COUNTRY REPRESENTATIVE
COUNTRY REPRESENTATIVE
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
Contract duration: Fixed-term contract, 36 months
Reports to: Head of Region Africa and Latin America, Stockholm
ABOUT THE OLOF PALME INTERNATIONAL CENTER
The Olof Palme International Center (Palme Center) is the international solidarity organisation of the Swedish labour movement. Through partnerships with trade unions, civil society organisations and democratic actors around the world, the Palme Center works to strengthen democracy, human rights, peace and social justice.
With funding from the EU Delegation to South Africa, the Palme Center is implementing a new programme, Bridging Inequalities: Community and Worker Participation for an Inclusive Just Energy Transition in South Africa.
The programme supports workers, communities, trade unions, civil society organisations and local authorities to actively participate in and influence South Africa's Just Energy Transition. Working primarily in Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal, the programme promotes social dialogue, climate justice, decent work and inclusive local development, ensuring that those most affected by the transition have meaningful opportunities to shape it.
THE ROLE
We are looking for an experienced and strategic Country Representative to lead the implementation of an EU-funded programme focused on Just Energy Transition, climate justice, labour rights and community participation in South Africa.
The Country Representative will provide overall strategic leadership for the programme and represent the Palme Center in South Africa in close collaboration with Team Africa. The role combines programme leadership, policy influence, strategic partnership-building and multi stakeholder engagement, with a particular focus on ensuring that workers and affected communities have meaningful opportunities to influence the Just Energy Transition.
The successful candidate will have demonstrated experience in policy development and influence and the ability to convene and facilitate dialogue among government institutions, municipalities, trade unions, civil society organisations, communities, academic institutions and private sector actors. A central responsibility will be to strengthen collaboration among these actors and help translate policy commitments into practical action related to economic transformation, local development and a socially just transition.
The Country Representative will also monitor developments in South Africa's political, labour and Just Energy Transition landscape, identify opportunities for strategic engagement and policy influence, and ensure that programme implementation remains responsive to the evolving context.
