Palliative Care Expert

NTU International is seeking a highly qualified Palliative Care Expert (Category II) to join an EU-funded project aimed at strengthening the institutional capacity and governance of the Syrian Ministry of Health. This role is based in Damascus, Syria, with an indicative start date of December 9, 2026, and an implementation period of 14 months. The expert will provide technical assistance focused on enhancing oncology-related clinical protocols, medication safety, multidisciplinary coordination, clinical training, and quality monitoring. The assignment emphasizes patient-centered care and the integration of palliative care within health services to improve institutional performance, evidence-based decision-making, and sustainable capacity development.

Key Responsibilities
- Provide technical support in the development and harmonization of oncology clinical protocols, with a focus on chemotherapy and systemic anti-cancer therapies.
- Strengthen medication safety systems related to chemotherapy administration, including adverse event reporting, dose verification, and safe handling procedures.
- Design and implement structured clinical training programs for oncology teams, including physicians, pharmacists, and nursing staff, covering protocol implementation, treatment sequencing, and toxicity management.
- Develop monitoring and evaluation tools to track treatment adherence, clinical outcomes, and safety indicators across multiple oncology centers.
- Facilitate multidisciplinary coordination by convening technical working groups that include oncology, primary care, and nursing directorates.
- Support the integration of palliative care principles into oncology and broader health services, ensuring sensitivity to ethical and psychosocial aspects of end-of-life care.

Required Qualifications
- A Master’s degree in Public Health, Palliative Medicine, Nursing, or a related clinical field.
- A medical degree with specialization or advanced training in palliative care is strongly preferred.
- At least 10 years of clinical or technical experience in medical oncology, including direct involvement in the development or revision of national or institutional anti-cancer therapy protocols.
- Demonstrated knowledge of current international cancer treatment guidelines (e.g., WHO Essential Medicines List for cancer, NCCN, ESMO) and the ability to adapt these guidelines to resource-constrained or fragile health systems.
- Proven experience in developing pharmacovigilance and medication safety systems specific to chemotherapy.
- Strong interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills, with sensitivity to the ethical and psychosocial dimensions of end-of-life care.
- Ability to design monitoring frameworks and quality indicators for palliative care service delivery.

Preferred Qualifications and Benefits
- Experience working in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region or in post-conflict or early-recovery health systems is considered a strong asset.
- Working knowledge of Arabic is highly desirable.
- Excellent command of English, both written and spoken, is mandatory.

This position offers the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the enhancement of health services in a challenging context, supporting sustainable improvements in oncology and palliative care within Syria’s health system. Candidates with the relevant expertise and commitment to this mission are encouraged to apply.

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted due to the high volume of applications.