Regional Policy and Advocacy Lead, East Africa

Position description

***Priority will be given to candidates with the legal right to work in the country of posting.***

Background/IRC Summary:

The IRC has been present in East Africa (EA) since the 1980s and is currently operating in Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, and Uganda. The IRC in East Africa implements programs in emergency, humanitarian, and development contexts. As an organization and within EA, the IRC uses its influence and raises the voice of our clients to effect meaningful change.

Job Overview / Summary:

The Regional Policy and Advocacy Lead is a key member of IRC East Africa’s regional senior management team, charged with developing and coordinating regional policy positions, strategically positioning IRC on key humanitarian policy debates and raising its profile locally and internationally.S/he oversees the development of appropriate, coherent and compelling policy analysis and messaging at local, national and international levels, to influence the policies or practices of key actors and enhance the impact and increasing the coverage of IRC’s work.

As a member of the regional team, s/he will work closely with country programs throughout the region to provide targeted support in developing local advocacy and policy solutions and building the capacity of country program teams to advocate on priority issues in their contexts.

Reporting to the Deputy Regional Director, s/he works closely with the Global Policy & Solutions, Advocacy & Influence teams, as well as Marketing and Mobilization colleagues. The position is based in Nairobi with travel in the region, and as needed to the US, Europe, and elsewhere.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Overall Strategy:

• In close coordination with the Deputy Regional Director and Regional Vice President, lead the development and implementation of policy and advocacy strategy for the region.
• In close coordination with the global Policy and Advocacy Team and the Mobilization and Marketing team, contribute to and support the implementation of organizational strategies.
• Ensure the East Africa strategy and organizational strategies are aligned and ladder onto each other.
• Build and maintain relationships with diverse organizations and individuals to develop networks and increase collective impact. In particular, liaise with the Inter-Agency Working Group (IAWG) and other coordination bodies as required.

2. Advocacy and Policy:

• Develop and drive policy and advocacy messages and products for in-country, regional and international stakeholders and policymakers, ensuring that field priorities and perspectives are integrated, working in collaboration with advocacy colleagues in the United States, United Kingdom, and Europe.
• Using real-time, credible data, facilitate the development and implementation of influencing strategies and policies within the region in coordination with country programs and regional team, ensuring consistency in messaging and information flow from the local to global arena;
• Coordinate and support the policy work of country-level advocacy and policy staff and program staff, providing training when necessary and ensuring that country-focused information and materials are widely disseminated within the organization, as well as with relevant external stakeholders.
• Support the development of policy and advocacy material for regional and headquarters use, including talking points, briefing notes, position papers, and advocacy reports.
• Ensure that country priorities are integrated into appropriate strategy documents and plans.
• Provide policy review for organization positions and materials related to key issues in East Africa.
• Represent the IRC in regional fora, and develop or strengthen networks/alliances to push forward topics of shared concern within the humanitarian community -bridging understanding of key issues from the local/national, to regional, to global level;
• Act as IRC spokesperson on advocacy issues where appropriate and take part in relevant country and international policy/advocacy fora as guided by key stakeholders
• Provide analysis and produce content for executive and regional leadership and ensure the Deputy Regional Director and Regional Vice President are briefed on all relevant policy developments.
• Work closely with policy, advocacy, and communications staff in Washington DC, New York, London, and Brussels, sharing the strategy and other information to ensure regional and country program perspectives are reflected in policy development and advocacy approaches on crisis response, food security, forced displacement/refugee inclusion, civilian protection, and humanitarian access.
• Support to multi-country programs and qualitative research projects within the region to ensure that advocacy themes are shaped by new evidence being generated.
• Serve as regional focal point/advisor in the development of the IRC’s Emergency Watchlist and other high-profile policy products. Help ensure the analysis is informed by the experience of our clients and programs and the insights of local CSO.

Qualifications

• University degree in Communications, Marketing, International Affairs, Policy & Advocacy, Political Science, or any other relevant field. A master's degree is preferred.
• At least ten years of increasingly responsible professional experience responding to complex humanitarian crises and/or post-conflict situations, with a track record of delivering change through highly impactful policy, advocacy, and communications strategies.
• Demonstrated creativity, ability to apply innovative thinking, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent analytical, presentation, communication, and writing skills.
• Superb interpersonal, communication, relationship-building, and negotiation skills.
• Ability to respond to multiple priorities in a timely manner, producing high-quality outcomes.
• Ability to navigate interpersonal and inter-departmental organizational dynamics to keep focus on goals and products.
• Culturally sensitive, able, and interested in working with a multi-ethnic team.
• Strong commitment to the IRC’s mission, purpose, and values.
• Must be able to work independently with minimal supervision, while being a team player.
• A keen understanding of political complexities in the East Africa region is required. Previous experience working in East Africa is strongly preferred.
• Ambition and drive to ensure IRC is viewed as a leading NGO working in the East Africa region.
• Fluency in English (written and spoken) is essential.
• Must be willing to travel to remote sites under challenging conditions.
• Ability to work well in unstable security environments, and under significant. administrative and programmatic pressures.

Positions Reports to: Deputy Regional Director, East Africa with a dotted line to the Director of Program Advocacy and Engagement role.

Key working relationships:

• Internal: Regional Vice President; East Africa regional management team; East Africa Country Directors; Global advocacy and policy staff; global communications staff with close coordination with the Associate Director of Global Communication; HQ staff as appropriate.
• External: Public and private donor agencies, international and national NGOs, UN agencies, national and foreign governments, regional and international media representatives.

IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status or disability.

Application instructions

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