Regional Cybersecurity Advisor (West Africa) at GIZ Nigeria

Vacancy Announcement 034

Responsibilities

The Regional Cybersecurity Advisor (West Africa) is responsible for the following areas:

• Design and implementation of regional project activities to advance regional skills and mechanisms on cyber diplomacy and operational response capabilities across West Africa
• Provision of advisory services to the ECOWAS Commission on strategic cyber diplomacy and cybersecurity approaches
• Multi-stakeholder management and network-building, including with regional experts, service providers, the local EU delegation and other international partners
• Continuous project management, including communication and visibility activities, results-based monitoring and reporting, budgeting of activities, and knowledge management (jointly with the global project team)

Tasks

The Regional Cybersecurity Advisor (West Africa) performs the following tasks:

• Regularly exchange with the ECOWAS Commission for strategic advice and the preparation and implementation of activities, with a focus on change management and sustainable anchoring
• Steer the implementation of activities both in Abuja and across the region (e.g. policy and technical trainings with external partners, workshops, conferences, organisational change and community development), including coordination of participants, partners, contributors and local GIZ offices
• Tendering and quality control of contractual project partners, e.g. grantees and service providers, jointly with the GIZ local offices
• Contribute to effective project management of the regional component (ECOWAS), including operational planning and reporting
• Create visibility and communication material and measures
• Function as a regional project focal point in West Africa, e.g. participate in relevant regional events on behalf of the project, regularly liaise with regional experts and partners, and represent the project vis-á-vis European representatives in Nigeria (e.g. German embassy, EU delegation)
• Closely collaborate with and regularly report back to the global project team on project activities, stakeholder management, etc.

Required qualifications, Competences and Experience

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Political Science, International Relations Business Administration, Economics, Law, IT Security, or in related discipline.
• Professional proficiency in English and at least working knowledge of French.

Professional experience

• Minimum of 5 years of professional experience with regional or international organisations in the field of capacity building, organisational change and policy advice
• Professional experience and demonstrable knowledge at the interface of digital and security policy, particularly in the fields of cybersecurity and cyber diplomacy (a strong professional network in cyber security is considered as an asset)
• Experience and knowledge of procedures and actors in foreign affairs and international cooperation in digital or security policy fields
• Sound knowledge of relationship building, relationship management and networking.
• Experience in impact-oriented project management, event organisation including setting up and running workshops and conferences, results monitoring and stakeholder management
• Proficiency in regular communications tools and software, including but not limited to Microsoft Office tools and information dissemination platforms.
• Desired additional qualifications, competencies, and experiences.
• Work experience with international and development organizations.
• Ability to work with little supervision to meet set deadlines.
• Excellent copy editing, writing and research skills, analytical skills, oral and written presentation skills, interpersonal skills and high integrity.
• Outstanding commitment to working needs-based along set partner priorities, achieving practical impact and enabling the
• ECOWAS Commission and its member states to strengthen regional cybersecurity.
• Willingness to travel across the West African region to attend in-person project activities, relevant events and conferences; occasionally also to Europe or other regions.