National Program Officer for Gender Equality

The Embassy of Sweden in Beirut has 29 employees. The duties of the Embassy cover political reporting, consular and migrations matters and the implementation of Sweden's Regional Syria Crisis Strategy and follow-up of the Swedish Humanitarian Strategy. 

The Embassy is now looking for a qualified National Program Officer (NPO) to the Development Cooperation Section. The NPO will manage programs supported by Sweden in the fields of gender equality and human rights, including prevention of gender-based violence in Syria and the affected neighboring countries. The NPO will also act as the gender advisor of development section and the Embassy’s focal point for gender equality and as such contribute to the work of the Embassy’s political section.

The NPO will work under the overall authority of the Ambassador. The NPO will be part of the development cooperation section and s/he will work under the direct supervision and report to the Head of the Development Cooperation Section at the Embassy. The section consists of the Head of the Section, one controller, six program officers, two NPOs and a program administrator.

The Swedish Regional Syria Crisis Strategy covers the period of 2016 - 2023. The strategy aims to strengthen the resilience of the Syrian population and of vulnerable groups in Syria’s neighboring countries that are being severely affected by the conflict. The strategy will also contribute to strengthening democracy and gender equality, and to greater respect for human rights in Syria and for refugees from Syria in neighboring countries.

Job Description: What will you do as an NPO?

• Manage programs and policy dialogue within the area of gender equality and human rights including prevention of gender-based violence
• Provide advice and input to programme managers and head of development cooperation on mainstreaming of gender equality within supported development projects throughout the project cycle.
• Monitor, analyze and report on results in the relevant areas.
• Participate in relevant sector working groups and coordination mechanisms together with other donors, international partners, and government representatives.
• Coordinate with the gender advisor in Stockholm and actively participate in the gender network and relevant Sida networks.
• Provide advise and input to the Embassy’s political section on the promotion of gender equality in Lebanon and Syria
• Perform other duties as required and assigned by the Head of Cooperation.

All program officers at the Embassy work with the following:

• Planning, implementation, follow-up and reporting on the Swedish Regional Syria Crisis Strategy.
• Participating in the operational and strategic planning and analysis of Sweden’s Regional Syria Crisis Strategy.
• Managing programs and quality assurance in accordance with Sida’s Contribution Management Rule and internal systems.
• Participating in the follow-up, analysis and reporting on multilateral and international organizations as well as I/NGO partners.
• Applying Sida’s anti-corruption policies and closely monitoring any possible suspicions of corruption, and act to prevent and stop corruption within their areas of responsibility.
• Provide input to embassy colleagues related to their portfolio and area of expertise and contribute to synergies between the development cooperation and political messaging.

Job Requirements:

• University Degree in Development Studies, Economics, International Affairs, Political Science, Sociology, Social Work, Gender Studies or other relevant thematic area.
• Minimum five years of professional experience working with development cooperation (such as for an embassy, international or multilateral organization, or international non-governmental organization).
• At least three years’ experience of project management in international development projects, preferably within gender equality including gender-based violence.
• Knowledge of the Syrian context.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (including Word, Excel, and Power Point).
• Excellent knowledge in spoken and written English and Arabic.
• Willingness to travel in the region, including to Syria.

Merits, Skills and Competencies:

• Knowledge in the areas of environment and climate change within a development cooperation setting.
• Experience and good knowledge of anti-corruption work.
• Analytical and problem-solving skills, and the ability to communicate in a clear and concise way.
• Excellent interpersonal skills. We seek someone who is flexible, and that can organize and plan their work and has the ability to work well in a team and respect individual differences.

Salary and benefits:

The Embassy offers an international and dynamic working environment. The Embassy is seeking a qualified individual to fill the 2-year full time position, with a possibility of renewal upon completion.  The salary is determined on an individual basis.

The Embassy also offers 28 days annual leave, medical insurance and recreational sports and transportation contributions. Opportunities for development and learning in many areas are given.

Working hours are 08.15– 16.45 (Monday-Thursday) and 8.15 -16.30 (Friday) with 30 minutes lunch break.

Employment will start in September 2022 unless otherwise agreed, starting with a probationary period of six months.

The position is subject to the Embassy’s terms and conditions for local staff.

To apply:

A reference check will be part of the recruitment procedure.

You should send your application marked NPO 2/2022, including your CV and the names of three reference persons, as well as a brief cover letter explaining why you are suitable for the position and what motivates you to apply to [email protected].

To be considered, your application must be received by the Embassy not later than Friday, July 15, 2022.

The chosen candidate will need to arrange for a certificate of criminal non-conviction and a medical certificate.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted, and applications will not be returned. The Embassy of Sweden retains the right to contact references directly.

Tests of language proficiency may be performed by the Embassy as part of the interview process.

Questions concerning this position can be sent via e-mail to [email protected]

The Embassy of Sweden in Beirut will collect and store your resume and contact details. We process this data for recruitment purposes only. We are storing this data in our system, which is fully compliant with EU data protection laws, and we will not share it with anyone else.

Here’s a link to our privacy policy. In this policy, you will find information about our compliance with GDPR (data protection law). You can find out how to send us a request to let you access your data that we have collected, request us to delete your data, correct any inaccuracies or restrict our processing of your data.