU) is an economic and political partnership between 28 European countries. It plays an important role in international affairs through diplomacy, trade, development aid and working with global organisations. Abroad, the EU is represented through more than 140 diplomatic representations, known also as EU Delegations, which have a similar function to those of an embassy.

The EU Delegation to Syria maintains a functioning office in Damascus with regular presence of expatriate and local staff, while the main office is temporarily relocated to Beirut where it is hosted by the EU Delegation to Lebanon. In addition, the Delegation has a regular presence in regional hubs (Amman, Istanbul/Gaziantep) and operates in close contact with HQ services in Brussels. In addition to its political role, the EU is the main donor responding to the huge humanitarian consequences of the Syrian conflict. As part of our role, we also coordinate with the EU Member States as well as other international actors and donors in order to promote a coordinated and coherent approach.

We offer

We offer a post of Policy Assistant in the Political, Press and Information Section. Under this post, the recruited person will be attributed functions depending on the needs of the Delegation. Upon recruitment, the successful candidate will occupy a specific job function as Policy Assistant – this job function may be changed in accordance with the needs of the Delegation. Under this job function, the successful candidate will serve as support staff to carry out research and analysis of political and economic developments in Syria and assist with press and communication tasks under the supervision and responsibility of the relevant head of the section.

The working environment is multicultural, currently in shared offices. The working week is from Monday to Friday and consists of 37,5h per week. The post is for fixed term contract of 1 year, with a possibility of extension. The level of the post is LA2 with a starting salary of gross 5.2 million (LL 5 200 000) Lebanese Pounds as taxable income. Benefits, such as additional pension scheme and medical insurance, are offered to employees and their families under certain conditions.

• as a minimum requirement, a secondary education attested by a diploma giving access to post-secondary education
• any further studies would be considered as an asset, notably a university degree in political science, economics, law, development studies, geography, anthropology or equivalent
• preferably three years of professional experience in performing political and/or economic research, analysis and reporting
• knowledge of Syria and its political, economic and/or legal environment will be considered an asset
• flexibility, motivation, respect for deadlines, communication skills, the ability to work alone as well as in a team and the ability to perform under pressure
• must have a valid residence card or Lebanese citizenship

The candidate has to be proficient in English and Arabic – knowledge of French and other languages would be considered an asset.

How to apply

Please send your application and supporting documents to delegation-syria-hoa@eeas.europa.eu . The package should include

• a cover and motivation letter of maximum one page,
• a detailed CV by using the standard template provided for Local Agents
• a copy of a valid residence card (or a copy of the Lebanese ID card)
• scanned copies of relevant diplomas / certificates of degrees
• any pertinent reference letters.

The selection procedure consists of evaluation of the received applications, in order to identify the candidates fulfilling the minimum requirements above. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to a three-hour long written exercise as well as an interview in front of a panel of three persons, the indicative date for these is 8 December 2017. If required, the second round of interviews might be organised for the lead candidates.

The Delegation will not supply additional information or discuss the selection procedure by telephone: please address any queries concerning this procedure to delegation-syria-hoa@eeas.europa.eu minimum 3 working days prior to the submission deadline (i.e. by Tuesday 28 November 2017 at 16:00 Lebanese time).