| Position | Regional Governance, Peace and Security Advisor |
| Place of Assignment | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia |
| Salary Band | GIZ AU Salary Band 4 |
| Initial Contract Period | 01 December 2026 – 30 April 2030 |
| Application Deadline | 13 October 2026 |
Background
The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is a global service provider in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development dedicated to shaping a future worth living around the world. As a public-benefit federal enterprise, GIZ supports the German Government – in particular the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) – and many public and private sector clients in achieving their objectives in international cooperation in around 120 countries.
Since 2004, GIZ has been a reliable and trusted partner of the African Union (AU) to enhance inclusive growth and sustainable development on the African continent in line with the AU’s Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want. With more than 250 staff, GIZ African Union cooperates with the AU Commission, as well as the AU’s specialised institutions and agencies, such as the Development Agency AUDA-NEPAD, at continental, regional and national level in more than 40 member states. Key areas of engagement include Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention, Governance, Sustainable Economic Growth, Health and Social Development, as well as Just Transition.
The GIZ programme “Support to the African Union on Peace, Security and Governance” (AUPSG) is commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. Based on a partnership with the African Union Commission (AUC), the programme supports the development and effective implementation of the AU’s peace, security and governance policies and instruments, thereby contributing to the aspirations of Agenda 2063 for a peaceful and prosperous continent.
Its work is organised around three fields of action. The first focuses on strengthening the institutional capacities of the AUC’s Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS), including its ability to develop and implement effective policies and to coordinate its work across relevant areas. The second focuses on structural conflict prevention, supporting African-led ap-proaches to identifying and addressing the underlying causes of conflict, strengthening early warning and prevention capacities and promoting inclusive approaches to peace and security. The third addresses the climate, peace and security agenda, supporting the AU in advancing continental priorities and strengthening coordination and implementation at regional and national levels.
Core Tasks
The position is embedded in the AUPSG programme team at the GIZ African Union office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and works in close day-to-day cooperation with the AU Commission’s Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS), the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) and further African partner institutions.
The Regional Governance, Peace and Security Advisor is responsible for the following areas:
- Advisory services to PAPS and further AUC departments on the development, communication and coherent implementation of AU peace, security and governance (PSG) policies, instruments and flagship initiatives, including the closer integration of the African Governance Architecture (AGA) and the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA);
- Advice to PAPS on organisational development and on the implementation of ongoing PSG reform processes, including improved vertical and horizontal coordination within PAPS and with further AUC departments, AU organs and the Regional Economic Communities (RECs);
- Technical and conceptual advice on the implementation of the AGA and of the AU’s new Conflict Prevention Framework including the programme’s partnership with the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) and the follow-up to governance assessments at regional and member state level;
- Support to the AU’s Women & Youth, Peace and Security (Y/WPS) agendas, including FemWise-Africa and AU mediation practice, as well as to, gender-responsive and youth-inclusive policy development incl. the Youth for Peace (Y4P) Africa Programme across the programme’s portfolio;
- Management of the programme’s cooperation with African think tanks and research institutions, including the Network of African Think Tanks for Peace (NeTT4Peace), to ensure that African expertise informs AU policy processes and responses to member state requests.
- Conception and facilitation of policy dialogue platforms and dialogue formats bringing together the AUC, RECs, member states, civil society and academia, including target-group oriented communication of AU results and lessons learned;
- Support to the PAPS agenda on artificial intelligence (AI) in governance, peace and security, including the integration of AI-related opportunities and risks into AU policy processes and analytical work;
- Ensure continuous management of own activities and areas of responsibility, including results-based monitoring and reporting, knowledge management, and communication and visibility activities in line with GIZ quality standards, while contributing to corresponding programme-wide processes.
