Trade Promotion and Political Officer

Job description

Overview

Precision Recruitment International (PRI), on behalf of the Embassy of Sweden in Lusaka, is pleased to announce an exciting career opportunity.

The Embassy of Sweden in Lusaka represents Sweden in Zambia and, as of 1 November 2026, will also cover Zimbabwe. The Embassy promotes Swedish policies, interests, and values across political and economic relations, development cooperation, trade and investment, as well as cultural and public diplomacy. The Embassy also provides consular services to Swedish nationals. The Embassy of Sweden has approximately 25 employees. The working language at the Embassy are Swedish and English. Please refer to our website for more information about the Embassy, www.swedenabroad.com/Zambia.

The Embassy is currently seeking to recruit a full-time Trade Promotion and Political Officer to support the Embassy’s work in Zambia and Zimbabwe. The main focus of this position is on trade promotion.

The Trade Promotion and Political Officer will be part of the Political and Commercial Section and will work under the direct supervision of the Head of Section. The section is tasked with promoting Sweden and Swedish interests through trade promotion, political reporting and public diplomacy, including communication.

Main duties and responsibilities

• Promote Swedish interests as well as foreign and trade policy objectives, by inter alia organizing trade events and delegations, as well as building a strong network with Swedish companies and facilitate business opportunities and support vis-à-vis local authorities.
• Promote Swedish economic interests with a particular focus on the mining, transport and energy sectors, liaising with relevant Swedish and local stakeholders.
• Monitor, analyze, and report on political and economic developments in Zambia and Zimbabwe.
• Contribute to the Embassy’s communication, event planning, and public diplomacy initiatives.
• Work integrated with other sections of the Embassy, as well as collaborate with Team Sweden (external Swedish stakeholders).

Essential qualifications and skills

• University Degree in a relevant thematic area (e.g., Political Science, Economics, International Relations or Law).
• Demonstrated professional experience (minimum 3 months) working with similar tasks, inter alia trade promotion, diplomacy or international affairs, including political and economic analysis.
• Proven professional experience (minimum 3 months) organizing events and delegations in an international setting, including programming, planning and preparations.
• Strong organizational and interpersonal skills with demonstrated ability (minimum approximately 1 year) to organize and plan work proactively, lead projects, and work effectively across teams and with external stakeholders to deliver high quality results under time constraints.
• Strong analytical, writing, and communication skills in English.
• Excellent computer and IT skills, including the Office suite.

Desirable qualifications and personal attributes:

• Experience from Swedish institutions, such as other Swedish Embassies, Government institutions, businesses, NGOs, etc., and familiarity with relevant Swedish policies.
• Experience from working in Zimbabwe and/or with Zimbabwean stakeholders in a similar international context.
• Experience in building and maintaining relevant relations and networks in an international and diplomatic setting, particularly businesses and other stakeholders in the mining, transport or energy sectors.
• Proficiency in Swedish.

Salary and benefits
The Embassy offers an international and dynamic working environment. The salary is determined on an individual basis. The position is subject to the Embassy’s terms and conditions for local staff.

Employment will start in October 2026 unless otherwise agreed, starting with a probation period of six months.

Application
Please include the following in your application:

• CV (not more than two pages), including the names and contact details of three reference persons
• Cover letter explaining why you are suitable for the position and what motivates you to apply (not more than one page)
• Salary requirements (gross salary) in ZMW

A references check will be part of the recruitment procedure. Shortlisted candidates will be asked to perform a written test in English. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted, and applications will not be returned.

For the position, a valid work permit in Zambia will be required.

For the recruitment of this position, the Embassy of Sweden is working with P.R.I. Consultants. The contact person is Ms. Malama Lumbwe, mlumbwe@priconsultants.com.

Applications should be submitted by e-mail with the text “Trade and Political Officer – Swedish Embassy” in the subject line to: mlumbwe@priconsultants.com.

The deadline for submitting applications is 31 July 2026.

Other information
The Embassy of Sweden is an equal opportunity employer and encourages all relevant applicants to apply for the position regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, and personal background.

Learn more about our Personal Data Protection Policy (GDPR) to which you consent by submitting your application: https://www.swedenabroad.se/en/data-protection-policy/.