Position description
The Director of Advocacy and Communications provide strategic leadership to advance Prospera’s global advocacy strategy through high-impact advocacy, public affairs, and communications initiatives, underpinned by robust research and evidence. This role shapes the organization’s external voice, strengthens its influence on policy and funding landscapes, and ensures consistent, compelling messaging across all channels, while ensuring the strategic use of data to inform decision-making and storytelling. The Director will lead a multidisciplinary team, working closely with senior leadership, program teams, and external partners to drive systemic change and amplify the voices of our members. The role will ensure the organization’s advocacy is grounded in credible evidence and its communications are compelling, consistent, and impactful.
Key Responsibilities:
Strategic Leadership
- Develop and implement an integrated Advocacy, Communications, and Research strategy and workplan, aligned with the organization’s strategic framework.
- Advise the Executive Director on public positioning, policy opportunities, communications and research priorities, and reputational risks.
- Serve as a member of the Executive Team (ET), including contributing to broader organizational decision-making and leadership.
- Ensure advocacy priorities are evidence-based and responsive to emerging opportunities and threats.
- Monitors and oversees the team’s budget.
Advocacy & Public Affairs
- Lead the design and execution of advocacy initiatives to engage and influence Prospera’s key audiences.
- Build and maintain relationships with policymakers, funders, members, coalitions, and allies.
- Oversee engagement with members on advocacy, research and communications.
- Oversee the preparation of policy briefs, position papers, and public statements informed by research.
- Represent the organization in high-level meetings, conferences, media engagements, and in joint initiatives.
Strategic Communications
- Develop a clear organizational narrative and messaging architecture that integrates data and evidence.
- Oversee media relations, brand management, content production, and digital engagement.
- Supervise the creation of publications, reports, and multimedia content that combine storytelling with credible evidence.
- Ensure rapid-response protocols are in place for timely, coordinated messaging during crises.
Research, Data, and Evidence
- Directly supervise the Research and Advocacy Manager to ensure high-quality data collection, analysis, and visualization.
- Ensure research and data are translated into advocacy messages and communications products.
- Oversee production of evidence-based reports, fact sheets, and knowledge products for internal and external audiences.
- Strengthen systems for data-driven decision-making across the organization.
Team Leadership & Capacity Building
- Manage and mentor the Advocacy, Research and Communications team, including line and team management.
- Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performance culture.
- Provide training and coaching to relevant staff and partners to enhance advocacy, communications, and data literacy skills.
Monitoring, Learning, and Accountability
- Set performance indicators for advocacy, communications, and research functions, integrating them with the organization’s MEL framework.
- Track and report on influence, reach, and impact using both qualitative and quantitative metrics.
- Uphold ethical standards, safeguarding principles, and cultural sensitivity in all external engagements.
Qualifications
Required:
- Bachelor's or master's degree in public policy, Law, International Relations, Communications, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
- At least 8–10 years of progressively responsible experience in advocacy, strategic communications, or public affairs, nonprofit or social impact sector / for social justice movement and/or networks.
- At least 5 years of experience of team and people management.
- Strong knowledge of development cooperation debates, feminist funding discussions, and feminist philanthropy.
- Demonstrated success in influencing funders’ policies and practices.
- Proven experience leading integrated advocacy, research and communications strategies.
- Excellent writing, editing, and public speaking skills.
- Excellent command of English; additional language skills (Spanish, French) are an asset
- Ability to navigate complex political and cultural contexts with diplomacy.
- Ability to travel up to 30%.
Preferred:
- Knowledge and / or experience of working with US or European Philanthropy.
- Experience in working for an international organization and / or network.
- Experience of working within an Executive Team.
Working Conditions:
- This is a remote role with flexibility in office location (e.g. home-office, co-working space…etc.).
- 35 hours weekly, Monday to Thursday with required flexibility to accommodate different time-zones across the team and for the network engagement
Application instructions
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