Job Description

HEKS/EPER has over 1500 permanent employees. The organisation is active at 24 locations in Switzerland and in 35 countries worldwide with 290 programs and projects worth around CHF 144 million. In 2024, HEKS/EPER reached around 16 million people with its work.

HEKS/EPER pursues the vision of a just world where the dignity of everyone is respected, peace reigns, and the natural environment is preserved. The aim is a systemic change at a social, economic and political level. HEKS/EPER is doing its part to improve the living conditions of people in Switzerland and around the world, to promote their rights, raise awareness and mobilise to this end.

Lived diversity - inclusion is important to us:
We welcome applications regardless of gender, nationality, ethnic origin, religion, age or sexual orientation.

International or national Team Leader (100%), based in Belgrade, Serbia.

SDC has tendered the project “Building Democratic Resilience and Promoting Inclusive Dialogue (BRIDGE)” in Serbia, a new intervention addressing increasing socio-political polarisation, shrinking civic space, and limited cooperation between civil society and public institutions. The project aims to strengthen democratic governance by supporting dialogue across social divides, enhancing civic participation, and reinforcing the resilience of civil society actors, with a particular focus on women and youth.

The project will focus on strengthening civic engagement through community initiatives and grant schemes, supporting women’s and youth participation in decision-making, and enhancing the capacities of civil society organisations to operate in a constrained environment, including through cybersecurity support and rapid response mechanisms.

The inception phase is planned from August 2026 to February 2027 and will be followed by a first implementation phase from March 2027 to February 2031, subject to approval.

The start of the assignment is August 2026The recruitment is subject to the successful approval of the consortium’s bid to the tender by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). The position covers both phases.

Together with our consortium partner, we are looking for an

Your main responsibilities:
The team leader will be present in Serbia during the period of the project implementation and will be responsible for leading the project office, coordinating all project activities, maintaining professional relations with the donor and partners, and providing regular information on the progress of the project. Specifically, the team leader will have the following responsibilities:

• Leading and coordinating all tasks during the inception phase (political economic analysis, stakeholder analysis, gender analysis, elaboration of impact hypothesis and result chains, etc), resulting in the fine-tuning and successful approval of the project documentation for phase 1
• Strategic and technical steering and overall management of the project as per the accepted projectdocument, under the guidance of the project steering committee and the Swiss Cooperation Office in Belgrade
• Set up and management of the project implementation unit office, human resources, finances, and administration.
• Supervising the projectteam in implementing the project’s activities
• Formulate a yearly plan of operations, organise and coordinate the implementation of all project activities, manage the project funds, monitor performance and coordinate/exchangewith partners.
• Ensure the development of a monitoring and results measurement systemas well as knowledge management for steering, accountability and learning.
• Stimulate an innovative and constructive learning environment among the project team and partners, and promote knowledge sharing and exchange across HEKS/EPER programmes and countries
• Ensure cooperation and coordination with other projects supported by SDC within the Civil Society domain as well as relevant projects funded by other donors.

The team leader will work under the consortium’s steering committee and benefit from technicalsupport from anexperienced, multidisciplinary team provided bythe consortium partners (remote and on-site support).

To be successful you bring:

• Academic degree (Master or equivalent) in political sciences, social sciences, development studiesand/or related field.
• At least 10 years of experience inmanaging and coordinating interventions of a comparable size (at least CHF 1mio annually) and scope
• At least 7 years of experience in implementing civil society strengthening programmes
• Proven experience working in politically sensitive and polarised contexts
• Demonstrated ability to engage in multi-stakeholder processes and collaborations, particularly in contexts characterised by polarisation, heightened political tensions, violence, and authoritarian governance, and/or in societies undergoing transition toward more democratic systems
• Strong knowledge of the political context in Serbia, including the operating environment for civil society, combined with a broader understanding of the challenges faced by civil society organisations in Serbia and in other contexts characterised by authoritarian governance.
• Professional experience in transition countries, preferably in the Western Balkans/Serbia.
• Strong managerial skills, including results-oriented management, strategic planning, human resources management, and financial management skills.
• Strong analytical skills and capacity to think systemically.
• Strong interpersonal, intercultural and communication skills.
• Fluency in English (written and oral) is a must; knowledge of Serbian is a strong asset.

What you can expect from us:
The team leader will be employed under a HEKS/EPER contract (expatriate or national, depending on the selected candidate). The initial contract duration is one year, with the possibility of renewal until the end of the projectHEKS/EPER offers an attractive salary and benefits package. The expected start of the assignment is scheduled for August 2026and depends on the successful approvalof the consortium’s bid to the tender by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).You will work with a motivated team in Serbia and enjoy the dynamic, international work environment of a globally active INGO
Would you like to join the HEKS/EPER team? We are looking forward to your complete application in English (CV, Cover letter and certificates) exclusively via our online portal.

Interviews will be held on a rolling basis. HEKS/EPER reserves the right to select a candidate prior to the deadline.
Applications are accepted until Tuesday, 14th April 2026
Dragan Sreckovic, Country Representative Serbia, (dragan.sreckovic@heks-eper.org), is at your disposal for further information.

For further information about HEKS/EPER, please consult our website https://en.heks.ch/