Project Officer – Danish Peace and Stabilisation Programme West Africa

Full time contract (1 year renewable subject to performance and approval by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark) 

Start date: 1st September 2025 or soon thereafter 

Deadline for application: 20 August 2025 (midnight)

The Danish Embassy in Accra is seeking a Project Officer to support the management of Denmark’s “Peace and Stabilisation Programme for West Africa (PSP WA), 2025-2028”. The Project Officer will support the effective implementation, coordination, and monitoring of PSP WA activities, ensuring alignment with Danish foreign policy objectives and programme strategies. With an ODA-budget of DKK 197 million (approx. USD 29 million), the overall objective of the PSP WA is to mitigate instability in key border areas in West Africa through local and regional capacity development. 

The programme supports peace, security, and stability across the Sahel and Gulf of Guinea regions and seeks to address conflict drivers and strengthen governance, security, and justice through a whole-of-government approach, involving Danish civil, military, and development cooperation instruments. The PSP-WA focuses on fragile states and transnational challenges including violent extremism, organized crime, and migration. It is implemented in partnership with national governments, regional organizations (e.g., ECOWAS, G5 Sahel), and other international partners. The successful candidate will be based at the Embassy of Denmark in Accra. 

Main Tasks and Responsibilities 

• Oversee the day-to-day management of ODA-funded PSP-WA projects in close consultation with implementing partners. 

• Administer grants and partnership agreements in line with Danida Financial and Aid Management Guidelines. 

• Contribute to overall program administration, including budget management, fund dispersal, and assessment of financial management reports. 

• Support the programme’s monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL) activities in close collaboration with external MEAL consultant, and contribute to planning and implementation of programme studies and analyses by external researchers. 

• Support management of unallocated funds, including project development, and management of necessary approval processes. 

• Ensure timely project level reporting (narrative and financial) hereunder recording of results and financial data in relevant results monitoring and financial management systems. 

• Contribute to external communication of results achieved on the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ social media platforms, external media, etc. 

• Represent the Embassy in technical meetings as per instruction and under the guidance of the programme facilitator. 

• Perform other related duties as required by the Danish Embassy in Accra. 

Requirements 

• Master’s degree in international relations, development studies, political science, business administration, project management, conflict management or related area. 

• At least five (5) years of progressively responsible professional experience managing large scale projects / programmes (regional/multi-country experience an asset). 

• Solid understanding of the regional state and political architecture as well as conflict prevention and peacebuilding landscape. 

• Demonstrated experience managing project-related financial procedures, including budget preparation and monitoring, fund disbursement and financial reporting. 

• Prior experience with donor development aid administration. Danida experience is an asset. 

• Experience organizing and participating in international meetings related to peace and security is desirable. 

• Excellent coordination skills and ability to maintain constructive multistakeholder working relationships. 

• Professional proficiency in English (written and spoken). Knowledge of French (written and spoken) is desirable. 

• Willingness to undertake official travel to programme countries for monitoring purposes (1 – 2 weeks of travel foreseen per year). 

• An open, flexible, and proactive mind-set, strong interpersonal competences and being a team player. 

• Good working knowledge of standard MS Office applications, including proficiency in Microsoft Excel. 

Terms of employment 

• Full time contract (40 hours pr. week under local terms and conditions) 1 year renewable subject to performance and approval by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark. 

• Mutual trial period of three months. 

• Based at the Danish Embassy in Accra, Ghana, with periodic travels to other countries in West Africa, including the Sahel. 

• Salary will reflect qualifications, relevant experience, and proven work-related results. 

• You and your dependant family members will be offered reasonable coverage of sickness expenses. 

• Employment requires security clearance by Danish Authorities (requires presentation of “No Criminal Record”).

Application and recruitment process 

To apply for the position, please send your application (cover letter, CV, proof of relevant education, recommendations and 2-3 references) in English to the Embassy of Denmark, via the apply now button marked in subject line “Application – Project Officer (PSP WA) – Embassy of Denmark” no later than 20 August 2025 (midnight). Questions related to the position can be addressed to the Programme Facilitator / Head of Cooperation, Ms. Rikke Enggaard Olsen via accamb@um.dk (please write: “Query concerning PSP WA Project Officer position” in the subject line). 

Interviews will take place within one week after the application deadline. As part of the recruitment process, candidates will be asked to complete a written test. The Embassy attaches great importance to equal opportunities for all and therefore welcomes applications from all qualified persons regardless of race, sex, religion, age, or disability. 

Only short-listed applicants will be contacted by the Embassy of Denmark. 

About us 

The Danish Embassy is part of the Danish Foreign Service. The Embassy covers Ghana and side accredited countries Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Togo. The Embassy is an ambitious, high-paced and dynamic workplace with a mixture of staff posted from the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and locally-recruited staff. For more information about the Embassy, see www.ghana.um.dk