Head of External Relations, 50-60%

About the job

Head of External Relations, 50-60%

The State Chancellery is the staff office of the Government Council and supports it in fulfilling its government and leadership duties. It ensures the coordination of government affairs, provides central services for the cantonal administration, and guarantees the connection to the Cantonal Council. Furthermore, it supports the Government Council in managing external relations and representing the canton’s interests. For the areas of external relations, interest representation, and political monitoring, we are seeking as of 01.02.2027 or by agreement at the Solothurn location a Head of External Relations, 50-60%.

Your responsibilities

• You observe and assess relevant political developments and matters at the federal level as well as in the inter-cantonal environment, including significant consultation documents.
• You identify early the need for action and positioning and prepare situation assessments, briefings, and decision-making bases.
• Your tasks include handling matters in the areas of external relations, political monitoring, and interest representation, preparing the corresponding Government Council decisions, and participating in relevant projects and working groups.
• You support the State Secretary and the Government Council in external relations, prepare dossiers for conferences, committees, and delegation visits, and especially draft speeches and greetings for the State Secretary.
• Within the framework of interest representation, you maintain political and institutional networks and coordinate exchanges with the Solothurn members of the Federal Assembly.

Your profile

• You have a university or university of applied sciences degree, preferably in political science, law, public administration, or public management, or a comparable education and experience.
• Experience in the political environment or public administration as well as very good knowledge of the Swiss political system and its institutional processes are required.
• You are characterised by strong analytical, conceptual, and editorial skills as well as political acumen and strategic, networked thinking.
• With communication strength and networking competence, you move confidently at the interfaces between politics and administration and work in a team- and coordination-oriented manner.
• You work independently, structured, proactively, and flexibly and possess high discretion, loyalty, and reliability. Very good German and good French skills are required; English skills are an advantage.

Benefits.

Flexible working models

• Promotion of personal work-life balance through an annual working time model
• Part-time work, also in management
• Possibility of mobile working

• Progressive employment conditions based on a collective labour agreement
• Equal pay between men and women
• Loyalty bonuses

• 16 weeks maternity leave with full pay
• 2 weeks paternity leave
• Financial contributions to childcare

• Comprehensive range of internal and external training courses
• Collaboration with FHNW in leadership training
• Promotion of individual skills

• Flexible retirement age Attractive benefits of the internal pension fund
• 12 months continued salary payment in case of illness and a further 12 months daily sickness allowance

• Internal corporate health management
• Comprehensive advisory services on professional and personal matters
• Changing offer of impulse courses

Questions?

Yves Derendinger
State Secretary
032 627 20 21

Convinced?

We would like to fill this position without the support of external service providers. Email applications cannot be considered.