Program Director for Kiruna 2029

Kiruna kommun · Full-time

Kiruna, Sweden

Kiruna has been designated Europe's Capital of Culture 2029! The government made this decision following a strong recommendation from the European expert jury, which selected Kiruna among Swedish candidates with the application, Movement - Below Ground. On Earth. In Space. A historic milestone for the municipality, the region, and cultural life throughout northern Sweden! Kiruna sits at the intersection of extraction and renewal, tradition and future, local narratives and cosmic horizons. Few cultural leadership roles in Europe offer this combination of artistic mandate, geopolitical relevance, and long-term structural impact. Become part of one of Europe's most significant cultural initiatives, an innovative project located in Kiruna, one of Sweden's most unique cities. 1 position(s). JOB RESPONSIBILITIES The Program Director's mission is to artistically and curatorially realize and implement the bid book's artistic vision into a cohesive and world-leading artistic program. By positioning Kiruna 2029 in the European and global cultural landscape, while ensuring high artistic standards with a focus on inclusion, sustainability, and local relevance. As Program Director, you will deliver and produce the bid book's program that is locally anchored and internationally significant, to build long-term cultural infrastructure and networks beyond 2029. The work is ongoing, and as Program Director, your role is to foster a culture of achievement, experimental spirit, and inclusion within the program team and with collaboration partners. The Program Director will contribute to risk management and scenario planning, and support monitoring, evaluation, and long-term legacy strategy. You have financial responsibility for the program budget, where sound financial management is the guiding principle. You will, together with colleagues, develop strategic partnerships in Europe and globally, collaborate with previous and upcoming Capitals of Culture, build long-term collaborations with indigenous networks, national minorities, and Arctic actors. The work is periodically intense, which requires you to manage a high pace, prioritize, and navigate complex communication situations. Key Areas of Responsibility • Artistic and curatorial leadership • International positioning and partnerships • Community and capacity building • Financial and strategic responsibility Business travel will occur, and you will represent Kiruna Municipality and Kiruna 2029 in various public contexts and in media. The role is both strategic and operational and requires presence on-site in Kiruna. Kiruna 2029 is a project organization within Kiruna Municipality that reports to its own board. After the project period, the project organization will be dissolved. QUALIFICATIONS We are looking for someone with: • Post-secondary education in art and culture or other education or work experience that the employer deems equivalent. • Curatorial vision and conceptual clarity; you have high credibility in contemporary art and culture, locally, nationally, and internationally. • Experience leading in change and the ability to build trust across sectors and target groups. • Understanding and experience of both Swedish and EU cultural policy frameworks and the ability to balance artistic freedom with public mission. • Established European and international cultural contacts, experience in cross-border and interdisciplinary collaborations. • Good knowledge of local and national art and cultural life. • Experience working with media. • We work in a bilingual environment with Swedish and English as working languages. Good English is required, and we also welcome those who are still developing their Swedish skills. • B driver's license It is a merit if you have: • Experience leading large and complex cultural programs • Knowledge of local and national political contexts • Experience working in politically governed organizations. • Interest in Arctic, indigenous, sustainability, and/or development issues • Knowledge of Sámi, Meänkieli, or Finnish As a person, you are visionary but pragmatic, collaborative and decisive. Politically aware but artistically courageous and comfortable working with complex processes. You are motivated by long-term cultural impact rather than short-term visibility. Great weight will be placed on personal suitability. This is a unique opportunity to be part of highlighting and elevating Kiruna from a European perspective. Through your work, you contribute to promoting a strong, vibrant, and inclusive narrative about a place in transition and making it accessible to our local audience and far beyond Sweden's borders. Employment Type: Fixed-term employment. Duration: 6 months or longer, start date: By agreement, project employment, ends: 2030-01-01. To work for us, you should share Kiruna Municipality's common values where respect, responsibility, and collaboration are key principles. We offer a pleasant work environment and stimulating tasks, and as an employee you get a good balance between work and leisure. We have many different benefits where you as an employee can train for free at various training facilities up to 5,000 SEK/year, we have cottages in the mountains that you can rent, we offer the opportunity to exchange salary for extra days off. We strive for even gender distribution and see diversity as a strength. We welcome employees with different backgrounds and work to make our workplaces accessible to everyone. Kiruna Municipality views full-time as a right and part-time as an option. It is a merit if you have knowledge of Finnish, Sámi, and/or Meänkieli, as Kiruna Municipality is an administrative area for these languages. Kiruna Municipality applies individual and differentiated salaries. If you advance in the recruitment process, you will be presented with a salary range relevant to you at the interview. We would like you to read information about our collective agreements, local agreements, and what we as an employer have to offer before we meet you for a possible interview. You can find them here: https://kiruna.se/naringsliv--arbete/arbeta-hos-oss/kommunen-som-arbetsgivare.html Kiruna Municipality has made a medieval prohibition for this recruitment and therefore asks that you not contact advertising sales representatives or other recruitment service providers.