West Africa Regional Advocacy Manager at Pathfinder International

Job ID.: WESTA01135

 Job Summary

• Provides strategic support in advancing Pathfinder’s programming and leadership on sexual and reproductive health and rights. Represents Pathfinder in external forums/meetings. Liaises with key stakeholders, including local governments, partners, and donors in achieving projects' outcomes.
• Develops new programs and business opportunities. Supports advocacy initiatives of ongoing projects. Manages an integrated public policy program that monitors and responds to current and emerging trends in legislative and regulatory actions that affect sexual and reproductive health funding and policies in assigned coverage areas and globally. 
• Works on advocacy projects to enhance resource commitment and to raise the priority of a population’s welfare program within the operational format of public sector undertakings supported by grant assistance.
• Plans, implements, coordinates, monitors and holds review sessions to observe progress against objectives of the project and drives home the main points of improving commitment and resource allocation for population welfare. 

Key Job Outcomes:

• Advocacy Policy and Programming Strategy: Seeks to develop SRHR champions in advocacy, policy communications, and negotiations including government, women leaders, and civil society. Works with Advocacy Director to determine organizational and regional/global advocacy and policy priorities. Works to influence country government in program planning and allocation of resources/funds from approved project plans.
• Relationship Management: Fosters and facilitates relationships with a broad range of key stakeholders, specific development partners based on assigned coverage area, donors, government representatives, and the political class through the development of networks. Ensures that the advocacy messages and communication tactics are disseminated in an effective manner. Lends support to the mapping of potential regional, and in-country/external donors.
• Advocacy Planning and Implementation: Leads country-level advocacy efforts to improve family planning, AYSRH, and comprehensive abortion care in the assigned coverage areas. Supports the Advocacy Director in the development of annual work planning, design, implementation, and reporting related to policy and advocacy technical activities within the region. Establishes communication and partnerships among other organizations, especially SRHR groups, to ensure an informed and coordinated response to policies, and an increased engagement by country organizations in advocacy.
• Technical Advising: Conceptualizes and provides leadership support for technical activities in SRHR policy, advocacy, and other related areas. Stays up-to-date on key developments in SRHR policy in developing countries in order to inform technical support activities in Pathfinder programs. Provides guidance and assistance to country programs in monitoring and evaluation and documentation of policy and advocacy results. Identifies opportunities to scale up family planning, AYSRH, and comprehensive abortion care in other states or countries. Conducts consultations to identify opportunities.
• Project Planning and Budgeting Support: Supports the concerned state or country governments in assigned coverage areas in planning and budgeting of programs.
• Learning and Development: Contributes to learning and sharing processes within the country to identify relevant advocacy and policy directions and build consensus among staff on key issues.
• Advocacy Reports and Documentation: Prepares SRHR policy analyses, recommendations, policy briefs, and assessments for Pathfinder programs. Coordinates the dissemination of policy materials to audiences at the local, national, regional, and global levels. Develops and shares reports with concerned officials.
• Visibility: Serves as a public face for Pathfinder in the realm of global SRHR advocacy policy, especially in the assigned coverage areas. Facilitates stakeholder consultation and meetings at the regional, national and sub-national levels. Represents Pathfinder in the SRHR policy area at regional and global forums, as well as with others in the professional community and countries. Identifies and participates in engagements on SRHR to expand Pathfinder’s leadership in key technical areas.

Minimally Required Job-Specific Competencies

• Politics and Legislative Process: Foundational knowledge of countries' politics and legislative processes in the assigned coverage areas.
• Research: Ability to review and synthesize published and unpublished materials (especially relating to global health, global development, health policy, and US foreign assistance).
• Strategies on Policy Issues: Advanced skills in strategic communications with the public sector, private organizations, and policymakers about relevant legislation, policies, and procedures relating to SRHR. 
• Advocacy Technical Solutions: Advanced skills in the SMART Advocacy approach, providing technical assistance, writing technical reports, and policy briefs targeted to decision-makers.
• Relationship Management: Advanced knowledge of donor relationship management, reporting, and program work planning.
• Branding: Proven ability to create and deliver stories from the countries for use in U.S. advocacy.
• Advocacy: Advanced advocacy skills with advocacy assignments and tasks in the development sector projects. 
• Public Sector Budget Process: Advanced knowledge and skills in budget advocacy, including the budget formulation process of the public sector in the assigned coverage area.
• Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Services: Advanced knowledge of family planning and reproductive health principles, practices, and services of assigned program, including program strategies and indicators.
• Software Applications: Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office applications, especially MS Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• Project Management Planning and Management: Proven ability to plan and manage cross-functional initiatives.
• Presentation and Facilitation Skills; Ability to present to large and small groups. Ability to lead in facilitating meetings with key stakeholders.

Minimally Required Organizational Competencies:

• Analysis and Sound Judgement: Advanced analytical and troubleshooting skills. Ability to make sound judgments. Ability to improve processes, promote excellence and demonstrate accuracy and thoroughness.
• Languages: Proven ability to write and speak using local language and English language.
• Communication: Advanced oral and written communication skills using different forms of media. Ability to translate complex concepts to individuals at all levels. Ability to speak across a range of technical issues within an individual’s area of expertise.
• Passion for Sexual and Reproductive Health Services: Demonstrated commitment to family planning, reproductive health services, gender, maternal, child health services, and eradication of harmful traditional practices
• Influencing and Customer Service Skills: Proven ability to influence using diplomacy skills with key stakeholders. In-depth demonstrated customer service skills.
• Organization, Planning, and Multi-tasking: Advanced organizational and planning skills, project planning, and management skills. Proven ability to set priorities, meet deadlines, and multi-task with minimal supervision. Proven ability to coordinate activities.
• Self-Management and Teamwork: Ability to work independently or as a member of the team, ability to be detailed-oriented and consistently accurate, ability to manage stress effectively in a fast-paced environment, and ability to quickly learn new systems, processes, and procedures and adapt local practices to global standards.
• Matrix Management: Ability to thrive in a matrixed organization
• Confidentiality: Proven ability to maintain confidentiality on work-related issues.

Required Education, Training, and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in public health, public administration, public policy, or related field
• 7 years experience working in public policy or policy advocacy with an advocacy organization or an organization that implements international health and development projects
• Prefer: Experience in developmental work on sexual and reproductive health in assigned coverage areas and globally.
• Prefer: Expertise in citizen-led accountability work.
• Prefer: Experience in practical fieldwork in sexual and reproductive health and rights

Other Information:

• Travel required (up to 30%)
• Uses cellular and desk phone; laptop or desktop computer