Crisis Analysis Lead Analyst – Syria

Position DescriptionLocation : Damascus, Syria (contract will be based on registration status at the time of hiring)Position Status: Full-time, NationalRisk Level: ☐ Level 3 ☐Level 2 ☐Level 1(Level 3: Frequent contact with participants, direct contact with children, access to sensitive data, and/or high level of accountability.Level 2: Some contact with participants; unplanned non-direct contact with children.Level 1: Likely to have no contact with participants or sensitive data)About Mercy CorpsMercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future.Program / Department SummaryThe Mercy Corps Crisis Analysis Team combines traditional research methods with powerful data science tools to help organizations navigate complex, high-risk environments impacted by climate change and conflict. Through trend monitoring, risk forecasting and deep-dive thematic analysis, we help ensure that donor investments create measurable, sustainable impact through coordinated and context-sensitive interventions – even in the most challenging operational environments. We tailor our analysis approach for each country depending on user needs and the local data landscape. Our analysis products are designed to support aid actors working across the nexus – addressing urgent humanitarian needs while informing longer-term strategies that tackle the root causes of protracted crises. Drawing on our experience as an implementing organization, our insights are tailored to the operational realities faced by HDP actors. We understand what responders need because we are responders ourselvesWe have implemented the Crisis Analysis approach in more than 20 fragile and conflict-affected countries, through a team of more than 60 analysts, data scientists, and subject-matter experts.The MENA/Europe Regional Crisis Analysis team seeks to support Mercy Corps’ in-country programming as well as the wider humanitarian and crisis response across crisis and conflict affected contexts in the Mercy Corps MENA/Europe region. It does this through the provision of quality, timely and relevant analytical products, such as those produced by the Lebanon, Syria and Ukraine teams while covering a wide range of regional projects.Syria stands at a critical juncture following the dramatic political transformation of December 2024. This transition reshapes Syria's humanitarian landscape, demanding a radical reimagining of approaches to displacement, return, and recovery. Syria remains is in the midst of a major humanitarian crisis but opportunities for access and impact along new programmatic strategies are increasing. In line with our global Pathway to Possibility strategy, the main thrust of the work of Mercy Corps along with its national and international partners will be focused on meeting urgent humanitarian needs while building resilience, engage on early recovery and promote social cohesion across the country. Operating in Syria across the country since 2012, Mercy Corps Syria (MCS) has established itself as an analytical, strategic and flexible responder, adapting continually to operational realities to respond effectively and efficiently. Our Crisis Analysis Team in Syria (CA-SYR) is fully part of our Syria Country Team and contributes to compelling evidence-generation and program strategic directions to support business development and fundraising activities.General Position SummaryUnder the leadership of Regional MENAE Crisis Analysis team and in close collaboration with the Syria Country Leadership, the Lead Analyst – Syria is responsible for leading the research, analysis, and drafting of a range of high-quality analytical products focused on the Syrian context. The role is embedded within the regional Crisis Analysis team and structure, ensuring alignment with regional analytical standards, methodologies, and priorities, while working closely with Syria Country leadership and program teams to ensure analysis directly informs strategic decision-making, program design, and adaptive management.The Lead Analyst supports the effective functioning of the Crisis Analysis function as a support service to the Syria country programme and contributes to internal and external briefings with key stakeholders, including donors and peer agencies. With support from the broader Regional MENAE Crisis Analysis team, the Lead Analyst oversees the day-to-day management of analytical workflows, ensures alignment of products and services with country programme priorities, maintains responsibility for quality control, and contributes to continuous improvement of analytical processes and outputs.The Lead Analyst provides an advisory function to country and regional senior leadership and leads external representation of Crisis Analysis findings with donors, partners, and peer organizations operating in Syria. The role requires strong analytical expertise and the ability to translate decision-maker needs into appropriate data collection, analysis, and tailored products. The position is based in Damascus and works closely with counterparts across other MENAE and global Crisis Analysis teams as part of a broaderEssential ResponsibilitiesANALYSIS* Lead the production of timely, high-quality, and evidence-based analytical products focused on Syria, to support country-level programming, strategic decision-making, and external engagement. * Manage and contribute to the production of Syria-related analytical outputs under both country-specific and regional projects, ensuring coherence, relevance, and methodological rigor across products delivered through the Regional MENAE Crisis Analysis team. * Ensure analytical outputs meet the standards and underpinning values outlined in the Mercy Corps Crisis Analysis Guidelines. * Ensure analytical outputs respond to the needs of diverse target audiences, including Syria Country leadership, program teams, donors, and regional stakeholders. * Support internal and external visibility of analytical outputs using dissemination planning tools and through collaboration with regional communications and advocacy teams. Submit outputs to the Mercy Corps Evidence and Learning Center, provide impact stories and submit content for the Crisis Analysis LinkedIn page. * Hold final responsibility for quality control, contextual accuracy, and analytical integrity of Syria-focused products. * Maintain and continuously update a strong understanding of Syria’s political economy, conflict dynamics, governance structures, climate and environmental risks, and humanitarian access constraints. * Lead and contribute to analytical work across priority thematic areas, including: * Political economy and market systems * Conflict analysis and actor mapping * Climate risk, climate adaptation, and early warning * Context analysis, scenario development, and forecasting * Translate analytical findings into actionable insights, tailored briefings, and presentations for program teams, senior leadership, and donors. * Provide regular contextual briefings and updates to Syria program teams and contribute to emergency preparedness, contingency planning, and scenario planning exercises.COORDINATION AND MANAGEMENT* Manage and supervise analysts, interns, and consultants contributing