The European Union (EU) is an economic and political partnership between 27 European countries. It plays an important role in international affairs through diplomacy, trade, development aid and working with global organizations. Abroad, the EU is represented through more than 140 diplomatic representations, known also as EU Delegations, which have a similar function to those of an embassy.

The EU Delegation to Malawi works in close coordination with the Embassies and Consulates of the 27 EU Member States. We are a fully-fledged diplomatic mission and represent the European Union in dealings with the Malawi government in areas that are part of the EU's remit.

Contract Type: Fixed-term employment contract of 2 years with possibility of renewal

Expected Start Date: 1 October 2026

Base Salary: Typically starting from €3,037 gross salary, with a competitive benefits package

The Role

The post of Programme Manager in the Delegation's Cooperation Section responsible for Democratic Governance, Human Rights and Civil Society (Local Agent Group I). The post is part of the Cooperation Section's Team responsible for Governance, Rule of Law, Education, Youth and Skills.

The postholder will serve under the supervision and responsibility of the EU Ambassador, the EU Head of Cooperation and the Team Leader, providing support, expertise and assistance in the relevant field.

Key Tasks and Duties

Contribute to the programming, identification, formulation, and appraisal of programmes in cooperation with beneficiary institutions, both within the host country and in collaboration with other donors

Prepare proposals for programmes/projects, sector support, etc. in close co-operation with the DG INTPA geographical and thematic Units as applicable (including quality review)

Prepare financing agreements and obtain signatures of all contracting parties

Monitor the implementation of programmes/projects within the thematic areas of Democratic Governance (i.e. elections, civil participation and registration, work with parliament, accountability, follow-up emerging political developments), Economic Governance (i.e. fiscal decentralization and transparency), Human Rights and Civil Society and analyse annual and final implementation reports

Collaborate with stakeholders at country and regional levels, including government institutions, multilateral organisations, civil society, and the private sector, to facilitate dialogue and integrate EU partnership priorities in sector policy dialogues, ensuring policy coherence

Act as an operational initiator in the relevant IT systems, ensuring accurate documentation and conducting quality checks, providing "operational visa" on necessary documents

Prepare and assist in missions from headquarters and participate in audits as necessary

Maintain contact with other active donors in the host country to ensure strategic coherence in bilateral or multilateral relations

Organise and lead the various evaluations foreseen in the regulations (ex-ante, mid-term, ex-post)

Handle all aspects of procurement processes, including drafting Terms of Reference and launching tenders, assessing and evaluating ongoing and completed projects to ensure quality and effectiveness

Prepare, launch, manage and monitor calls for proposals/tenders, including the evaluation and selection of projects

Manage technical and financial aspects of contracts linked to projects

Oversee the implementation of projects and the performance of project managers and partners, monitor contractual obligations (via periodic reviews, audits, reporting and assistance, etc.) and gather and handle external expertise

Deal with horizontal activities, concentration and networking aspects of the programmes and projects

Take responsibility for the quality, accuracy, and comprehensiveness of encoded data in EU Delegation IT systems

Support political and policy dialogue with all relevant actors – ministries, agencies, donors and other relevant stakeholders in all areas of concern

Support political and sector analysis and draft and contribute to reports and analysis of the topics under the area of responsibility

Contribute to the development and application of common approaches by the EU, Member States and other relevant partners

Accompany evaluation in relevant areas

Contribute to coordination with the Regional Partnerships/Partnerships section of reinforced Delegations, and other Delegations as needed in the region

Minimum Requirements / Eligibility Criteria

University Degree in Political or Social Science, Law or a related field is required. Master's degree in the related field will be an added advantage

Excellent and solid oral and written communication skills in English are required, as well as good presentational skills and knowledge of the whole Microsoft Office package (especially Word and Excel)

A minimum of 5 years' experience working in areas related to project management and to democratic and economic governance, human rights and/or support to civil society in Malawi or in similar country contexts

Medically fit to perform the required duties

Enjoys civil rights and permits for employment under local law

Assets / Selection Criteria

Work experience with Public Organisation and/or International and/or Diplomatic missions and/or International Non-Governmental Organisations on democratic governance, electoral assistance, civic education, human rights, civil society strengthening

Master's Degree in Political or Social Science, Law or a related field or any other domain related to the sectors under his/her responsibility

Experience in working in multicultural environment

Previous experience on the implementation of EU funded programmes

Team work fluency, high flexibility, and capacity to work under pressure

Knowledge/experience of EU policies, of international relations, of inner workings of the host country politics/media/economy

Equal Opportunities

The European Union is committed to an equal opportunities policy for all its employees and applicants for employment. As an employer, the EU is committed to promoting gender equality, preventing discrimination on any grounds and ensuring a zero tolerance approach to any form of harassment. It actively welcomes applications from all qualified candidates from diverse backgrounds.

How to Apply

The applicant must apply by sending:

A signed cover letter

A Curriculum Vitae (to include at the minimum personal details such as date of birth and contact details, studies, exact job titles, employers names and detailed tasks description, 2 references) using one of the Europass templates which can be accessed at https://europass.europa.eu/en

Email: eeasjobs-048@eeas.europa.eu

Subject: Ref: ADM/AL-I/243466/2026, Job Title: Democratic Governance, Human Rights and Civil Society Officer

Deadline: 24th July 2026 at 17:00 hours

Caution: The applicant must verify that he/she fulfills all the conditions. For easy verification, the applicant must mark all the squares relating to each document or application condition. The absence of one of these conditions or documents is a reason for the rejection of the application.