UNOPS

The armed conflict that erupted in Syria in 2011 had devastating effects on the country with the widespread damage of housing and productive assets, mass displacement within the country and abroad and deterioration of living standards to unprecedent low levels. All these were accompanied by gross violations of human rights, housing, land and property rights (HLP) included, perpetrated by the different conflict parties.

With the fallout of al-Assad regime in December 2024, despite the human rights violations reported in several parts of the country, new horizons for grievances suffered by the Syrian people to be addressed are open.

Syria continues to face layered challenges of displacement, widespread housing and infrastructure destruction, complex land tenure systems, and fragile governance structures. An estimated 6.7 million Syrians remain internally displaced, and recovery efforts are hampered by unresolved HLP issues that obstruct voluntary return, social cohesion, and sustainable development.

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is the UN agency dedicated to promoting socially and environmentally sustainable urban development and adequate shelter for all. Mandated by the UN General Assembly in 1978, UN-Habitat brings over four decades of expertise in addressing urban growth challenges. It plays a key role in implementing the New Urban Agenda, adopted at Habitat III in 2016, and advancing Sustainable Development Goal 11 to make cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. Working with governments, the private sector, and civil society, UN-Habitat develops practical, forward-looking solutions to create affordable, vibrant, and equitable urban spaces worldwide.

Syria continues to face layered challenges of displacement, widespread housing and infrastructure destruction, complex land tenure systems, and fragile governance structures. An estimated 6.7 million Syrians remain internally displaced, and recovery efforts are hampered by unresolved HLP issues that obstruct voluntary return, social cohesion, and sustainable development.

Since 2015, UN‑Habitat Syria has supported Syrian cities and communities through a comprehensive approach to urban resilience, recovery, housing, land and property (HLP) challenges, local governance, and related thematic areas. More recently, following the collapse of the former regime in December 2024, support to urban land development systems—within the broader reform agenda of the land sector—has become an increasingly critical element of Syria’s humanitarian‑development‑peace nexus. With the dramatic shifts the country has witnessed since late 2024, the geographic scope of HLP engagement has expanded to include Idleb in the north‑west and the coastal governorates of Lattakia and Tartous.

A central pillar of this support is the EU‑funded “Joint Programme on Housing, Land and Property Issues – Phase II” (JP HLP II), implemented by UN‑Habitat together with UNDP and NRC since December 2022. The programme was recently extended until the end of 2026 with an additional top‑up contribution and the inclusion of new partners, IOM and UNHCR. UN‑Habitat has also launched additional initiatives, including a Joint Programme with UNHCR titled “Supporting Sustainable Returns and Reintegration in Syrian Cities,” funded by the Government of the Netherlands, and the “Informal Settlements Upgrading Project” in Homs and Aleppo, funded by the Government of Japan, among others.

UN‑Habitat further co‑leads the HLP Technical Working Group (HLP‑TWG), composed of UN agencies, international NGOs, and national organizations. Established in 2017, the HLP‑TWG provides a platform for coordinated discussion on emerging HLP issues, collective response planning, and knowledge exchange. Two sub‑national branches—the North‑West Syria HLP‑TWG (NWS) covering Aleppo and Idleb, and the North‑East Syria HLP‑TWG (NES)—were formed in 2025 to address issues specific to these respective regions. The NWS HLP‑TWG is led by UN‑Habitat and the NES HLP‑TWG led by NRC.

To strengthen UN‑Habitat’s contribution to Housing, Land and Property (HLP) in Syria by providing strategic guidance, enhancing inter‑agency coordination, and aligning HLP efforts with broader housing and urban land management initiatives. At the same time, the programme aims to improve tenure security in the northwest and coastal areas by delivering efficient, rights‑based services to HLP rightsholders and claimants through strengthened project implementation and coordinated NWS HLP TWG, supported by the HLP team in the Damascus hub.

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, law, social sciences, political sciences, project management or other relevant fields. 

Desired:

• Training or certification in HLP or land administration-related field 

Required:

• Minimum of three (3) years of progressive experience in housing, land and property (HLP), land governance, legal analysis, urban planning, or related fields in humanitarian, early recovery, or development contexts.

• Experience managing projects or programmes, including assessments, reporting, and coordination with government and humanitarian actors, ideally related to HLP.

Desired:

• Professional experience with international organizations related to HLP, urban recovery and/or sector coordination.

• Good understanding of the Syrian legal and institutional framework related to HLP rights, land administration, and property documentation.

• Knowledge of international HLP frameworks.

• Skills in data analysis and reporting for evidence-based programming.

• UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. 
• UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.
• Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered. 
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the selection process, which may include various assessments. 
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of a wide range of nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. We strive to sustain and strengthen this diversity, fostering an inclusive working environment where all personnel are treated with respect and have equal access to opportunities.
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to a fair and transparent selection process and welcome diverse perspectives, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and persons with disabilities.
• We are committed to enabling all candidates to perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require support or reasonable accommodation to complete any assessment, please inform our human resources team upon receiving your invitation.
• UNOPS has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment, and other forms of abusive conduct, including discrimination, abuse of authority, and harassment. To uphold these standards, background checks are conducted for all final candidates to help ensure that individuals with a history of such conduct are not hired. By applying for a position with UNOPS, candidates acknowledge and consent to these verification processes.
  

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here. 
• For more details about the contract types, please click here.
• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda. 
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.