Embassy of Sweden
Program Officer
Description
The Embassy of Sweden in Pretoria represents and promotes Swedish interests in South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, and Botswana. The Embassy also has a mandate to implement the Swedish regional development cooperation strategy for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Africa. The overall tasks of the Embassy include supporting business and trade, development cooperation as well as consular services, and has approximately 30 employees.
The Embassy of Sweden in Pretoria is offering a program officer to join the development cooperation section, focusing on Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) in Africa. The officer will contribute to Sweden´s regional strategy for SRHR in Africa 2022-2026.
The development cooperation section is both thematic and regional in its outlook and set-up and works closely with partners and other Embassies in Africa as well as with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency’s (Sida) headquarter in Sweden.
We are looking for a candidate who has excellent ability to collaborate and build trustful relationships with colleagues and external partners. You should also be able to take initiatives and pursue processes and tasks independently and forward. To succeed in your role, you should be an effective communicator; easy adapt to changed circumstances; be solution-oriented and capable of handling the unpredictable. The position will require travels on the continent.
Sweden applies the Guttmacher Lancet definition of SRHR, which entails a broad aspect of SRHR including comprehensive sexual education, safe abortion and working with marginalised groups such as LGBTQI and people in prostitution. You need to be comfortable advocating and defending this whole spectrum of SRHR.
Roles and Responsibilities:
- Manage and follow-up contributions to implementing partners
- Engage in policy dialogue at sector and contribution levels, mobilizing commitment based on the universal declaration of human rights as well as the regional framework and commitments for human rights and SRHR in Africa.
- Provide advice and support on SRHR perspectives in development cooperation, fostering internal and external learning
- Contribute to portfolio analysis, operational planning, implementation, follow-up, and reporting within the Regional SRHR strategy
- Actively participate in Sida´s thematic networks
Think you have what it takes but not sure you check every box? Research shows that while men apply to roles when they meet an average of 60% of the criteria, women often only apply when they meet every requirement. If you are hesitating, apply!
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