Arbetsbeskrivning

RFSL is seeking an International Program Manager with a strong focus on advocacy, alongside responsibility for capacity strengthening and programme support, to support LGBTQI partner organisations and activists in Ukraine. You will play a key role in ensuring quality, relevance, and long-term impact in RFSL’s international work, in close collaboration with local partners and internal colleagues.

About RFSL and the International Unit

RFSL (the Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Rights), founded in 1950, is one of the world's oldest non-profit organizations working on advancing LGBTQI rights. RFSL’s mission is to ensure LGBTQI individuals’ human rights are respected both nationally and internationally. Our international work focuses on supporting partner organizations in Eastern Europe, Asia, and Africa through regranting and partnerships, capacity-strengthening and facilitating access to international advocacy platforms.

Your role with us

As an International Program Manager, you will work closely with partner organisations and activists primarily in Ukraine, combining advocacy, capacity strengthening, and programme support. The role includes supporting and enabling LGBTQI actors’ participation in international and regional advocacy spaces in coordination with RFSL’s advocacy team, while also planning, implementing, and following up on long-term capacity-strengthening initiatives. You will be responsible for operational programme support, including project planning, documentation, and reporting, and for adapting activities to rapidly changing political and security contexts. Building trusted, long-term, and partner-led relationships is central to the role, as is ensuring that resources are used safely, responsibly, and strategically to strengthen LGBTQI movements over time.

Key responsibilities

The role combines capacity strengthening and advocacy work with partner organisations and activists, primarily in Ukraine. You will plan, implement, and follow up on initiatives such as trainings, workshops, scholarships, and mentoring, while supporting activists’ participation in international and regional advocacy spaces. The position also includes assessing partner needs, ensuring safe and compliant support in sensitive contexts, coordinating with donors and internal teams on financial and programmatic matters, contributing to reporting, PMEL, and programme development, and actively participating in unit-wide and organisational processes.

Who are you?

We are looking for a structured, solution-oriented, and collaborative professional committed to long-term, partner-led capacity strengthening of LGBTQI movements in Ukraine. The role requires working effectively with activists, grassroots groups, and established organisations in complex and politically sensitive contexts, balancing administrative rigour and attention to detail with trust-based relationship building. You should be proactive, self-driven, reflective, and able to navigate multicultural environments, collaborating across teams while maintaining flexibility, humility, and a strong commitment to safeguarding, co-creation, and sustainable impact.

You are a proactive and self-driven finance professional with strong self-leadership and high personal integrity. You thrive in an international environment and enjoy collaborating across cultures, languages, and teams. You communicate clearly, value accountability and transparency, and are motivated by purpose-driven work.

For a full description of the role and desired qualifications, please see our job ad on RFSL’s careers page.

To succeed in this role, you need:

• A strong commitment to strengthening LGBTQI movements and advancing human rights, justice, and equality through long-term, partner-led development and advocacy
• Strong knowledge of the human rights situation and the civil society landscape in Ukraine, combined with experience working with LGBTQI movements, including small, grassroots organizations in the region.
• At least three years of relevant experience within national or international NGOs, development cooperation, civil society support, advocacy and/or capacity strengthening
• Understanding of security and safeguarding considerations related to LGBTQI activism in different contexts
• Experience with international or regional advocacy work and human rights mechanisms (e.g. EU, UN, Council of Europe)
• Experience of working with capacity-strengthening activities and advocacy;
• Strong analytical and administrative skills, including the ability to assess organisational capacity, budgets and financial routines, programme reports, and risk analyses
• Solid IT skills, including good knowledge of Google Suite
• Proficiency in English and Ukrainian, both spoken and written
• Willingness and ability to travel internationally
• Ability to work from Stockholm, Sweden

Desirable qualifications

• A Bachelor’s degree in political sciences, international development, human rights, public administration, or equivalent qualifications gained through relevant work experience
• Experience working directly with LGBTQI movements and organisations in Ukraine, including grassroots initiatives
• Experience working in politically sensitive or shrinking civic spaces
• Experience with civil society organisations, human rights work, or LGBTQI movements in Ukraine or in a comparable regional or socio-political context
• Proficiency in Swedish

Employment terms

• Employment type: Full-time, permanent position with an initial six-month probation period.
• Location: RFSL’s office in Stockholm, with some hybrid work possible. Occasional travel for program activities is expected.
• Start date: As agreed.

Our offer

RFSL offers a dynamic and inclusive workplace that values professionalism, growth, and social impact. We provide competitive conditions, including occupational pensions and parental benefits.

How to apply

Applications should be submitted by February 15, 2026. We use anonymous, competency-based recruitment and require a background check and a work-related assignment as part of the recruitment process. This recruitment process will be conducted in English.

As a feminist and anti-racist organisation, RFSL strives to be an inclusive workplace for everyone, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, sex characteristics, religion, race, ethnicity, country of origin, disability status, age, or other grounds of discrimination. Candidates with diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.