The Danish Embassy in Pretoria is looking for a new Senior Trade Advisor in Project Development

The Danish Embassy is part of the Danish Foreign Service. The Embassy handles bilateral relations between Denmark and South Africa. The Embassy also covers 8 other countries in the region. The Embassy employs 40 staff members, is headed by Ambassador Karin Poulsen and comprises - apart from the Economic Diplomacy team - an Operations and Sustainability team, a Strategic Sector Cooperation team, a Political Team and a Consular Team. For more information, please visit https://sydafrika.um.dk.

More about the position

The Royal Danish Embassy in Pretoria is looking for a dynamic new Senior Trade Advisor at the Embassy.

The Trade Advisor will be working in the Economic Diplomacy Team (ED) and report to the Head of Trade at the Embassy. The ED team is responsible for assisting Danish companies on the South African market and attracting private sector investments into South Africa and to some extent the SADC region Currently the ED team has a strong engagement in food & agriculture, water & environment, renewable energy sources and energy efficiency. The ED team is growing and currently comprises the team leader, three senior trade advisors and an intern.

Our new colleague will focus on developing projects within our focus sectors, bridging Danish trade and investment with initiatives funded by Danish development assistance. In particular you will match Danish companies with projects generated by the Embassy’s strategic sector cooperation in the focus sectors and will engage Danish companies in EU Global Gateway programmes and generally follow the EU trade and investment portfolio in South Africa and to some extent the SADC region. The role of the Senior Trade Adviser on project development will be to coordinate a “whole of” Embassy approach towards implementation of a range of concrete and tangible projects in our common Embassy portfolio.

Main tasks and responsibilities

You will be assigned a range of projects that you are to further and make sure are implemented. A robust work experience in relevant industries and a good network among South African public and private stakeholders is, therefore, a strong advantage.

You will have an annual activity hour target, working on consultancy basis for Danish companies. A high level of independency, feeling of responsibility and drive is thus needed to succeed in the position. You are responsible for reaching your targets; namely together with the team to identify market possibilities and projects and secure engagement from Danish companies. The projects you implement should deliver strong value to involved companies. You will be evaluated on the size and quality of the projects you deliver. Focus will be on creating export possibilities for Danish suppliers of technology and know-how. It is therefore a requirement that your approach to work is structured and that you possess strong skills within sales and services as well as some degree of technical understanding within project development.

Required qualifications and experience

• A Master's degree in Economics, Business, Project Development, Finance, or similar.
• Min. 5 years of relevant working experience, i.e. from relevant industries or in other private sector entities focusing on business and project development.
• Knowledge of Denmark and Danish companies is an advantage.
• Knowledge of EU programmes and trade and investment in South Africa is an advantage.
• Knowledge about the South African market and its economic development.
• Willingness to travel abroad and locally - on a potentially frequent basis.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and be able to work independently, efficiently and take initiative.
• Applicants must also be able to work as part of a team, have strong analytical, problem-solving and networking skills, results-orientation, pro-activeness and work well under pressure.
• You must have SA nationality or hold a valid residence and working permit.
• Valid driver’s license.
• Excellent writing ability and verbal communication skills in English.
• The applicant must have a clean criminal record and obtain a Police Clearance Certificate from your residing country; the Danish Ministry will also perform a background check.

We offer

• An exciting, inter-cultural and dynamic work environment with a wide range of diverse tasks;
• Great opportunities for further development of your professional and personal competences;
• A large degree of independence;

• An informal workspace, where we care about each other’s well-being.

Employment conditions

• You will be offered a 2-year fixed term local contract with the possibility of extension. The contract will be based on the relevant legally binding labour market rules of South Africa.
• 3-month probation period.
• Your standard working hours will be 37 hours per week.
• You will be entitled to 25 working days of paid holiday per full calendar year.
• You will receive a competitive base salary. Additional allowances might be agreed based on your qualifications, relevant experience and proven work-related results in accordance with the Danish Embassy’s salary policy.
• As part of your salary, you will be covered by health insurance covering standard level sickness expenses with the Embassy paying 80% of the insurance premium including a shared UIF contribution and a 5% private pension contribution.

Application and recruitment process

To apply for the position, please submit your application ( motivational letter, CV, proof of relevant education, recommendations and 2-3 references) via www.PNET.co.za no later than July 17th 2026.

The Embassy attaches great importance to equal opportunities for all and therefore welcomes applications from all qualified persons regardless of race, sex, religion, age or disability.

Selected candidates will be invited for interviews that are expected to take place in late July. Only candidates called for interview can expect to receive a reply to their application.

Questions

For any questions regarding the position, please contact Head of Trade Jens Thomsen ***email_hidden*** with Ambassador Karin Poulsen cc. via her PA [email protected].