The Regional Governance, Peace and Security Advisor performs the following tasks:
- Regularly exchange and align with PAPS and its relevant divisions and units, the AGA/APSA Secretariat, the APRM and further AUC departments on strategic advice and on the planning, preparation and implementation of joint activities, with a focus on ownership and sustainable anchoring;
- Advise PAPS on organisational development processes and change management, including the preparation and facilitation of annual strategy retreats of the PAPS leadership, the improvement of coordination between AUC departments with RECs, the follow-up to recommendations of the PSG Architecture Review and the PSG Roadmap and the design of capacity development measures for PAPS staff incl. newly appointed and female managers;
- Advise the AUC on the design, agenda setting and roll-out of thematically diverse AU policy initiatives and flagship publications on structural conflict prevention, democratic transformation and governance, including technical advice on the integration of AGA and APSA and support their uptake at continental, regional and national level;
- Advise on the cooperation with the APRM as part of the support to the implementation of the AGA and of the AU’s new Conflict Prevention Framework, including the follow-up to governance assessments and national action plans at member state level;
- Steer and quality-assure the programme’s cooperation with NeTT4Peace and further Afri-can think tanks and experts, including the commissioning of applied research, policy papers and expert advice in response to requests from the AUC.;
- Conceptualise, prepare, facilitate and document policy dialogue formats such as high-level dialogues, expert round tables, AUC-REC consultations and learning exchanges, including participant, speaker and partner coordination as well as systematic follow-up;
- Support the implementation of the AU’s Women and Youth, Peace and Security agendas, including the training of FemWise-Africa and young, female mediators, the piloting of national FemWise chapters, the implementation of FemWise workplans and the further development of AU mediation practice, the implementation of Youth for Peace (Y4P) Africa Programme workplans as well as the mainstreaming of gender-responsive and youth-inclusive approaches throughout the programme;
- Advise PAPS on the development and implementation of its agenda on artificial intelligence in governance, peace and security, including policy positioning, the responsible use of AI in analysis and reporting and the mobilisation of African and international expertise on the topic;
- Provide conceptual advice to PAPS on the development of a results-oriented monitoring and evaluation system for its own initiatives and on the related coordination between AUC departments and with the RECs;
- Steer the implementation of activities in Addis Ababa and across the African continent, including coordination with partners, contributors, local GIZ offices and other GIZ projects;
- Tendering, contracting and quality control of service providers, grant recipients and individual experts, jointly with the responsible units of the GIZ African Union office as well as other GIZ units at headquarters and in local offices;
- Contribute to effective programme management and ensure effective management of own areas of responsibility, including operational planning, results-based monitoring in line with the module’s results matrix, reporting to BMZ and the preparation of briefing notes, talking points and communication and visibility material in line with GIZ quality standards.
Where appropriate and reasonable, the position holder is willing to perform tasks outside the scope of the job description
Your Profile
Qualifications
- A Master’s degree in political science, international relations, peace and conflict studies, law, governance or a comparable field relevant to the position and subject area. A first university degree in combination with strong qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of a Master’s degree or the advanced university degree;
- Professional proficiency in English (orally and written) is required. A good working knowledge of French is a strong added advantage, given the programme’s engagement with francophone member states and Regional Economic Communities; knowledge of further AU languages (Arabic, Portuguese, Spanish, Kiswahili) is an additional asset
Professional Experience
- Minimum of 5 years of professional experience in the fields of governance, peace and security or conflict prevention, preferably with continental, regional or international organisations;
- Proven experience in policy advice to public institutions, including the drafting of policy papers, strategies and decision-making documents, and in supporting the implementation of policies at national level;
- Experience of working with or within the AU system, in particular PAPS, AGA, APRM, the AU Peace and Security Council and RECs, is a strong advantage;
- An established professional network among African think tanks, research institutions, civil society organisations and governance and peace and security practitioners is considered an as-set;
- Demonstrated experience with the Women/ Youth, Peace and Security agendas and gender-responsive and youth-inclusive programming, ideally in relation to mediation or inclusive political processes;
- Solid experience in impact-oriented project management, event organisation (including setting up and running dialogue formats, workshops and conferences, logistics and participants management), results monitoring and impact communication as well as effective stakeholder management;
- Experience and knowledge of procedures and actors in international cooperation; familiarity with German development cooperation and GIZ procedures is an added advantage;
- Experience in effectively cooperating in complex cross-cutting settings with the necessary skills in facilitation of non-hierarchical teams.
Skills
- Ability to develop and follow clear programme goals, plans and actions, including budgets, that are consistent with agreed strategies and focus on sustainable implementation, while demonstrating flexibility in adapting plans and priorities to changing circumstances and remaining conscientious in observing deadlines and achieving results.
- Excellent analytical, drafting and report writing skills, as well as planning and organisational skills, combined with the ability to work independently and self-reliantly, with an interest in staying up to date with governance, peace and security trends on the African continent, including the implications of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.
- Strong interpersonal, problem-solving and communication skills, both written and verbal, and a cooperative and supportive team spirit.
- Capacity to work under pressure in a multicultural and dynamic environment, and a demonstrated ability to initiate and promote collaborative approaches between geographically and culturally disparate partners.
- Strong sense of credibility, impartiality and unconditional discretion, with the ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and working relations both internally and externally, in a politically and culturally sensitive environment.
- Proficiency in regular communications tools and software, including but not limited to Microsoft Office tools and information dissemination platforms
GIZ is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from individuals regardless of gender, disability, race, ethnicity, religion, age, or any other protected characteristic. We embrace diversity and believe that inclusivity in the workplace is essential to our success and we are committed to creating a work environment where all employees are valued and respected.