Job Advertisement: Director General for Sida

The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) is a government agency under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The agency's mission is to contribute to fulfilling the parliamentary goal for international aid, implement the government's aid policy, disburse financial grants in accordance with the strategies decided by the government for Swedish development cooperation and humanitarian aid, and assist the government with expert support. The agency conducts aid activities in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Sida is led by a board whose members are appointed by the government. The board is responsible for the agency's operations. The Director General is a member of the board and is the head of the agency. There is also a Deputy Director General who acts as the Director General's representative.

Sida's headquarters is located in Rissne, Sundbyberg. Sida's staff corresponds to approximately 730 full-time equivalents in Sweden. There are also about 160 expatriates and about 170 locally employed staff working at 34 foreign missions.

Qualifications

We are looking for someone who is a proven good manager and leader with:

• experience in a leading role in larger government, organizational, or business operations,
• good knowledge of and experience in public administration and its decision-making processes,
• good understanding of the political structure within which the agency operates,
• experience in leading change and development work in a larger government agency or organization,
• experience in working strategically with governance issues and development work at the management level,
• excellent knowledge of Swedish and English, both spoken and written,
• relevant academic education or equivalent.

You should also have the ability to:

• represent, lead, and develop the agency clearly both internally and externally, nationally and internationally,
• lead and develop operations within the framework of good governance culture and in accordance with the public sector's core values,
• drive development and change work to create efficient resource utilization and ensure that the government's priorities in accordance with the reform agenda are achieved,
• lead, engage, and motivate employees,
• represent employer interests and together with other agency heads develop public sector employer policy,
• collaborate, cooperate, and build trusting relationships with the board, the Government Offices, agencies, and other relevant actors, both in Sweden and internationally.

It is an advantage if you have:

• experience in the agency's area of operations or other development policy or international aid work,
• experience in a leading role in the private sector,
• experience in international work and foreign policy.

Other

You must be a Swedish citizen to be appointed as Director General for Sida. The position is classified in a security class and a security vetting with background check will be conducted before a hiring decision is made.

More Information

More information about the position can be provided by Foreign Affairs Councilor Camilla Nevstad Bruzelius, Unit Manager Per-Ola Mattsson, and State Secretary Karin Juhlin at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Questions about employment conditions and the recruitment process can be answered by Frida Ragnhäll or Jan Lindberg Sezer, the office for management supply to agencies. You can reach them via the Government Offices switchboard at 08-405 1000.

Confidentiality applies to information about the identity of individual candidates.

Expression of Interest

Welcome to register your expression of interest and CV in our recruitment tool by April 12, 2026.

The Swedish public administration consists of approximately 200 agencies that are directly under the government. The government employs the heads of agencies and decides on their employment conditions. Salaries are individual and determined based on the requirements for the position and the qualifications and experiences of the head. Most agency heads are employed for a fixed term – normally, the first employment period is six years.