Head of Global Cooperation (80-100%)

• 04 September 2026
• 80 - 100%
• Indefinite period
• Zürich

HEKS/EPER has more than 1500 permanent employees. The organization is active in 24 sites in Switzerland and in 35 countries around the world with 290 programs and projects with a value of approximately 144 million CHF. In 2024, HEKS/EPER reached approximately 16 million people through its work.

HEKS/EPER pursues the vision of a just world where everyone's dignity is respected, where peace and the preservation of the natural environment prevail. The objective is systemic change at social, economic, and political levels. HEKS/EPER contributes to improving the living conditions of people in Switzerland and around the world, to promoting their rights, and to raising awareness and mobilizing for this purpose.

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

Head of Global Cooperation (80-100%) #

For our Global Cooperation (GC) division at the headquarters in Zurich, we are looking for an experienced, strategic, and inspiring leader to fill this key position as soon as possible or by agreement:

Your main responsibilities:

Member of the Executive Board

In this role, you assume global responsibility for the international work of HEKS/EPER - on strategic, operational, financial, and leadership levels. Together with your deputy, you lead the division in its areas of activity (development cooperation, humanitarian aid, ecclesiastical cooperation, and development policy), position HEKS/EPER on the international stage, and shape our international program in accordance with our global strategy.

Leadership, culture, and organizational steering

• Ensure strategic leadership for the Global Cooperation division, guaranteeing organizational effectiveness, long-term impact, and alignment with HEKS/EPER's global strategy as a member of the Executive Board
• Lead the division in close collaboration with the Deputy Head of Global Cooperation, being responsible for strategic leadership, organizational performance, and strategic development and alignment
• Lead, develop, and recruit Program Managers and Team Leaders, in close partnership with HR, promoting a professional, caring, and participatory leadership culture
• Conduct change management processes, ensure agility, and proactively steer the division in the face of disruptive and changing political, societal, financial, and security contexts
• Strengthen collaboration within and between divisions as well as with partners at local, national, and international levels

Program management

• Prospective strategic development and implementation of the HEKS/EPER international program in its complementary areas of activity
• Responsibility for the compliance of all programs and processes with HEKS/EPER standards, as well as for effective instruments and implementation and governance structures

Representation, networking, and fundraising

• Representation to institutional donors, including SDC, and participation in relevant national and international executive networks (Alliance Sud, ACT Alliance, and others)
• Building and maintaining an active network of strategic partners and consortiums at the executive level
• Expanding the donor base of Global Cooperation through proactive engagement and relationship development

Finance

• Sound and sustainable financial management of the division: budgeting, financial planning, control, compliance, and maximization of cost recovery
• Ensure adequate management of financial risks and compliance processes

Human resources, security, and protection

• Direction and recruitment of team leaders and managers
• Global responsibility for HEKS/EPER's security policies, processes, and instruments, and leading or participating in crisis management groups
• Global responsibility for division-specific HR instruments and compliance with HEKS/EPER HR and protection standards

Public communication and advocacy

• Position HEKS/EPER in public discourse and the global context, ensuring appropriate and coordinated advocacy
• Shape the international public profile of Global Cooperation in collaboration with the Communication division

To succeed, you bring:

• A relevant university degree at Master's level or equivalent experience, including 3 to 5 years of living and working in (highly) fragile program areas
• At least 10 years of experience in a senior management position in international cooperation, ideally with experience in the fields of humanitarian aid, development cooperation, development policy, ecclesiastical cooperation, and/or impact investing
• Proven experience in leading motivated, results-oriented, diverse, and intercultural teams
• Proven experience in managing multi-million budgets in complex international environments
• Track record in the successful acquisition and implementation of internationally funded projects, as well as in building partner and donor networks
• Proven experience in crisis management, security, and incidents
• Strategic and visionary thinking, excellent analytical and conceptual skills, and good mastery of business management instruments
• Excellent communication, representation, and intercultural skills, combined with strategic vision, resilience, integrity, sound judgment, and a collaborative and values-based leadership style
• Diplomatic experience, for example in multi-