Advisor Labour Market Insertion (80-100%)

We are a leading organisation for the implementation of international development projects. We promote inclusive economic, social and ecological development to make an effective contribution towards sustainable and widespread prosperity in developing and emerging economies.

Swisscontact is represented in 38 countries with over 1200 employees. The foundation is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland.

The Skills, Labour and Migration Team provides technical expertise and support for internal and external clients in advisory services, training, and research, assures the quality of implementation, fosters innovation, and engages in knowledge sharing in its fields of expertise.

Our understanding of Skills Development includes the core working areas of Initial Vocational Education and Training including the link to basic education, Labour Market Insertion, and Upskilling and Reskilling (Lifelong Learning). Labour Market Insertion is a focus of our work to support vulnerable target populations in finding their way (back) into employment or self-employment. Swisscontact has a strong reputation in this field, building on several decades of experience and having developed dedicated approaches for specific contexts. It is Swisscontact’s approach to mitigate the adverse consequences of Migration by supporting migrants in finding economic opportunities through active labour market measures and vocational education and training. For this reason, Labour Market Insertion and Migration are intertwined topics in the understanding of our organisation. Swisscontact does not implement humanitarian aid projects, but is increasingly confronted with fragile contexts in which longer-term development interventions and humanitarian assistance take place simultaneously.

To complement our growing dynamic and ambitious team, we are looking for an experienced, highly motivated, outgoing, and client-oriented person with a profound understanding of Labour Market Insertion approaches in developing and emerging economies and for specific target populations. We are looking for a versatile team member who is passionate about the topics of skills development and labour markets in the role of Advisor Labour Market Insertion (80-100%) with a focus on Migration with effective start from 1 August 2023 or by agreement.

Tasks

• Provide technical support, strategic guidance, and technical backstopping and advisory for internal and external clients in the field of Labour Market Insertion and Migration
• As team member of the Skills, Labour and Migration circle, closely collaborate with Advisors covering other working areas of Skills Development and demonstrate willingness to develop competencies and deepened understanding related to the thematic foci of initial vocational education and training as well as up- and reskilling
• Contribute to Swisscontact’s positioning relative to the two topics within the organization and towards donors, partners and other thematically relevant groups
• Drive business development by leading and supporting acquisition processes (bid management, partner engagement, bid writing, etc.) on both topics
• Maintain and grow a personal and institutional network of external experts and organisation in the field of Migration and Labour Market Insertion
• Follow the political discourse on Migration in Switzerland and represent Swisscontact in relevant external networks
• Maintain and facilitate Swisscontact’s internal Community of Practice (CoP) for Migration and assume thematic leadership for the working area of Labour Market Insertion

Requirements

• Graduate Degree in Development Cooperation, Political Sciences, Sociology, Economics or a related field, preferably with a focus on labour markets
• At least 4 years of project implementation experience, in technical advisory and support to projects in development cooperation, of which at least 2 years in developing countries in the field of Labour Market Insertion
• Good understanding of development projects working with different groups of migrants (e.g. labour migrants, young professionals, diaspora members, internally displaced people, refugees etc.)
• Understanding of the current political discourse and active institutions/organisation on migration in Switzerland
• Experience in business development incl. bid proposal writing, good understanding of donor-specific bid processes is an asset
• Excellent communication, digital and interpersonal skills
• Excellent written and spoken command of English and German. Command of French and Spanish is an asset
• Ability to collaborate and co-create with other team members in a decentralised organisation
• Excellent self-management, multitasking skills and ability to work independently
• Flexibility and willingness to regularly travel internationally
• Business-oriented, initiative, dynamic, and ambitious personality

Swisscontact offers attractive working conditions in an international and multicultural context. We see our work as a joint effort in an agile organizational culture: mutual respect, trust and teamwork.

We look forward to receiving your online application with the following documents in English: letter of motivation, curriculum vitae (no more than 3 pages), diplomas and references. You may include one example of a report or publication authored by you, if applicable. Please apply exclusively via the online application portal. For further information please visit www.swisscontact.org.

In case of questions, please contact Sonja Hofstetter: sonja.hofstetter@swisscontact.org