Head of Division for Regions and Democracy in the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Interior

Are you our new department head who will lead the work with large parts of the state’s governance in the welfare areas and the electoral area? A leader who, with engagement and strong professional expertise, is driven by leading a team of skilled employees in carrying out tasks including democracy and the health area.

You will become part of our top management, which sets goals and direction for a ministry that plays a central role in the planning of the government’s economic and domestic policy.

About the position

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Interior has, among other things, the overall responsibility to ensure good framework conditions for municipalities and regions, the annual negotiations on municipalities’ and regions’ economy, as well as monitoring and governance of the decentralized sector’s structure and economy. In addition, the ministry is the supreme supervisory authority for municipalities and regions and responsible for national elections and referendums, where the ministry is the supreme authority.

As department head you will, among other things, have the overall responsibility for the ministry’s work with the governance of the regional area’s structures and economy, including the annual economic agreements with the regions, the municipal and regional legal governance, the framework for municipalities and regions’ tasks, including supervision, and the electoral area.

You will lead a department consisting of skilled and engaged employees and managers. There will be close collaboration on professional tasks with the department’s other department heads. You will have a close collaborative interface to other ministries as well as to municipalities and regions and their organizations.

You will in this regard,

• take a central role in driving the ministry’s policy areas, which among other things include ensuring fair and equal elections
• be the primary advisor to the Minister of Economy and the Interior in connection with large parts of the interior area
• ensure close coordination with other ministries and particularly KL and Danske Regioner
• lead the ministry’s Center for Democracy and the Office for Structure and Governance, where you set the direction together with the office heads. At the same time you will work closely with the department head for Municipalities and Welfare Analysis and related offices.
• work on development and well-being together with the department’s skilled, professionally strong and motivated staff and managers

You will be part of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Interior’s top management, where you, together with the Secretary General and three other department heads, handle the overall leadership and development of the Ministry. We lead as a team and adjust our task distribution in leadership when relevant. It is therefore essential that you have an interest in economic and domestic policy in a broad sense and are prepared to take on broader leadership tasks in the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Interior also outside the domestic policy area.

About us

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Interior plays a central role for the government’s economic and domestic policy.

We are a small ministry with about 130 employees, which has the remit for a number of defined but heavy tasks in the economic and domestic policy area, and which supports the minister’s participation in the government cooperation in the broadest sense.

The culture is informal with close collaboration across offices and departments. Our employee well-being is high, which we see as a prerequisite for high performance. We place great emphasis on offering our employees good development opportunities – both professionally and personally.

Our values are ambition, a holistic approach and integrity. We strive for the values not to be slogans but to be daily lived in the organization.

About you

We are looking for an analytical and strategic profile with extensive knowledge and insight into the decentralized sector and experience with state governance of it. You must have a strong leadership profile and solid experience as a leader, have decisive influence, and be able to represent the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Interior in negotiations and forums at the highest civil service level.

We also want a department head with great engagement and good collaboration skills, who is capable of creating a good work environment and leading, inspiring and developing the department’s staff and office heads.

We place particular emphasis on that you have

• in-depth experience with the decentralized sector, including especially the regions’ areas
• solid experience with political decision-making processes and also preferably ministerial service
• qualities enabling strategic prioritization, decision-making and creating visible results
• leadership experience and well-developed leadership competencies, including the ability to set goals, direction and communicate clearly about it
• a motivating leadership style with a strong focus on developing managers and employees and creating high-quality results through others
• strong abilities to build good relationships both internally and externally.

Employment terms

The position is classified in salary band 39. Salary and terms of employment are negotiated according to the framework agreement on the appointment of managers in the state with placement in salary grade 3. The position is desired to be filled on a permanent basis under collective agreement terms.

It is a condition for employment that you can be security cleared at the appropriate level and subsequently maintain the security clearance throughout your period of employment.

Further information

If you want to know more about the position, you are welcome to contact the Secretary General Stig Henneberg via the Secretary to the Secretary Charlotte Klitgaard Samsson at tel.: 2495 6906 or email: [email protected].

Expected start date January 1, 2027.

Application

We look forward to receiving your application with CV, academic transcripts and any attachments via the “Search for the job” button no later than 28 October 2026.

We see diversity as a strength and encourage all interested candidates regardless of personal background to apply. We look forward to reading your application.