Country Representative in Ethiopia

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The Swedish Red Cross is part of the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement, the world’s largest humanitarian network. The Red Cross/Red Crescent is working to improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters and emergencies. We support people whoever they are, wherever they are.

Are you the Swedish Red Cross`s new Country Representative based in Ethiopia?

Title: Swedish Red Cross (SRC) Country Representative in Ethiopia
Place of assignment: Addis Abeba, Ethiopia
Type of posting: International Delegate. No accompanying family or partner
Desired starting date: As soon as possible
Contract period: 24 months, with the possibility of extension

Background

The Swedish Red Cross (SRC) is starting up a three-year Global Migration Programme: “Humane, dignified, sustainable migration and return programme” in partnership with Ethiopian Red Cross Society (ERCS), Iraqi Red Crescent Society, Lebanese Red Cross, Syria Arab Red Crescent and Turkish Red Crescent Society. The Programme provides an important opportunity for SRC to operationally engage in several countries/contexts and support the National Societies in these five countries to enhance protection and assistance to vulnerable migrants, strengthen capacity of actors for a more humane protection-oriented approach to migrants, as well as enhance advocacy in the countries as well as globally for a more humane migration system and structure.

Swedish Red Cross is now recruiting a Country Representatives to Ethiopia for the programme coordination and management of the Migration programme in Ethiopia, and for other SRC engagements in Ethiopia. The Country representative will be based in Addis Abeba and work closely with the Ethiopian Red Cross Society (ERCS) for implementation of the programme. SRC has a long-standing relation with ERCS with decades of previous collaborations, and with this new programme that started 1 January 2026, we are re-establishing country presence with a Country Representative that will serve as the country-based coordinator for the Global Migration Programme, be responsible for the SRC support to IFRC capacity enhancement engagement with the Africa Union (AU) with its base in Addis Abeba, as well as follow up on other strategic and operational opportunities with the Swedish Government new Country Strategy in Addis and Africa Region.

The Migration programme has its strong focus on migration from the Red Cross and red Crescent approach, supporting vulnerable communities across Ethiopia, as part of the Global “Humane, dignified, sustainable migration and return programme”. SRC aims at supporting ERCS to implement the programme and systematically mainstream cross-cutting thematics of Community Engagement and Accountability (CEA) and Protection, Gender and Inclusion (PGI) into the programme, along with Green Response (GR) and Volunteer management. The programme is carried out in close cooperation with IFRC that will be providing advice and support on Migration, Protection, Livelihoods and Health/MHPSS. SRC will work in a close partnership with ERCS, and support planned for the programme will be based on needs and gaps identified. The SRC Country Rep will ensure alignment and close links with the SRC Migration Programme Manager and SRC teams, IFRC structures, and the other National Societies that is part of the Global Migration team, as well as other relevant actors in Ethiopia and Africa and will provide input to any potential opportunities to expand and develop the programme.

Presently, SRC has an ongoing active engagement and collaboration with IFRC in Addis Abeba to strengthen the capacity of Africa Union’s Humanitarian Agency, funded by the Swedish Government Africa Regional Strategy. This project will also be managed by the Country Representative, and the presence in Addis Abeba is timely as it poses opportunities for close dialogue with the Swedish Embassy around opportunities for developing synergies between the New Country Strategy, Migration Strategy and the Africa Regional Strategy.

Your role in the organisation

As the Country Representative in Ethiopia for the Swedish Red Cross, you are part of Africa Unit at the International department reporting to the Africa Head of Unit in Stockholm. You will also have a working line to the SRC Programme Manager of the Global Migration Programme. Your role is to manage and coordinate the SRC Global Migration programme in Ethiopia and the partnership with Ethiopia Red Cross, and ensure a close cooperation with IFRC, and other partners in the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement (RC/RC Movement) such as ICRC and Danish RC, as well as other relevant external actors (such as IOM). You will also be responsible for the SRC/IFRC/AU project funded by the Swedish Embassy where IFRC is managing a project to enhance capacity of the Africa Union Humanitarian Agency. Further, you will represent SRC in the RC/RC Movement, with donors and other external actors in the country, and be responsible for project/programme and strategy development, resource mobilization and advocacy/ communication in the country. Your will support SRC to build and strengthen relationship and partnership in the Africa region.

Key duties and responsibilities

• For SRC, manage and coordinate the migration programme in Ethiopia in close collaboration with ERCS, be involved in and follow up on progress as part of the programme cycle (planning and design, monitoring,, evaluation and reporting).

• For SRC, follow up on the country budget expenditure and reportings, including financial and audit reporting.

