Senior Officer, Humanitarian Diplomacy at The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)

Job purpose

• The Senior Officer, Humanitarian Diplomacy will lead on all aspects of Humanitarian Diplomacy for the Abuja Country Cluster Delegation. The post holder will be responsible for creating and implementing plans to influence policies and decisions for the benefit and enhancement of IFRC and the National Societies. With a strong focus on delivering the Africa Agenda for Renewal and the four flagship initiatives, the Senior Officer Humanitarian Diplomacy will actively lobby and advocate for specific outcomes with major African bodies and organizations in Abuja country cluster (like the ECOWAS, AU, UN, etc) and will position IFRC and the National Societies as partners of choice and agents of humanitarian change within the delegation.
• The Senior Officer Humanitarian Diplomacy will work closely with the Head of Delegation(HoD). He/she will provide the head of the delegation with in-depth information to develop advocacy content and activities. The post holder will also have a strong collaboration with the regional humanitarian diplomacy unit to provide support to the cluster.

Job duties and responsibilities

• Lead under the guidance of the Head of Delegation, the diplomatic engagements of the Abuja country cluster delegation
• Represent and maintain IFRC on behalf of the HoD at various platforms and international organizations to advocate for the position of the IFRC and national societies
• Lead on planning and delivering Humanitarian Diplomacy and advocacy to achieve the Africa Agenda for Renewal and four Pan-African Flagship Initiatives
• Act as the Humanitarian Diplomacy focal point for the Abuja Country Cluster region, advising IFRC and the National Societies on Humanitarian Diplomacy approaches and tools
• Position IFRC leadership among key institutions and forums to achieve maximum influence
• Research and identify decision-makers and power structures, and develop engagement plans
• Identify key policy opportunities and processes (such as those within key international policy frameworks and related platforms for the Abuja Country Cluster Region, Inter-Agency initiatives, etc), events, conferences and forums
• Lead on IFRC Abuja Country Cluster region’s participation, including positioning IFRC and representation, preparation for the meetings, organizing side events, briefing colleagues and following up on actions and next steps
• Develop and deliver advocacy plans in line with IFRC’s principles and strategic priorities, including identifying opportunities, developing key messages, identifying policy targets and entry points and representing IFRC at key fora
• Lead on policy engagement on relevant topics such as Climate Change, Sustainable Development Goals, Disaster Risk Reduction and set traction indicators for ACCD in the Decade of Action
• Engage with key stakeholder institutions in Africa, including governmental and inter-governmental bodies (e.g. AU, SADC, ECOWAS) to influence policies in support of humanitarian principles and IFRC strategic priorities
• Prepare and promote policy position papers and briefs on relevant topics
• Coordinate with Movement and external partners on policy and advocacy efforts to ensure strategic use of Movement capacities and resources
• Coordinate with and support IFRC Geneva and other regional offices to ensure alignment of messaging and approaches.
• Coordinate with IFRC Humanitarian Diplomacy offices in New York, Brussels and Addis Abeba to promote the humanitarian and development work of African National Societies to High-level decision and policymakers.
• Foster knowledge sharing and exchange of best practices on Humanitarian Diplomacy via a network of Movement actors and stakeholders.

Position Requirements

• Master’s degree in a relevant field or equivalent experience. Required.
• Undergraduate degree in a relevant field or equivalent experience. Required.
• At least 5 years of work experience within the same or related position. Required.
• Work experience in the international humanitarian and development sector. Required.
• Extensive experience in Humanitarian Diplomacy, advocacy, policy and strategy. Required.
• Proven track record of influencing policy or decision-making in line with agreed strategic priorities. Required.

Successful experience in the development of policy campaigns, including

• strategy-building, inter-governmental advocacy, and evidence-building. Required.
• Experience supporting multidisciplinary and complex programs. Required.
• Experience in building strategic partnerships with tangible outcomes. Required.
• Work experience in the ACCD (Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, and Benin). Preferred.
• Experience in the UN system, ECOWAS, AU, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and other intergovernmental organizations and/or development banks. Preferred.
• Experience in the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement. Preferred.

Knowledge and Skills

• Strong understanding of policy frameworks, systems, and initiatives relevant to humanitarian organizations in Africa. Required.
• Excellent understanding of the dynamics, institutions and political context of the international humanitarian and development sectors. Required.
• Strong understanding of the issues which impact humanitarian organizations. Required.
• Knowledge of international financing systems. Required.
• Exemplary influencing and networking skills. Required.
• Self-sufficient with the ability to plan and deliver own work to a high standard. Required.
• Culturally sensitive and comfortable working with people from diverse backgrounds. Preferred.
• Excellent relationship management and networking skills. Preferred.
• Strong strategic planning and project management skills . Required.
• Ability to exercise initiative with discretion and judgment and apply risk management controls as needed. Required.
• Excellent presentation and public speaking skills. Required.

Languages

• Fluently spoken and written English Required.
• Fluently spoken and written French Preferred.

Competencies

Values: Professionalism, Respect for diversity; Integrity; Accountability

Core competencies: Proactive outreach and innovative creativity; Communication; Collaboration and teamwork; Judgement and decision making; National Society and customer relations;