Political Analyst - GIZ

Salary band:

4

Political Analyst

Professional

4T

Job Profile

1. Required qualifications, competences, and experience

Qualifications

• University degree in Political Science, International Relations, Security Studies, Conflict Studies, or a related field. Proficiency with MS 365; experience with data visualization or analytical tools (e.g. PowerBI) is an asset.

Professional experience

• Minimum 5 years of experience in political or security analysis, preferably in conflict or post-conflict settings.
• Experience working with international development, humanitarian, or multilateral organizations.
• Demonstrated familiarity with development programming, conflict sensitivity, and donor policy environments, combined with strong contextual knowledge and professional information networks.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills; ability to translate complex political/security issues into actionable insights.
• Proven experience producing written political, conflict, and gender analyses for operational and policy use.
• Proven ability to review, quality-assure, and strengthen analytical products produced by others.
• Excellent communication skills – both verbal and written – including preparation of high-level briefing materials and speaking points.
• Strong understanding of global and regional geopolitical dynamics and their relevance for international development cooperation.
• Experience with stakeholder mapping, scenario planning, and risk forecasting.
• Ability to work across departments and cultures with diplomacy and sensitivity.
• High level of discretion, reliability, and professional judgment.
• Professional proficiency in English and Arabic is required. Proficiency in French is an asset. B2-level proficiency in German (spoken and written) is an asset; certification or demonstration of this level may be requested during the selection process.

2. Responsibilities

The Political and Security Analyst provides high-quality political, conflict, and security analysis to inform senior management decision-making, programme design, institutional risk management, and strategic positioning in complex operating environments. The role includes regular context monitoring, political economy analysis, and coordination of peace/conflict and gender assessments across sectors. The Analyst works with different units of the Country Office, mainly Country Management, the Portfolio Management Unit (PFMU) and the Security Risk Management Office (SRMO) as well as different projects implemented by GIZ.

In this context, the position holder fulfils the following tasks:

3. Tasks

1. Political and Security Analysis

• Monitor political, conflict, and security trends in countries and regions of operation.
• Conduct regular political economy and geopolitical analyses relevant to operations and institutional positioning.
• Produce timely analytical reports, strategic briefings, and risk assessments for internal stakeholders.
• Develop scenario analysis and forward-looking forecasts to inform strategic and operational decision-making and assess the potential impact of political, security, or international developments.
• Contribute to early warning systems and scenario planning processes.

2. Strategic Planning and Advisory Support

• Provide political and security insights for strategic planning, country strategies, and risk management frameworks.
• Advise country and sector teams on conflict-sensitive and politically informed project design.
• Support integration of political context analysis into sectoral approaches.

3. Cross-Cutting Analytical and Communications Support

• Conduct structured information collection and analysis from diverse sources (including local, regional, and international media, expert networks, and internal reporting) to maintain an up-to-date understanding of political and security dynamics.
• Coordinate and contribute to Peace and Conflict Assessments (PCAs) and gender-related assessments across relevant sectors (e.g., governance, livelihoods, health, education, climate).
• Review and assure the quality of internal analytical products, ensuring contextual accuracy, analytical rigor, and consistency with institutional guidelines.
• Prepare high-level speaking points, strategic briefs, and policy narratives for management and other relevant stakeholders.

Other duties/additional tasks

The position holder

• Assumes other tasks at the request of the direct supervisor.

GIZ profile: As a provider of international cooperation services for sustainable development and international education work, we are dedicated to building a future worth living around the world. GIZ has over 50 years of experience in a wide variety of areas, including economic development and employment, energy and the environment, and peace and security. The diverse expertise of our federal enterprise is in demand around the globe, with the German Government, European Union institutions, the United Nations, the private sector and governments of other countries all benefiting from our services. We work with businesses, civil society actors and research institutions, fostering successful interaction between development policy and other policy fields and areas of activity. The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) is our main commissioning party.