• Work closely with the Migration Programme Management and coordination functions

• Close collaboration with relevant technical and thematic advisors and support staff at the SRC headquarters, in accordance with SRC’s procedures and systems.

• Close collaboration with IFRC advisors supporting the Migration Programme in Ethiopia.

• Manage the SRC engagement and support to IFRC for the capacity Enhancement project with AU. This will involve regular follow up and technical input to the IFRC team, participation in events with IFRC and AU, reporting and evaluation of the project, and coordination with the other RC/RC Movement partners involved incl IFRC Africa region, Danish Red Cross, Norwegian Red Cross etc.

• Engage in dialogue with Swedish Government around new opportunities and synergies between various Strategies (Ethiopia Country Strategy, Migration, Africa region, and in particular work to secure new partnership in the new Ethiopia Country Strategy and renewed partnership in the new Africa Regional Strategy.

• Responsible for the strategic and operational development of current portfolio and partnerships through identifying new resources and opportunities for collaboration.

• Support the development of SRC Communication and Advocacy work in relation to Ethiopia and Migration in Africa, with potential media representation/communication on behalf of SRC as needed.

• Represent SRC in Ethiopia, in the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement (Ethiopian Red Cross, ICRC, IFRC and other Partner National Societies) and towards other strategic institutions and actors in the country.

• Manage the SRC in-country office including responsibility for security risk assessments, in-country briefings and updates within security frameworks and service agreements.

Your profile

The position demands that you have strong abilities for programme management and coordination, you can form close cooperation and establish partnership. You need great organisational awareness, the ability to work seamlessly with several actors and stakeholders, while taking responsibility for ensuring that SRC works towards our intended strategic and programmatic objectives in Ethiopia. You need to be analytical and able to develop strategic and operational plans, assess project progress, proposals and reports. You need to be systematic and structured, with the ability to handle high workloads. You meet deadlines and can work with an elevated level of independence.

As a successful candidate you have solid interpersonal, networking, and diplomatic skills. You have demonstrated experience of holding similar responsibilities as outlined above.

As an SRC employee, you share the Red Cross Red Crescent humanitarian values including diversity and actively work against all forms of discrimination. You understand, respect and comply with the SRC Code of Conduct and security rules and regulations.

Areas in Ethiopia is at various levels of risk environment, including extreme risks, with limited access. At all times, the Country Representative respects and follows SRC and/or RC/RC Movement protocols and code of conduct for risk management, communication as well as security rules and frameworks applicable.

Required qualifications and experience

• Relevant academic degree (3-5 years of full-time study) in a relevant field

• Minimum 5 years of working experience from positions in the humanitarian and/or development cooperation sector holding similar or other relevant responsibilities

• Demonstrated ability to build partnerships and work effectively with multiple stakeholders, including National Societies, international organisations and donors

• Strong analytical skills and experience in developing strategic and operational plans

• Field experience, preferably in the Africa region, in complex and volatile contexts

• Experience in resource mobilization and results-based management, including programme design and proposal writing, planning, budgeting, monitoring and evaluation

• Experience in Organisational Development, Community Engagement and Accountability

• Relevant security training for work in high-risk environment (HEAT or equivalent)

• Experience of risk and security management in a humanitarian organization

• Proficient knowledge of written and spoken English

Desired qualifications

• Experience of working or volunteering within the Red Cross and the Red Crescent Movement;

• Experience working with EU (specifically ECHO and Sida) funded projects;

• Experience of working with cross-cutting perspectives, such as gender, conflict sensitivity and environment/climate change

• Understanding of the current political, social and humanitarian situation of the region

• Additional languages are a strong asset (Arabic, French, Spanish, and Swedish).

Other Requirements

• In line with the principle of neutrality, SRC does not assign personnel to a country of which they are nationals

• Candidates must be in good health and are required to pass a medical check-up prior to departure to the duty station

• Candidates must hold a manual driving license and have experience in driving manual transmission vehicles

The recruitment process

Please note that only applications made through our website will be considered.

For more information about the position, please contact Gisela Holmén, Head of Africa Unit, International Department: gisela.holmen@redcross.se.

The closing date is 13 March 2026. Our process includes cognitive and personality tests, case interviews, background checks and references. Please note that the recruitment process will only commence once the deadline for application has passed.

Candidates who are selected for roles with the Swedish Red Cross undergo a background check before an offer of employment is given. As the Swedish Red Cross is part of the Inter-Agency Scheme for the Disclosure of Safeguarding-related Misconduct, one of the three references given must be from the candidate`s current or most recent employer. Final candidates will also be screened against EU and UN sanction lists.