Senior Program Officer working on Ceasefire Mediation

The Center for Security Studies (CSS) at ETH Zurich is a center of competence for Swiss and international security policy. It offers security policy expertise in research, teaching, and consultancy.

The CSS Think Tank serves as an important link between academia and practitioners in the field of security policy and as a point of contact and reference for the wider public.

Our CSS Mediation Support Team facilitates efforts to negotiate, mediate and transform violent political conflicts by conducting research, providing training and directly supporting those engaged in peace practice and conflict transformation processes. We are seeking someone to work as senior researcher / senior program officer in our “Ceasefire Mediation” project, which is a joint project of the CSS ETH Zurich and the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD), funded by the EU.

The successful candidate will be involved in the ceasefire mediation project at the CSS ETH Zurich. The project aims to reduce violence and build peace by strengthening ceasefire mediation practice. It seeks to enhance conflict actors’ and third parties’ (local, national, and international) capacity to prepare, negotiate, mediate and implement ceasefires. Tasks include: applied research, project management, organizing and running workshops with actors in conflict contexts and third parties (e.g. the UN) related to ceasefires. The project will entail close collaboration with the ceasefire team at HD.

You will have a relevant PhD or equivalent work experience, as well as five years of mediation/mediation support, project management and applied research experience related to ceasefires and peace mediation. You are a curious, cooperative, independent personality with strong organizational and interpersonal skills. Experience of working and living in conflict contexts, as well as process support work and editing applied research publications, is an asset. The CSS is a multi-lingual working environment, so proficiency in English is required. At least one Swiss national language is an asset. Work experience in international organizations or think tanks related to the topic would be an advantage.

We offer the opportunity to develop ceasefire mediation expertise and mediation support skills and expertise, within the environment of a university-based think tank working on security and peace issues, in close collaboration with HD and the EU.

The position is non-permanent: The term of appointment is until April 2026 and may be renewed if there is funding and it fits the candidate’s career path, as well as the needs of the CSS.

We offer a workplace in the center of Zurich with attractive working conditions. Further training and the ability to develop your own applied research and process support related to ceasefire mediation with access to different publication formats are part of the career development and are central elements of our personnel policy.