Advocacy Senior Manager - ProSPINE+ at International Rescue Committee (IRC)

Requisition ID: req17185
Location: Maiduguri, Borno

Sector: Advocacy & Government Affairs
Employment Category: Fixed Term
Open to Expatriates: No

Job Description

• The International Rescue Committee, one of the world’s largest humanitarian agencies, provides relief, rehabilitation, and post-conflict reconstruction support to victims of natural disaster, oppression, and violent conflict in over 40 countries. The IRC is committed to bold leadership, innovation, and creative partnerships. Active in public health, education, livelihoods, women's empowerment, youth development, and protection and promotion of rights, IRC assists people from harm to home.
• IRC entered Nigeria in October 2012 in response to a widespread flood disaster. Since then, the IRC has expanded its scope and size of the programs in Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe States. The IRC’s response to the humanitarian situation includes integrated health and nutrition services, reproductive health care and women protection services, Environmental Health, Child Protection, Economic Recovery and Development, Education, General Protection, and community-based disaster preparedness.
• The country program will develop a new strategic plan in the first half of 2021. IRC’s programming in Northeast Nigeria is supported by a team of more than 700 staff.  Together, we aim to provide the best possible impact for some of the most vulnerable children, women, and men. In all that we do, IRC strives to deliver through IRC’s core values of Integrity, Accountability, Service and Equality. This new role is at the heart of that challenge.

Job Overview / Summary

• The Consortium is looking to develop relevant, evidence-based and impactful advocacy in order to raise awareness to the situation of civilians - including internally displaced persons (IDPs) - in northeast Nigeria, and ultimately to improve the protection environment, enjoyment of human rights and a durable solution to their displacement. The Consortium’s advocacy material and activities will therefore highlight the needs of those individuals and communities affected by conflict and crisis, the Consortium’s response and related challenges and opportunities in the partners’ areas of operations.
• This position is based in Maiduguri, Borno State, and directly reports to ProSPINE Consortium Senior Coordinator. The Advocacy Senior Manager is responsible for coordinating, supporting and monitoring the policy and advocacy deliverables produced by ProSPINE+ partners in accordance with the Consortium’s commitments.
• The Advocacy Senior Manager will work closely with ProSPINE partners, the Protection Sector NGO Co-Lead, IRC’s HQ protection and advocacy teams, as well as IRC Nigeria’s senior management and key program and operations staff.

Major Responsibilities

• Closely monitor humanitarian and operational developments in northeast Nigeria, identifying relevant actors, entry points and opportunities in order to highlight protection concerns, influence policies and practices, mitigate these concerns and promote a coordinated and effective response.
• Support ProSPINE partners in the development of advocacy plan, clearly outlining the Consortium’s priorities and division of labour between its partners, taking into account both opportunities and potential safety and operational risks.
• Support ProSPINE+ partners’ in generating and collecting relevant evidence that would facilitate policy and advocacy deliverables. Collate, analyze and disseminate the information received as appropriate, in line with the Consortium’s advocacy plan.
• Coordinate and produce, in consultation with ProSPINE+ partners, high quality public and private policy and advocacy materials, including submissions to local authorities and to the humanitarian leadership, reports, briefing notes, policy briefs, presentations, talking points and training material.
• Act as the policy and advocacy focal point for communications with ProSPINE+ partners and coordinate as necessary with Consortium partners and other protection and advocacy actors, in particular the Protection Sector in Northeast Nigeria and the INGO Forum, to ensure consistent and harmonized advocacy efforts.
• Represent ProSPINE+ partners in humanitarian coordination forums, advocacy meetings, conferences and other events as requested.

Key Working Relationships:

• Position Reports to: Senior Consortium Coordinator
• Position directly supervises: N/A
• Indirect Reporting:  Deputy Director of Programmes
• Other Internal and/or external contacts: describe the nature of departments or groups the position influences or requires support from to accomplish objectives.

Internal:

• Protection Cluster Co-lead, Protection & Rule of Law Coordinator, WPE Coordinator, Child Protection Coordinator, Consortium M&E Manager, Technical Advisors  VPRU, and Senior Programme Coordinator (Safety outcomes)

External:

• Advocacy leads in consortium partner organisations, NIF, Protection Collective and Protection Cluster

Qualifications

• A first-level university degree in political science, social science, development studies, international law, communications or another related field.  Advanced degree preferred.
• At least 7 years of relevant work experience, including 3 years of advocacy and/or protection analysis in complex humanitarian crises/conflict situations.
• Knowledge of human rights, international humanitarian law (IHL), core humanitarian principles and international standards pertaining to internal displacement and protection of civilians.
• Demonstrated experience in relationship-building and engagement with key partners, including local authorities, civil society, donors, INGOs and UN agencies.
• Strong analytical and drafting skills, as well as ability to communicate effectively and build consensus among a range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience with training and staff capacity building.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, and ability to communicate appropriately and effectively with people from different backgrounds and cultures.
• Strong organizational skills, ability to work independently and meet deadlines.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English.
• Full proficiency in MS Office applications.

Desirable:

• Previous experience in Northeast Nigeria.
• Knowledge of document design tools (eg Canva, Photoshop).
• Knowledge of local language(s).