National project coordinator (Textile expert)

The National Project Coordinator will manage and coordinate the implementation of the "Weaving Hope" project aimed at upgrading Syria's garment industry and workforce. The role involves project management, coordination with partners including ILO, technical support to textile sector assessments, and ensuring the delivery of advanced skills and technologies to support sector recovery and competitiveness.

Responsibilities

• Plan, organize and manage the day-to-day implementation of project activities in Syria under supervision of Project Manager and Senior Adviser.
• Maintain rolling work plan and track delivery against schedule and budget; organize logistical support for expert missions, field visits, workshops and training events; obtain permits, security clearances and administrative authorizations.
• Prepare Terms of Reference for national recruitment and procurement based on technical inputs; identify obstacles, risks and delays and propose mitigation measures.
• Act as UNIDO's operational focal point in Syria towards ILO, Ministry of Industry, technical and vocational institutions, Chambers of Industry, sector associations and business development service providers.
• Ensure complementarity with ILO activities and avoid duplication; secure access to sectoral mapping and enterprise engagement data; ensure synergies with other organizations' programmes.
• Operate monitoring and reporting system for project output in accordance with logframe; establish and maintain coherent information system; prepare periodic reports; contribute to communication, visibility and dissemination; maintain and archive project records.
• Support Senior Adviser and international experts in mapping textile technical support centres and diagnosis of selected centres; contribute textile-sector expertise and national grounding; organize and conduct field data collection and national validation workshops.
• Support preparation of technical specification package for machinery, laboratory and digital equipment, and skills gap analysis; verify local feasibility; mobilize enterprises and instructors for consultation; review draft technical deliverables; prepare Training of Trainers plan.

Requirements

• Advanced university degree (master’s or equivalent) in textile engineering or textile technology, or in industrial, mechanical or chemical engineering, industrial management, economics or business administration with demonstrated specialization in the textile or garment industry is required.
• Alternatively, a first level university degree or an advanced technical college diploma may be acceptable provided it is combined with additional 5 years of professional hands-on experience directly relevant to the expertise required by the assignment.
• A qualification in project management is an asset.
• At least five (5) years of professional experience in the coordination or management of donor-funded industrial development, private sector development or technical and vocational training projects, including work planning, budget and activity monitoring, procurement and recruitment support, and results-based reporting, is required.
• A solid technical background in the textile and garment industry – covering one or more of spinning, weaving or knitting, dyeing and finishing, or garment manufacturing – sufficient to support international experts on equipment assessment, laboratory capability, production technology and skills profiling, is required.
• Demonstrated experience in organising and conducting field data collection, enterprise surveys and institutional assessments, including the preparation of expert missions and field visits, is required.
• Knowledge of the Syrian textile and garment sector, its enterprises and its technical and vocational institutions, and demonstrated experience of working in Syria, is required.
• Experience of working with UN agencies or international organisations, and of coordination with government institutions, chambers of industry, sector associations and business development service providers, is desirable.
• Familiarity with international textile standards and quality systems (ISO 9001, ISO/IEC 17025, OEKO-TEX, ISO/ASTM test methods) and with business development services or value chain development for SMEs is desirable.
• Fluency in written and spoken English and Arabic is required.

Skills

• Technical Textile Engineering
• Textile Technology
• Industrial Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Chemical Engineering
• Industrial Management
• Project Management
• Donor-Funded Project Coordination
• Private Sector Development
• Technical-Vocational Education
• Work Planning
• Budget Monitoring
• Activity Monitoring Systems
• Procurement Support
• Recruitment Support
• Results-based Reporting
• Textile Industry Technical Expertise
• Spinning Technology
• Weaving Technology
• Knitting Technology
• Dyeing and Finishing
• Garment Manufacturing
• Equipment Assessment
• Laboratory Capability Assessment
• Production Technology
• Skills Profiling
• Field Data Collection
• Enterprise Surveys
• Institutional Assessments
• Expert Mission Preparation
• Field Visit Coordination
• Knowledge of Syrian Textile Sector
• Coordination with Government Authorities
• Coordination with Industry Chambers
• Coordination with Sector Associations
• Business Development
• Value Chain Analysis
• International Textile Standards
• ISO 9000 Quality System
• ISO 17025
• OEKO-TEX
• ISO/ASTM Test Methods

Languages

English, Arabic