National Project Coordinator - Statistician and Data Analyst

Introduction

Considering the political developments in Syria since 8 December 2024, there has been a significant increase in the number of returnees arriving from neighbouring host countries, including Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq, and Egypt. This new influx of returnees, in addition to the millions of internally displaced persons (IDPs) within the country, is expected to place additional pressure on the national labour market and intensify the demand for employment opportunities.

To better understand and respond to these emerging labour market dynamics, the International Labour Organization (ILO) is supporting the Government of Syria, through its Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), to implement a Labour Force Survey (LFS) in line with international standards, including the latest guidance issued by the International Conference of Labour Statisticians (ICLS).

The LFS will be implemented in phases, starting with capacity building for the development of a robust survey questionnaire, followed by a pilot survey of approximately 1,500 households, and culminating in a nationally representative survey covering all regions of Syria. The data collected will provide critical insights for evidence-based policy development, planning of employment and reintegration programmes, and overall recovery efforts.

In this context, the ILO is seeking to recruit a qualified Statistician to support the CBS and the ILO team in Syria in the technical design, implementation, building capacity of national resources and analysis of the Labour Force Survey. The Statistician will play a key role in ensuring the quality and credibility of the data produced, in accordance with international statistical standards and methodologies.

Reporting lines:

The incumbent will report directly to the ILO Syria Country Coordinator, with technical supervision and backstopping from the ILO Department of Statistics (STATISTICS) and ROAS Labour Market Specialist. The incumbent will work in close collaboration with national counterparts from CBS and other stakeholders involved in the survey process.

Description of Duties

1. Provide technical assistance in the design and implementation of the Labour Force Survey in line with ICLS guidelines and published ILO guidance and tools, including development of the questionnaire, sampling strategy, and field protocols.

2. Lead or co-lead the capacity-building workshops for CBS staff and national stakeholders on survey methodology, data collection, data cleaning, and analysis using international best practices. Contribute to the development of training materials.

3. Support the preparation, testing, and validation of the pilot survey (approx. 1,500 households), including field staff training and quality control.

4. Ensure that LFS conducted is generating statistics on labour migration and displacement.

5. Provide guidance on data quality assurance, coding, processing, and documentation, including the cleaning and anonymization of microdata.

6. Lead technical aspects of the national survey roll-out, including review of instruments, training materials, and fieldwork protocols.

7. Analyse survey results and contribute to the production of technical reports, analytical briefs, and dissemination materials for national and international audiences.

8. Support the establishment of a sustainable data ecosystem within CBS for labour market monitoring and periodic LFS implementation.

9. Coordinate with national and international experts, implementing partners, and other UN agencies involved in labour market and socio-economic data collection.

10. Support knowledge sharing and documentation of lessons learned, methodologies used, and innovations in survey implementation.

Description of Duties (continued)

11. Contribute to the development of related technical cooperation initiatives in labour statistics and labour market governance.

12. Liaise and communicate with focal points at governments, workers' and employers' organizations, UN organizations, research institutions and civil society organizations which are involved in the field of labour force survey and data collection and analysis including social protection systems.

13. Participate in the preparation and conduct of conferences, seminars, workshops, training sessions, and consultative meetings in training seminars and workshops. Speak on behalf of the Project as resource person and for the purpose of providing technical advisory support following ILO established guidelines, manuals and standards.

14. Brief ILO specialists, project experts, associate experts and visiting officials and provide relevant information on project matters.

15. Collaborate closely with relevant ILO programmes and projects, ILO units in STATISTICS and SOCPRO and ROAS, and responsible ILO teams and DWT as appropriate, to obtain technical inputs and share best practices and lessons learned;

Required qualifications

Education

• First-level university degree in Statistics, Economics, Demography, or a related field.
• An advanced degree (Master’s or equivalent) in survey statistics, labour economics, or quantitative social research would be a strong asset.

Experience

Experience:

• At least one year of relevant professional experience in the design, implementation, or analysis of household surveys or labour force surveys.
• Proven experience in data collection, cleaning, and statistical analysis using relevant software (e.g. STATA, SPSS, R).
• Experience in conducting training or capacity building workshops related to survey design and implementation.
• Experience in working with national statistical offices, especially in fragile or post-conflict settings, is an asset.
• Familiarity with ICLS standards and classifications is strongly preferred.

Technical requirement:

• Good knowledge of labour statistics and international statistical standards.
• Proven experience with quantitative methods, sampling design, and survey implementation.
• Ability to conduct data analysis, interpret findings, and communicate results to non-technical audiences.
• Familiarity with international practices in labour force surveys, including the use of digital tools for data collection and processing.

Languages

Excellent command of English and Arabic 

Competencies

Candidates interested in the position should consider that the nine core competencies of the ILO, listed below, may be evaluated during the selection process: Integrity and transparency, Sensitivity to diversity, Orientation to learning and knowledge sharing, Client orientation, Communication, Orientation to change, Takes responsibility for performance, Quality orientation and Collaboration. Among these nine competences, the following are of particular importance for this position: Customer Orientation, Communications, Collaboration

• Ability to carry out assignments in accordance with instructions and guidelines.
• Ability to use analytical tools and qualitative and quantitative techniques.
• Ability to draft clearly and concisely, and prepare project proposals, reports and studies.
• Ability to identify problems and make recommendations.
• Commitment to ILO core values, including rights at work, social dialogue, and decent work for all.
• Knowledge of programme and budget, project administration and evaluation concepts and procedures.
• Ability to guide and coordinate the work of external collaborators, general service staff and young professionals in the area of specialization.
• Ability to provide coordination and technical support to senior specialists, carrying out research, project formulation and implementation.
• Excellent project administration and management skills.
• Excellent analytical, problem solving and computer skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to write accurate reports and to coordinate effectively to obtain cooperation and input from partners.
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment and gender-sensitive behaviour and attitudes are also required.
• Proven ability to take ownership of all responsibilities, to act with integrity and transparency by maintaining social, ethical and organisational norms, and to meet all commitments within the prescribed time, cost and quality standards.
• Ability to work independently and in teams, with a proactive, solution-oriented attitude.
• Ability to plan, organize, and prioritize work effectively.

optional section (if needed)

Candidates assessed by the Panel and considered to be eligible for appointment but who are not selected for this vacant post may be offered an assignment to another position at the same or lower grade provided that they meet the minimum qualifications required.