National Programme Officer – Embassy of Sweden , Kigali, Rwanda

The Embassy is looking for an ambitious, qualified and experienced individual to fill a new, full time position of National Programme Officer (NPO) for the Development Cooperation Section.

The Embassy of Sweden in Rwanda has about 20 employees, of which 8 are sent out staff from Sweden. The overall tasks include political and economic reporting, trade promotion and the implementation of Sweden’s development cooperation with Rwanda.

The Embassy is now looking for an ambitious, qualified and experienced individual to fill a new, full time position of National Programme Officer (NPO) for the Development Cooperation Section.

The objective of Sweden’s international development cooperation is to create the conditions to improve the lives of people living in poverty and oppression. We are a longstanding development partner to Rwanda and the current development cooperation strategy covers 2020–2024 with focus on the following thematic areas (i) Human rights, democracy, the rule of law and gender equality, (ii) Environmentally sustainable development and (iii) Inclusive economic development. In addition, Sweden supports research and higher education in Rwanda guided by the Research strategy.

The NPO will mainly manage different development cooperation programs supported by Sweden within the strategy areas environmentally sustainable development and inclusive economic development. This includes program formulation, appraisal of new support and program monitoring in leading or supporting role, as well as quality assurance and monitoring compliance to funding agreement conditions.

The NPO reports to the Head of the Development Cooperation Section at the Embassy. The section consists of a total of 9 staff.

The Embassy´s vision is to strengthen teamwork and knowledge sharing in order to have a holistic perspective in our assessments, follow-up and in our dialogue with partners, all with the goal of enhancing the quality and impact of our work.

Job Description

• Analyse economic, political and other development in the Rwandan context and to explore potential areas of intervention in line with Sweden’s development cooperation strategy with Rwanda;
• Monitor, analyse and report on program progress and results in the relevant strategy areas;
• Manage, support and contribute to the identification, formulation and appraisal of new programs;
• Manage, support and follow-up on program implementation, such as procurement processes, monitoring, reporting, and processing of disbursement requests; i.e. quality assurance;
• Participate in relevant sector working groups together with other development partners and government representatives and;
• Perform other duties as required and assigned by the Head of Development Cooperation.

As NPO you will be expected to:

• Contribute to the Embassy’s reporting;
• Participate in the operational and strategic planning of the development cooperation with Rwanda;
• Apply and maintain a close monitoring regarding possible suspicions of irregularities, and act to prevent and stop corruption within areas of responsibility;
• Mainstream overarching themes: environment and climate change, gender equality, human rights perspective and conflict prevention;
• Provide advice and support to team members but also to give advice to Rwandan partners on program implementation;
• Establish good working relationships with partners (such as the Government of Rwanda, private sector and NGOs).

Job Requirements

• University Degree, preferably Master’s degree in a relevant thematic area with a strong academic track-record;
• At least sevenyears of experience working with development cooperation (such as in an Embassy, international or multilateral organizations, or international non-governmental organizations);
• At least threeyears of experience of project management of international development cooperation projects, ideally related to the planning/implementation of projects;
• Experience and good knowledge of the work with anti-corruption;
• Diploma or Certificate in Microsoft Office (including Word, Excel and Power Point), or proven proficiency in the programs and;
• An excellent proficiency in English, with the ability to express yourself clearly, both orally and in writing.

Merits and Skills Competencies

• Analytical, decision-making and problem-solving skills;
• Ability to break down complex tasks to concrete action and meet deadlines;
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to communicate in a clear and concise way;
• Demonstrated pro-active and solution-oriented and positive work attitude;
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work well in a culturally diverse and inter interdisciplinary team respecting individual differences;
• Excellent organizational and planning skills;
• Appreciate working in and leading teamwork;
• Strong negotiation skills, able to understand other partners and stakeholders’ interests.

Application procedure:

We kindly request you to send us your resume (CV) including names and contact details of relevant references) and a cover letter explaining why you would like to work for the Swedish Embassy and what qualifies you for the position.

Applications are to be sent by e-mail only to: ambassaden.kigali@gov.se

Further information about the vacancy can be given by Head of Development Cooperation, Christina Wedekull (christina.wedekull@gov.se)

Attention: APPLICATION FOR NATIONAL PROGRAMME OFFICER

Closing date for all applications related to this vacancy is October 23, 2020.

Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for an interview