1. BACKGROUND TO THE PRINCIPLES FOR PEACE

The Principles for Peace Foundation (P4P) is an independent organisation that seeks to reset how peace is built, measured and supported. Guided by the Principles for Peace, P4P works along two strategic pillars.

The first pillar focuses on country accompaniment. P4P supports governments, national actors and coalitions to design and implement legitimate and inclusive peace arrangements and reconciliation processes.

The second pillar focuses on global architecture and tools. P4P develops and deploys methodologies, Simulations, peace and the Peace Navigator, an AI powered measurement platform, and uses them to inform policy, decision making and practice.

P4P operates as a nimble, high performing team that works in a consulting style talent pool. Staff are organised into task teams under the leadership of thematic leads and work across assignments rather than in fixed silos.

2. ROLE SUMMARY

The Senior Lead, Country Support and Accompaniment is a key member of P4P’s senior programme and policy team. The role leads the design and expansion of P4P country engagements and multi country platforms and anchors strategic partnerships that enable this work.

The Senior Lead works closely with the Executive Director to translate the strategic plan into concrete country portfolios, pipeline and delivery. This includes business development, country scoping, engagement with governments and partners, and the design and management of programmes that apply P4P tools and approaches.

The role combines strategic leadership, partnership-building, business development and hands-on delivery. The Senior Lead manages task teams, travels regularly to the field, engages with senior officials and local partners, and ensures that ideas are turned into operational initiatives.

3. KEY RESPONSABILITIES

Strategic leadership and country expansion

• Work with the Executive Director and management team to shape and implement P4P’s country accompaniment pillar in line with the strategic plan.
• Lead scoping and opportunity analysis for new country and regional engagements, including political mapping and partner consultation.
• Design country support portfolios that bring together P4P tools, evidence and convening capacities in a coherent offer to governments and partners.
• Oversee the start up of new engagements, from initial missions and consultations through to agreed workplans, governance arrangements and delivery models.

Business development and partnerships

• Business development for new country accompaniment and related multi country initiatives, in close coordination with the Management Team
• Identify and cultivate relationships with key partners, including governments, multilateral institutions, foundations, and national organisations.
• Shape and review concept notes, proposals, and budgets for donors and partners, ensuring they are strategic, credible and feasible.

Help position P4P as a trusted convenor and technical partner in priority regions and on selected thematic agendas.

Programme design and delivery

• Set up and oversee workplans, milestones, roles and responsibilities for task teams.
• Ensure that monitoring, learning and adaptation are built into all engagements, and that insights are captured and fed back into strategy.
• Anticipate and manage delivery risks, including political sensitivities, operational constraints and partner expectations.

Team leadership and talent pool management

• Help shape and manage task teams within P4P’s talent pool, including allocation of staff and oversight of their work on country assignments.
• Provide day to day leadership and mentoring to programme managers and officers working on related projects.
• Foster a culture of initiative, accountability and collaboration across teams and functions.
• Contribute to recruitment, onboarding and development of staff and consultants who are part of the talent pool.

Representation and strategic engagement

• Represent P4P in high level meetings with governments, donors and partners at country, regional and global level, as agreed with the Executive Director.
• Lead or support missions to fragile and conflict affected contexts, including consultations, workshops and political dialogues.
• Prepare and deliver briefings, speaking notes and strategic messages on country accompaniment and P4P’s broader work.
• Stand in for the Executive Director on selected files and meetings when requested.

Organisational development

• Contribute to the refinement of P4P’s country accompaniment methodology, including the use of the Peace Navigator and peacegaming.
• Help strengthen internal systems, processes and ways of working that support a high pace, agile and integrated organisation.
• Work closely with the communications lead to ensure that key lessons and stories from country work are captured and communicated.

4. QUALIFICATIONS

• Advanced university degree.
• At least ten years of progressively responsible experience in peacebuilding, governance or related international policy fields, with a strong focus on country level work in fragile or conflict affected settings.
• Proven record of designing and leading complex programmes or country portfolios, including engagement with governments, multilateral partners and national actors.
• Strong experience in business development, including identification of opportunities, relationship building, and preparation of high quality proposals and budgets.
• Demonstrated capacity to operate in a dynamic and high pace environment, manage several workstreams at once and deliver to tight deadlines while maintaining quality.
• Experience leading and managing diverse teams and consultants, including in matrix or pooled structures with multiple reporting lines.
• Strong partnership skills, including the ability to build trust with senior officials and local actors and to navigate politically sensitive issues with sound judgement and discretion.
• Willingness and ability to travel frequently, including to fragile and conflict affected contexts, in line with security and duty of care arrangements.
• Excellent analytical and writing skills, with the ability to synthesise complex information into clear options and messages for decision makers.
• Excellent command of English, written and spoken. Knowledge of French or Arabic is a strong asset.
• Eligibility to work in Switzerland. Candidates must be Swiss, EU or EFTA nationals or hold a valid work permit that allows them to work in Switzerland.

5. CONDITIONS OF SERVICE

Conditions of service, including salary, pension and leave, are in line with P4P’s established framework and will be shared with shortlisted candidates. They reflect the responsibilities of the role, conditions in the local labour market and P4P’s commitment to internal equity and responsible use of resources.

6. WORKING WITH P4P

P4P offers a setting where a small team works on issues of global significance with governments, multilateral institutions and local partners. The Senior Lead, Country Accompaniment and Partnerships will have an opportunity to shape and grow P4P’s country work and to contribute directly to the organisation’s strategic direction.

P4P values diversity and is committed to gender equality. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds who meet the requirements of the role and are motivated to contribute to our mission.

7. HOW TO APPLY

Candidates are invited to submit a cover letter and CV, along with one relevant writing sample and contact details for referees, to hr@principlesforpeace.org by 28 December 2026.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.