Vacant job

Section Chief – Lead and Develop Work at the Ministry for Health and Social Affairs

Are you a skilled leader who thrives on leading and developing both operations and staff, and do you want to work with social insurance issues? Then you might be the person we are looking for. We offer an exciting and developmental leadership role with significant responsibility, where you will have the opportunity to support the Government in realizing its policies.

Your workday. Sweden's tomorrow.

As Section Chief, you lead and are responsible for the section's work. This includes acting as the principal employer and personnel manager. You advocate for a unified employer policy, a good collaboration climate, and a sustainable working environment within the section, the ministry, and the agency. As Section Chief, you represent the operations in various contexts, both internally and externally, nationally and, in some cases, internationally, and you are expected to act as a good representative of the agency at all times. The work is characterized by many contact areas in a dynamic environment.

The Social Insurance Section works with central issues within Swedish welfare policy, issues that have great significance in people's daily lives – family policy, sickness insurance, and pensions. The section also works with international social insurance issues, such as the coordination of social insurance benefits between EU member states. The section is also responsible for the steering of the Swedish Social Insurance Agency, the Swedish Pensions Agency, the Inspectorate for Social Insurance, and the Fund Market Board, which are central actors in the public security systems and in the work against incorrect payments and benefit fraud within social insurance.

The Social Insurance Section has approximately thirty employees. As Section Chief, you have operational responsibility for the section and personnel responsibility for three group leaders, an assistant section chief, and a section assistant.

As Section Chief, you lead the section's management group and have overall responsibility for the section's operations. You are responsible for ensuring that the section is development-oriented and follows the Government Offices' working methods. You have experience in delivering results even under pressurized work situations and are accustomed to working at a constantly high pace with several prioritized issues simultaneously. You have the ability and interest in developing your employees' competencies. In the role of Section Chief, it is also important to ensure an efficient use of the section's resources and capabilities.

You are part of the ministry's management group and leadership group and, together with other managers in the ministry, drive the development of the ministry's operations, work processes, and working environment.

The work is carried out in close cooperation with the political leadership and other units within the ministry. You report directly to the State Secretary. The section is responsible for ensuring that the work on social insurance is conducted strategically and in close cooperation with the political leadership's wishes, which includes providing support and guidance to the political leadership.

Read more about the ministry and our operations at https://www.regeringen.se/sveriges-regering/justitiedepartementet/justitiedepartementets-organisation/ (https://www.regeringen.se/sveriges-regering/justitiedepartementet/justitiedepartementets-organisation/)

Your Background

We are looking for you who have a completed degree in law, political science, economics, or other relevant education. You have current and relevant leadership experience as a manager with personnel responsibility. You need to have insight and knowledge of the demands placed in a political organization, as well as very good knowledge of Swedish and English, both in speech and writing.

It is meritorious if you have experience of participating in/working in management group/leadership group work, and if you have experience of leading other managers. It is also meritorious with experience from the Government Offices and if you have worked with social insurance issues or other policy areas that the Social Insurance Section is responsible for. Furthermore, it is meritorious with experience of negotiation work, of representing an operation nationally and internationally, of leading change work and development issues, and of leading and working at a high pace. Good knowledge and understanding of legislative work, budget work, regulatory letters, steering issues, and other central processes in the Government Offices are also meritorious.

Your Qualities

The position requires good leadership qualities. As a manager, you have a holistic view and communicate overarching goals, involve others early, and promote collaboration for unified leadership. You drive the development of operations and working environment, lead change with courage, and encourage learning and initiatives for development, while simultaneously developing your own competence and leadership. You focus on results by prioritizing, making decisions, and show trust in employees' competence by supporting and coaching, as well as handling problems in a timely manner.

Other

The position is a permanent appointment as a Ministerial Director with a time-limited appointment as Section Chief for five years, with the possibility of extension. The employment is covered by the management agreement.

The position is classified in a security class, and a security investigation with register check will be conducted before a decision on employment is made. You must be a Swedish citizen, but may have a foreign background.

Are you interested?

If you want to know more about the position, contact State Secretary Johan Höij. You are also welcome to contact HR Partner Annika Paulsson. Union contact persons are Karl Bratt Rosén, Saco, and Karina Åbom-Engberg, ST. All can be reached via the Government Offices' switchboard at telephone 08-405 10 00. We are happy to receive calls from you who are interested in the job, but we decline calls from those who sell advertising and recruitment services.

Welcome to register your application in our recruitment tool no later than August 2, 2026.

The Government Offices' task is to support the Government in its work to steer Sweden and realize its policies. Here, 4,800 people work, of whom 600 are abroad. The Government Offices welcome applicants with different backgrounds and experiences. We see equality and diversity as a strength and asset, and we work actively to be a workplace free from discrimination. The Ministry for Health and Social Affairs, which is one of ten ministries, is responsible for issues concerning society's welfare. These include public health and healthcare, social services including elderly care, care for and rights of persons with disabilities, sickness and parental insurance, pensions and the premium pension system, as well as sports, civil society, youth policy, burial issues, and religious communities.