INGO Forum Deputy Director - Development at iMMAP

Status: National Employee
Languages: English

Background

• The INGO Forum in Nigeria (NIF) was formed in late 2014 to develop a collaborative platform for effective and principled INGO interaction, engagement and coordination for humanitarian, recovery and development interventions in Nigeria. Since inception, the INGO Forum has become a critical platform for ensuring effective information sharing and analysis; leadership on advocacy and policy engagement; and liaison with government/donor/UN engagement and engagement ensuring the perspectives of INGOs and affected populations are ultimately included in decision-making processes.
• The INGO Forum is governed by a core membership of 54 members (and 7 observers) with new member applications pending approval on a regular basis, The INGO Forum is governed by an elected Steering Committee of five Country Directors and a Chair that works alongside a full term Secretariat. Since November 2020, the INGO Forum is administratively hosted by iMMAP in Nigeria’s capital city of Abuja as well as Maiduguri.

Description of Duties
These responsibilities of the Deputy Director shall be adapted to the particularities of the job location and context, phase of operation, strategic focus and type of programme intervention.

• Coordinate NIF members through planning of regular action-oriented meetings and identify gaps, duplication and opportunities for enhancing information exchange, inter-agency assessments or analysis, problem solving, joined up responses and common messaging on development.
• Ensure regular high-level representation in key development decision-making platforms, exchanges, thematic discussions, planning sessions and other mechanisms that impact development operations.
• Develop contacts with the government and private sector counterparts, donors and international agencies working in the relevant thematic areas;
• Chair the Development Working Group meetings and act as a technical support on critical topics including: sustainable development goals, health, resilience, policy environment, public sector reforms and private engagement.
• Engagement & Partnership with the development community in high level meetings including with government, donors and diplomatic officials e.g. Dev Partners Group.
• Cooperate with the national counterparts in the resource mobilization efforts and identify opportunities, based on the government’ priorities and donor’s available resources;
• Ensure timely response to requests for help and information from member organizations, non-member organizations and other stakeholders, such as donors, governments and UN agencies. Often this requires a high degree of coordination and the collection of sensitive information.
• Identify opportunities for strengthening development practices, as well as opportunities for promoting recognition and collective engagement on key development issues.
• Represent NIF on relevant development coordination platforms, ensuring that linkages between NIF and other development initiatives are established and maintained.
• Direct bilateral engagement and cooperation with strategic players, including donors’ community, UN agencies, private sector, International financial institutions and relevant international and national agencies/institutions.
• Facilitate structured and effective information exchange both between internal INGO partners/members, and with external partners (NNGOs, UN, Government, private sector etc).
• Stay informed on political, economic, and social contexts, while providing structured updates to the INGO Forum Secretariat and its members as it relates to development globally, regionally, and nationally.
• Maintain and develop briefing and guidance materials for new actors leading on briefings and support as required.
• Ensure compliance with donor and host agency (in this case, IMMAP) regulations.
• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
• Draft or review scope of work to hire and manage technical consultants, including review for technical efficacy and contract budget, as required.

Requirements
Education:

• Advanced University Degree in Public Policy, International Development, Political Science, International Relations, Journalism, Social Sciences, International Development or related technical field or undergraduate degree with significant field experience in development or resilience contexts ;

Experience:

• At least 7 years of experience with increasing responsibility in management positions, preferably within the UN or other humanitarian organizations;
• Managing development programs or high level representation and engagement.
• Knowledge of and contacts in Nigerian development space and understanding of Nigeria political environment.
• Demonstrated understanding of the development environment and coordination architecture and key stakeholders.
• Knowledge and understanding of key thematic priority areas including Education, Finance, Governance, Public Health and the sustainable development goals.
• Knowledge and understanding of HPD Nexus narrative and initiatives in Nigeria.
• Proven relationship building skills and ability to facilitate common space between disparate views and agendas.
• Ability to represent collective views diplomatically to various stakeholders.
• Experience in developing advocacy strategies and stakeholder maps.
• Prior experience in managing INGO Consortia/fora desirable.
• Excellent writing, editing and analytical skills and ability to formulate well-targeted strategic documents.
• Proven experience in influencing for policy change and practice desirable.
• Demonstrated experience in facilitating meetings in high-pressure professional setting.
• Demonstrated experience in lobby and engaging with high level actors with strong evidence from the field.
• Experience from working within technical expertise area in a humanitarian/ recovery context.
• Previous experience from working in complex and volatile contexts.
• Documented results related to the position’s responsibilities;

Soft skills:

• Strong presentation and communication skills;
• Service orientated and ability to build consensus.
• Ability to understand and adapt to complex and dynamic situations;
• Takes initiatives, manages own use of time and is self-motivating;
• Self drive, flexibility and creativity.
• Ability to work independently in a fast-paced and often demanding environment.