Internship Opportunity (Paid)
The Swiss Cooperation Office and Consular Agency in Laos designs and steers the Government of Switzerland’s bilateral development programme in Lao PDR. We support the Lao Government in reducing poverty and in reaching the Sustainable Development Goals. The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) gives priority to sustainable and equitable development, especially in rural areas with minorities, to governance reforms favouring the poor and disadvantaged, to gender equity, and to social justice. We are a Swiss-Lao team of highly motivated professionals looking for a dynamic Lao National to work with the SDC projects in Luang Prabang and Bokeo provinces, to fill the position of:
Junior Program Officer (JPO) from an ethnic minority group
Two-year fixed-term contract (1 August 2025 – 31 July 2027)
According to the Swiss Cooperation Programme for the Mekong Region 2022-2026, the SDC is supporting three portfolios in the field of Governance and Citizen Participation (GCP); Climate Change and Natural Resource Management (CCNRM); and Inclusive Economic Development (IED). In addition, the transversal crosscutting themes of Gender Equality and Social Inclusion, Good Governance and Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation and Disaster Risk Reduction have consistently been applied throughout the three portfolios and their programmes in contributing to the poverty reduction in Lao PDR.
We are looking for two Junior Program Officers (JPOs) who have a degree or certificate in the field of political/social science, rural development, gender equality, social inclusion, or other related fields. The key objective is to provide to a young non-Lao loum professional the opportunity to gain experience working with an international development cooperation organization funded by the SDC. This experience should help to find a job outside the SDC after termination of the 2 years contract.
In collaboration with the SDC project partners, the JPOs will be assigned to work with international and national staffs and involve in the identification, design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the SDC supported programmes/projects. The specific roles and responsibilities may vary depending on the specific projects, which include (1) Sustainable Consumption and Production Project (SCP) implemented by Swisscontact in Laos, and (2) the Local Development and Governance Project (LDGP) implemented by LuxDev. The SCP JPO will be based in Luang Prabang, while the LDGP JPO will be based in Bokeo.
Selection Criteria:
1. Ethnic background from ethnic minority groups
2. A degree or certificate in in the field of political/social science, rural development, gender equality, social inclusion, skills development, and other related fields or related disciplines;
3. Written and spoken English Skills (basic or intermediate level);
4. Demonstrated interest in the field of development and the work of international organizations;
5. Internet proficiency as well as proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, Power Point);
6. A strong commitment to development; an interest in adapting to varied physical and professional environments; and a desire to work with people with different language, national and cultural backgrounds;
7. Ability to work in the province of Luang Prabang or Bokeo; ethnic language of Lahu and Akha for the LDGP JPO -is desirable.
The SDC is a value based equal opportunities employer, appointing on merits by open competition. Applications should be in English language submitted to the SDC per email or to the Swiss Cooperation Office as below, including resume/CV (max 2 pages) and cover letter (not more than one page) explaining why we should consider your application for this position.
Subject: “Vacancy Announcement – Ethnic JPOs”
Please submit a copy electronically to: vientiane@eda.admin.ch
Swiss Cooperation Office and Consular Agency in Laos
House 192 / 1 Sibounheuang Road
Chanthabouly District, Vientiane Capital
For additional information about SDC activities in Lao PDR, please visit:
Website: www.eda.admin.ch/laos
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SwissCooperationMekong
The deadline for applications is Sunday, 25 May 2025. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for interview. The SDC does not return application files.