to Syria-focused analysis, including those supporting regional analytical projects with a Syria component. * Oversee day-to-day workflows, ensuring timely delivery, clear prioritization, and efficient allocation of analytical resources. * Ensure analysis production and dissemination is conducted in line with the country/regional Crisis Analysis Risk Management Strategy and support risk assessment processes as required. * Coordinate closely with Syria Country leadership, technical advisors, and program teams to align analytical priorities with programmatic and strategic needs. * Work in close collaboration with the Regional MENAE Crisis Analysis team, ensuring Syria-related products are integrated into regional analytical planning, learning, and dissemination processes. * Participate in and contribute to the Crisis Analysis community of practice for learning, collaboration and sharing of best practices. * Proactively engage with relevant humanitarian coordination mechanisms, research partners, and peer organizations operating on Syria, in line with access, compliance, and security constraints. * Represent and present Syria-focused analytical findings to internal and external stakeholders, including donors and peer agencies, as appropriate. * Contribute analytical inputs to proposal development, donor engagement, and business development, particularly for regional initiatives with a Syria focus. * Build and maintain professional networks that strengthen data collection, contextual understanding, and analytical impact. * Support the professional development and mentoring of analysts and consultants, fostering a culture of learning, analytical rigor, and continuous improvement.Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders* Ensure Syria-focused analysis is conducted in line with humanitarian principles, conflict sensitivity, ethical research standards, and do-no-harm approaches. * Promote the responsible and appropriate use of evidence to support accountable, inclusive, and contextually informed programming. * Where feasible, support participatory and locally informed approaches to context and political economy analysisSTRATEGY & CULTURE* Crisis Analysis supports Mercy Corps’ broader evidence driven commitment at MC at larger and in the various regional initiatives such as our regional Evidence and Learning Agenda to ensure CA products form an important part of our broader evidence generation and efforts to ensure our work influences others in the sector, improves programs, and help scale what works. * Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcomed. * Contribute to the development of humanitarian, crisis response, country-level and regional strategies, as well as other key thematic sectors of interventions (economic development, governance, etc) for Mercy Corps. * Understand and express conflict in terms of humanitarian and economic needs, gender, conflict sensitivity, diversity and inclusion, protection, shocks, stresses, and threats.ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING● As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve - we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.Supervisory Responsibility:● The Lead Analyst, under the leadership of the Regional MENAE CA Senior Manager, will supervise a field team and specialized consultants. This includes economists, editors, and technical experts. The Lead Analyst will also collaborate and coordinate support from regional CA team, such as the Regional Quantitative Analysis Specialist.AccountabilityReports Directly To: Mercy Corps MENA/Europe Crisis Analysis Senior Manager, with matrix management to the Syria Country ManagerWorks Directly With: MENA/Europe Crisis Analysis teams, Syria Country Teams, MENAE Regional Technical and Evidence Teams, Global Crisis Analysis team, Research and Learning Team (global)Knowledge and ExperienceRequired* Excellent written and spoken English * Fluency in Arabic * Excellent demonstrated drafting and analysis skills * Experience working with both junior and senior analysts * Strong editing skills * Experience with both quantitative and qualitative research is a must. * Excellent public speaking skills * Excellent knowledge of contextual dynamics in the Syria context * Strong research network inside Syria and abroad. * Degree in Economics, Politics, Law, International Relations, conflict studies or a related field.Preferred* Project management skills are crucial in the development/humanitarian sector * Strong interpersonal and team management skills are skills are crucial * Analytical experience within a think-tank, UN, or NGO experience or a similar Crisis Analytics Unit * Primary and secondary research/academic experience in political science, sociology, economics, or conflict analysis * Program management experience and grant management are especially useful.Safeguarding Responsibilities* Actively learns about safeguarding and integrates it into their work, including safeguarding risks and mitigations related to their area of work. * Practices the values of Mercy Corps including respecting the dignity and well-being of participants and fellow team members. * Encourages openness and communication in their team; encourages team members to submit reports if they have any concerns using reporting mechanisms e.g., Integrity Hotline and other options.Success FactorsA successful candidate will be able to identify opportunities where Syria programming can complement and inform policy and practice related to protracted displacement, return and reintegration dynamics, protection of extremely vulnerable populations, and evolving vulnerability driven by conflict, economic decline, and climate stress. They will explore and support context-appropriate partnerships and program modalities, including with local actors, service providers, and, where feasible, private sector stakeholders, in line with access and compliance considerations.The candidate will be able to situate Syria programming within regional and global policy discussions, working closely with regional teams to strengthen organizational approaches to risk management, access strategies, and adaptive programming in a highly constrained environment. They will be comfortable working to short deadlines and under significant political, operational, and security constraints, while remaining calm, flexible, patient, and creative.They will communicate complex and sensitive analysis clearly and confidently to a range of audiences, translating nuanced political economy, conflict, and climate dynamics into digestible and actionable insights, including when content may be contentious. Strong interpersonal skills, sound judgment, and the ability to build trust are essential. The successful candidate brings together a diverse set of analytical and management skills and fosters these within their team to deliver evidence that enables impactful programming in one of the world’s most complex crises. They understand that analysis is only valuable if it is used, and will actively promote uptake across programs, leadership, and donors, leveraging regional and global analytical resources to strengthen Syria programming and share learning across the organization.Living/Environmental Conditio…