Head of Technical Unit

Stockholm

Organization: We Effect
Location: Stockholm
Grade: Senior level - Senior level
Occupational Groups:
- Environment
- Women's Empowerment and Gender Mainstreaming
- Climate Change
- Managerial positions
Closing Date: Closed

About We Effect

We Effect is a development cooperation organisation founded in 1958 by the Swedish cooperative movement with the aim of fighting poverty. 70 of the largest cooperative and customer-owned companies and organisations in Sweden are the members and owners of We Effect.

We Effect’s mission is to enable people living in poverty to improve their living conditions, defend their rights and contribute to a just society. We Effect works in the thematic fields of sustainable rural development and adequate housing with a strong focus on women’s rights. The target groups for our development cooperation are our local partner organisations and their existing and potential members. Most of our partner organisations are member-based farmer organisations, housing cooperatives or savings and credit associations.

We Effect applies a rights-based approach. This means that our development activities are developed in dialogue with our partner organisations, with strong local ownership, characterized by accountability, transparency, non-discrimination, and meaningful participation. Through our regional and country offices We Effect implements development cooperation programs in more than 20 countries in Africa, Asia, East Europe, and Latin America.

About the position

We Effect is looking for an expert and experienced leader within the development cooperation to lead the organisation’s work on thematic development and technical support. The thematic work at We Effect centres primarily on gender; environment and climate change; rights-based approach, financial inclusion and civil society development and perspectives.

As manager of the Technical Unit you will lead a group of highly skilled advisors that are based in both Sweden and in our regional offices.

The person we are looking for should have several years management experience within a civil society context and be highly skilled in leading work on thematic development. You should have experience of working on gender transformative and rights based programmes. You should also have an excellent understanding of development cooperation in both theory and practice.

As a leader you are a mature and value based, with the commitment, experience and tools to support your staff to succeed in their roles. You will play an important role in raising the visibility of the Technical Unit throughout the organization. You will nurture collaborations across departments and regions. As the manager of the unit it is crucial that you have excellent ability to organize, plan, prioritize, communicate and follow up your work.

Main responsibilities

• Strategic development; lead the planning, implementation and the follow-up of the work of the Technical Unit.

• Management of unit staff, including recruitments, mentoring, line-management and performance reviews.

• Budgeting and financial follow-up of the Unit’s budgets, including monitoring and controlling expenses.

In relation to We Effect’s core program focus areas and cross-cutting themes you will lead the Unit’s work to:

• Conduct, support and coordinate knowledge development.

• Define policies, strategies and guidance relevant to the integration of cross-cutting themes and thematic core areas in We Effect’s development cooperation.

• Develop, adapt and improve methods and systems, i.e. making positions and policies etc practically applicable in our programmatic work through tools, guidance, routines, formats and manuals.

• Provide capacity-building and support to relevant functions within We Effect and to partners.

• Provide thematic support to our regional offices and quality assure programming and proposal processes.

• Provide oversight, monitoring and overall results reporting of cross-cutting themes and core program focus areas.

• Follow the development within the thematic fields, including participate in relevant networks and representing We Effect in relation to external stakeholders.

Desired Candidate Profile

• Academic degree within a relevant field for the position, such as political science, human rights, or development studies.

• A minimum of 7 years’ experience of qualified work with development cooperation through a rights-based approach.

• At least 3 years’ field experience of work with development cooperation.

• A minimum of 2 years of responsible leadership experience in management or supervisory positions.

• Excellent theoretical understanding and practical experience of planning, monitoring and evaluation methods commonly used in development cooperation, e.g. logical framework, outcome mapping, results harvesting, etc.

• Excellent conceptual and theoretical understanding of the rights-based approach and civil society development

• Expertise in at least one of We Effect’s cross-cutting area and/or program focus areas, i.e. Gender; Environment and Climate Change; Rights-Based Approach, Rural development, Conflict, Financial Inclusion and Civil Society development and perspectives

• Proven experience from thematic and methods development, including providing capacity building, advisory support and facilitation.

• Excellent communication skills in English, both written and spoken.

Merits

• Experience from cooperative development work

• Good understanding of both written and spoken Spanish, Portuguese and/or Swedish.

Desired personal competencies

• Analytical and problem-solving skills

• Communication and pedagogical skills

• Flexibility and ability to adapt work to shifting contexts, situations and needs

• Ability to work with an elevated level of independence

• Collaborative skills

• Ability to deliver results and meet dead-lines

Location of position

The position is part of the Technical Unit within the International Department and is based in Stockholm, Sweden.

Travel requirements:

The Head of Unit will be required to travel to our regions approximately three to four times per year.

Application and Contract

Apply by uploading your CV and Cover letter to Impactpool, no later than May 16.

This is a permanent full-time position based at We Effect’s head office in Stockholm, Sweden. The contract starts as soon as possible with a six month probation period.

Please note that the position requires that the candidate have permission to live and work in Sweden (i.e. hold a EU work permit).