Program Manager for Kiruna 2029

Kiruna has been appointed European Capital of Culture 2029! The government has made the decision following a strong recommendation from the European expert jury, which selected Kiruna among the Swedish candidates with the application, Movement - Below Ground. On Earth. In Space.

A historic step for both the municipality, the region, and the cultural life in the whole of northern Sweden!

Kiruna is located at the intersection of extraction and regrowth, tradition and future, local stories 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 endeavors, an innovative project located in Kiruna, one of Sweden's most unique cities.

1 position(s).

DUTIES

The Program Manager'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, as well as ensuring a high artistic level with a focus on inclusion, sustainability, and local relevance.

As Program Manager, you will deliver and produce the bid-book's program, which is locally anchored and internationally relevant, to build long-term cultural infrastructure and networks beyond 2029.

The work is ongoing, and as Program Manager, your role will be to promote a culture of achievement, experimental desire, and inclusion within the program team and with collaborative partners.

The Program Manager shall contribute to risk management and scenario planning, as well as support follow-up, evaluation, and long-term legacy strategy. You have financial responsibility regarding the program budget, where good financial management is guiding.

Together with colleagues, you will develop strategic partnerships in Europe and globally, collaborate with former and upcoming capitals of culture, and build long-term collaborations with indigenous networks, national minorities, and Arctic actors. The work is periodically intensive, which requires you to be able to handle a high tempo, prioritize, and navigate in complex communicative situations.

Main responsibilities

• Artistic and curatorial leadership
• International positioning and partnerships
• Community and capacity building
• Economic and strategic responsibility

Business travel occurs, and you will represent Kiruna kommun and Kiruna 2029 in various public contexts and in the media. The role is both strategic and operational and requires presence on-site in Kiruna.

Kiruna 2029 is a project organization within Kiruna kommun that reports to its own committee. After the project period, the project organization will be disbanded.

QUALIFICATIONS

We are looking for you who have:

• A post-secondary degree in the field of art and culture or other education or professional experience that the employer deems equivalent.
• Curatorial vision and conceptual clarity; you have high credibility within contemporary art and culture, locally, nationally, and internationally.
• Experience of leading through change as well as the ability to build trust cross-sectorally and across target groups.
• Understanding of and experience with both Swedish and EU cultural policy frameworks and the ability to balance artistic freedom with public mandates.
• Established European and international cultural contacts, experience of cross-border and interdisciplinary collaborations.
• Good knowledge of the local and national art and cultural life.
• Experience participating in the media.
• We work in a bilingual environment with Swedish and English as working languages. Good English is required, and we also welcome you who are still developing your Swedish skills.
• B-driver's license

It is meritorious if you have:

• Experience of leading large and complex cultural programs
• Knowledge of local and national political contexts
• Experience of working in a politically controlled organization.
• Interest in Arctic, indigenous, sustainability, and/or development issues
• Knowledge of Samiska, Meänkieli, or Finnish

As a person, you are visionary yet pragmatic, collaborative, and decisive. Politically aware but artistically brave and comfortable working with complex processes. You are motivated by long-term cultural impact rather than short-term visibility.

Great importance will be placed on personal suitability.

This is a unique opportunity to be part of making Kiruna visible and elevating it from a European perspective. Through your work, you contribute to promoting a strong, living, and inclusive narrative of a place in change and making it accessible to our local audience and far beyond Sweden's borders.

Type of employment: Fixed-term employment. Duration: 6 months or longer, start date: By agreement, project employment, ends: 2030-01-01 .

To work with us, you must share Kiruna kommun's common values, where respect, responsibility, and collaboration are the keywords.

We offer a pleasant working environment and stimulating tasks, and as an employee, you will get a good balance between work and leisure.

We have many different benefits where you as an employee can train free of charge at various fitness facilities up to 5000 SEK/year, we have mountain cabins that you can rent, and we offer the possibility to trade salary for extra leave days.

We strive for an even gender distribution and see diversity as a strength; we welcome employees from different backgrounds and work to ensure our workplaces are accessible to everyone. Kiruna kommun sees full-time as a right and part-time as an opportunity. It is meritorious if you have knowledge in Finnish, Samiska, and/or Meänkieli, as Kiruna kommun is an administrative area for these languages.

Kiruna kommun applies individual and differentiated salaries. If you proceed in the recruitment process, you will be presented with a salary range relevant to you during 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 potential interview; you can find them here: https://kiruna.se/naringsliv--arbete/arbeta-hos-oss/kommunen-som-arbetsgivare.html

Kiruna kommun has made a media ban for this recruitment and therefore asks us to decline contact from advertising sellers or other sellers of recruitment services.