Country Representative in Sudan

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Are You the Swedish Red Cross's New Country Representative in Sudan?

Location: Port Sudan/Khartoum, Sudan

Contract Type: International Delegate, unaccompanied

Start Date: Contract and start date are pending approval of donor financing 

Contract Duration: 24 months

The Swedish Red Cross (SRC) is seeking an experienced and strategic humanitarian leader to serve as our Country Representative in Sudan. This is a unique opportunity to lead one of SRC's key partnerships in a highly complex humanitarian context and contribute to strengthening local humanitarian action through close collaboration with the Sudanese Red Crescent Society (SRCS). 

About the Role

The Swedish Red Cross has a long-standing partnership with the Sudanese Red Crescent Society and supports humanitarian response, recovery, resilience, and organisational development efforts across Sudan. Working in close collaboration with SRCS and Movement partners, SRC aims to strengthen local capacity, promote community resilience, and support people affected by crises.

As Country Representative, you will lead SRC's engagement in Sudan and oversee a diverse portfolio that includes humanitarian response and recovery, migration programming, disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, and National Society Development.

You will provide strategic leadership and oversight of the SRC-supported portfolio, including support to humanitarian response and recovery, disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation, migration programming, organisational development, and capacity-strengthening initiatives. You will ensure close collaboration with SRCS, IFRC, ICRC, Partner National Societies and relevant external stakeholders.

You will represent SRC in Sudan and contribute to strategic partnership development, resource mobilisation, humanitarian diplomacy, programme quality, and accountability. You will work closely with SRCS, IFRC, ICRC, Partner National Societies, donors and other stakeholders and support SRC to strengthen its relationships and engagement within Sudan, the region and the wider Red Cross Red Crescent Movement.

The role also includes strategic oversight of SRC's support to the Route Based Approach project under the Global Migration Programme, ensuring effective collaboration between SRCS, IFRC, regional partners, and SRC's migration team.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership and Partnership Development

• Lead and strengthen the strategic partnership between SRC and SRCS.
• Support implementation of SRC's Sudan Strategy and ensure alignment with SRCS priorities and strategic objectives.
• Promote locally led humanitarian action and support SRCS ownership, leadership, and institutional development.
• Drive the strategic and operational development of SRC's Sudan portfolio and partnerships by identifying opportunities for growth and collaboration.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with Movement partners, donors, government actors, and humanitarian stakeholders.

Programme Leadership and Portfolio Management

• Provide strategic oversight of SRC-supported programmes in humanitarian response and recovery, migration, Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation, and National Society Development.
• Manage and coordinate the SRC Sudan portfolio in close partnership with SRCS, and follow up on progress as part of the programme cycle (planning, design, monitoring, evaluation and reporting).
• Ensure high-quality programme management across the project cycle.
• Promote the integration of cross-cutting priorities, including Community Engagement and Accountability (CEA), Protection, Gender and Inclusion (PGI), volunteer engagement, and climate and environmental sustainability.
• Work closely with technical advisers and support teams at SRC headquarters in line with organisational procedures and systems.
• Follow up on country budget expenditure and reporting, including financial and audit reporting.

Resource Mobilisation and External Engagement

• Identify funding opportunities and lead the development of project concepts and proposals.
• Engage with the Swedish Government to identify opportunities and synergies across relevant strategies, including the Sudan Country Strategy, Migration Strategy, and Africa Regional Strategy.
• Represent SRC with embassies, UN agencies, NGOs, donors, and other external stakeholders.
• Support communication, advocacy, and humanitarian diplomacy efforts related to Sudan.

Migration Programming

• Provide strategic oversight and coordination support to SRC's engagement in the Route Based Approach project and the Global Migration Programme.
• Collaborate closely with SRC's Migration Programme Manager and regional stakeholders.
• Support learning, coordination, and reporting related to migration programming.

Context Analysis and Operational Management

• Monitor political, humanitarian, and security developments and provide contextual analysis and recommendations.
• Manage SRC's in-country office, including responsibility for security risk assessments, in-country briefings, and security updates in line with applicable security frameworks and service agreements.

About You

You are a collaborative and strategic leader with strong programme management and partnership-building skills. You thrive in complex humanitarian environments and are comfortable navigating multiple stakeholders while maintaining a focus on strategic objectives and results.

You bring excellent organisational awareness and can balance strategic thinking with operational delivery. You are analytical, structured, and able to manage competing priorities while maintaining a high level of independence.

You are a skilled communicator and relationship builder, with strong networking and diplomatic abilities. You have experience managing complex partnerships and programmes and are motivated by strengthening local humanitarian leadership and impact.

As an employee of the Swedish Red Cross, you share the humanitarian values of the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement and actively contribute to fostering diversity, inclusion, and non-discrimination. You understand and uphold the SRC Code of Conduct and all applicable security regulations and procedures.

This position is based in a high-risk environment, and the successful candidate must be willing and able to operate within the security frameworks and protocols established by SRC and the wider Red Cross Red Crescent Movement.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Relevant academic degree (3 to 5 years of full-time study) in a relevant field.
• Minimum seven years of professional experience in humanitarian and/or development cooperation roles with similar responsibilities.
• Demonstrated ability to build partnerships and collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders, including National Societies, international organisations, and donors.
• Strong analytical skills and experience developing strategic and operational plans.
• Field experience in complex and volatile environments, preferably within the Africa region.
• Experience in resource mobilisation and results-based management, including programme design, proposal writing, planning, budgeting, monitoring, and evaluation.
• Experience in Organisational Development and Community Engagement and Accountability (CEA).
• Relevant security training for high-risk environments (HEAT or equivalent).
• International Driver’s License and the ability to drive a manual vehicle
• Experience in risk and security management within a humanitarian organisation.
• Excellent written and spoken English.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience working or volunteering within the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement.
• Experience managing Sida-funded or other donor-funded programmes.
• Experience working with cross-cutting themes such as gender, conflict sensitivity, and environment and climate change.
• Understanding of the current political, social, and humanitarian context in the region.
• Additional language skills are considered a strong asset, particularly Arabic and Swedish.

Additional 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 able to pass a pre-deployment medical examination.
• Candidates must hold a valid manual driving licence and be experienced in driving manual transmission vehicles.

Application Process

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

Application deadline: 29 November 2026

The recruitment process includes personality and cognitive assessments, interviews, reference checks, and background screening. Recruitment activities will commence after the application deadline has passed.

As part of our commitment to safeguarding, all successful candidates will undergo a background check before an offer of employment is made. The Swedish Red Cross participates in the Inter-Agency Scheme for the Disclosure of Safeguarding-related Misconduct, and one of the three references provided must be from the candidate's current or most recent employer. Final candidates will also be screened against EU and UN sanctions lists.

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

The Swedish Red Cross kindly declines any offers of recruitment or consultancy services in relation to this vacancy.