Rutgers is the leading Dutch centre of expertise on sexuality. We operate nationally and internationally in about 20 countries. Together with other civil society organisations, professionals in the field and experts by experience, we advocate for positive change on issues that matter and have a major impact on people's health and lives. We work to improve sexual rights, to improve access to sexuality education and access to contraception and safe abortions, and to prevent sexual violence. We do this in various ways. Rutgers connects research, practice and advocacy. We are there for everyone, with an extra focus on young people. We speak out against injustice and for important human values, especially when they are under pressure.  

We are recruiting a:

Rutgers is proud to lead Health Happens Here, a bold new programme dedicated to strengthening health systems and advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for young people and marginalised groups in Benin, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda. Rooted in the everyday realities of young people, this four-year initiative combines research, technical support, local partnerships and innovation to create lasting impact. The programme will start in January 2026 with an inception phase, during which the groundwork is laid together with partners.

Your role

As Project Leader, you lead, plan and coordinate the implementation of this ambitious, multi-country programme within agreed timelines, budgets and quality frameworks. You will play a central role in ensuring smooth collaboration between Rutgers, in-country partners and other stakeholders. Working closely with the Portfolio Manager Health, Strategic Policy Advisor, Thematic Experts across our themes and PMEL colleagues, you will guide the project team and maintain strategic oversight from inception to delivery.

As a Project Leader, you are part of the unit Expertise & Programmes. Within this unit, we work on three focus themes (Health, Safety and Education), developing a portfolio that consists of large and smaller programs and projects both within the Netherlands and internationally.

Your responsibilities are to:

• Translate the project proposal into a detailed, phased project plan;

• Lead the realisation, rollout and implementation of the programme, including country strategies and workplans, together with internal and external partners;

• Coordinate and delegate tasks to project team members, ensuring cohesion, clarity and momentum;

• Monitor the progress and quality of the project, oversee budget management and ensure timely donor reporting;

• Maintain strong working relationships with implementation partners and ensure close coordination on joint deliverables;

• Advise on learning, improvement and risk mitigation throughout the project cycle;

• Represent Rutgers and the project at relevant (inter)national meetings and events. 

Your profile

We are looking for a strategic thinker and a practical organiser with a strong background in international SRHR programming. You excel in connecting people and know how to navigate complexity with tact and clarity. You value inclusive partnerships and believe in evidence-based, rights-based change. You combine technical project management skills with coaching skills, empathy and a sharp eye for results.

You bring:

• A higher education degree (Bachelor or Master) and extensive experience managing large-scale, international projects;

• Demonstrated ability to lead multi-stakeholder teams and navigate intercultural collaboration;

• Experience with budgeting, donor reporting and monitoring frameworks;

• Working proficiency in French, English and Dutch;

• A flexible, collaborative mindset and the ability to stay focused in a dynamic, evolving context;

• Demonstrated experience and affinity with SRHR, gender or other initiatives relating to human rights, human development and social justice.

• Experience in working in fragile or politically sensitive contexts – especially in East and West African countries – is a plus.

If you are still learning on one of these criteria, but feel you are a match, we welcome you to apply!

What we offer  

You will work in an exciting and challenging international environment, with highly motivated and passionate colleagues. Depending on knowledge and experience, the maximum salary for a 36-hour working week for a Programme Officer is minimum € 4.315 and maximum € 5.604 gross per month (FWG scale 60).

Besides the standard holiday allowance of 8.33%, you get a fixed end-of-year allowance of 8,33% and 5,5 weeks' holiday a year. We also offer ample opportunities for (paid) parental leave, discounts on sports and other vitality activities, and you can participate in the bicycle scheme. You also receive an annual balance budget, which you can use as you see fit. The collective labour agreement cao ggz applies.   

Our office is located in Utrecht, the Netherlands, but you will be working with colleagues all over the world. Most colleagues work from home for a part of the week. Since you will need to work closely with colleagues in face-to-face meetings, candidates should be based in The Netherlands.

Information and application  

We want to create a more inclusive and diverse organization that values individual differences in the workforce and ensures everyone feels welcome and safe. Do you feel attracted to this? Then we invite you to apply no later than 28 September 2025. The first round of interviews will take place in the week of 6 October. The second round of interviews will take place in the week of 13 October.  Please take this into account.

An assignment can be part of the recruitment process. We ask candidates we invite to the second round to complete an online questionnaire prior to that interview. Based on this, we draw up a personal profile that addresses competences, team roles and learning agility (the ability to learn from changes in the work environment). We discuss this during the interview.

Responding to this vacancy can only be done via the application button on this page. For additional background information on Rutgers, please consult www.rutgers.nl and www.rutgers.international.  

If you have any questions, please contact Loic Whitmore, upcoming Portfolio Manager Health, via vacatures@rutgers.nl, stating the vacancy number.   

Your personal data will be deleted six months after the end of the application procedure.   

If this is not your dream job, support Rutgers by sharing this vacancy within your network.   

Acquisition in response to this advertisement is not appreciated.