EU Advocacy Coordinator

Position description

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is an independent humanitarian organisation helping people forced to flee. We work in crises across more than 31 countries, providing emergencies and long-term assistance to millions of people every year. We stand up for people forced to flee, advocating their rights. NORCAP, our global provider of expertise, helps improve international and local ability to prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from crises. NRC also runs the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre in Geneva, a global leader in reporting on and advocating for people displaced within their own country.

Employment with NRC may lead to employment in or deployment to Regions, Countries, Areas or Offices that may be host to considerable health, safety and security risks. NRC takes this very seriously and we have procedures in place to reduce known risks, but will never be able to take away all risks.

NRC is an equal opportunities employer and aims to have staffing diversity in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, nationality and physical ability.

NRC’s representation in Brussels was established in 2005 in order to strengthen the existing relationship between NRC and the European Union. NRC Europe’s main role is to support NRC’s country programmes in their collaboration with the EU institutions by improving communication with EU donors, and by providing evidenced based policy analysis on issues affecting refugees and displaced persons to decision-makers in the EU.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Generic responsibilities:

The EU Advocacy Coordinator is responsible for organizing and implementing advocacy or policy plans and activities within NRC Europe that support the overall strategic objectives. The EU Advocacy Coordinator will undertake research, maintain local media, or political, or other relationships, develop awareness of and support for NRC’s activities, and promote NRC policies and key messages.

The Advocacy Coordinator will support the Senior EU Advocacy and Policy Advisers by conducting research into relevant EU foreign, humanitarian and development policies, analysing opportunities for policy change in the EU, and providing advocacy and communication tasks.

Specific responsibilities:

• Conduct background research on relevant EU and Member States policies and activities, analysing official EU documents, as necessary;
• In coordination with and under supervision of the Senior Advisors, take the lead on selected geographical files, providing country/regional offices with strategic guidance, liaising with country and regional offices to develop context relevant key messaging, updates, talking points and briefings;
• Distribute regular information updates, reports, and briefs from the field to EU interlocutors;
• Monitor ongoing developments, influencing opportunities and events at EU and member state level;
• Maintain a network of European and Member State level interlocutors to promote of NRC’s priorities to influence change on selected geographical files;
• Coordinate the organisation and execution of lobby missions;
• Coordinate with relevant partners among NGOs and international organizations, consolidating NRC’s role as a proactive and collaborative voice across agreed priority files;
• Support NRC EUROPE Director upon request;
• Manage and update NRC Europe’s contact database;
• Monitor EU/MS official agendas and priorities, including through periodic media monitoring;
• Shape opportunities to position NRC as a trusted and relevant voice across priority files through public communications and media outreach;
• Support in increasing visibility of NRC Europe office activities internally;
• Represent NRC to key stakeholders, strengthen strategic advocacy networks and identify opportunities to advocate NRC’s position;
• Identify and attend relevant meetings organised by the EU, Member States and NGOs, represent NRC position in accordance to agreed messaging, and compile meeting reports;
• Prepare high-quality briefings, letters and other written materials for internal and external use, ensuring strong evidence-base in messaging.

Qualifications

Generic professional competencies:

• University degree or equivalent experience in a relevant field such as international relations, European affairs, humanitarian assistance, international development, political science or advocacy;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English;
• Knowledge of other EU languages (French in particular) is an asset;
• Fully computer literate.

Context/Specific skills, knowledge and experience:

• Good knowledge of EU institutions and EU policy;
• Interested and engaged in international current affairs;
• Strong organizational skills; including the ability to multitask, prioritize and work efficiently (with limited supervision);
• Previous experience in advocacy/campaigns or media/communications;
• Previous experience in the humanitarian or development sector;
• Eligible to work in Belgium.

Behavioural competencies:

• Excellent oral and written communication skills;
• Organizational skills including the ability to multitask, prioritize and work efficiently with limited supervision;
• Comfortable in a multicultural professional and/or NGO environment;
• Confident in public speaking;
• Commitment to humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence;
• An innovative and positive approach to tasks/projects, with a curiosity regarding the sector and the world beyond Brussels more broadly;
• Oriented towards maintaining a positive and supportive team dynamic;
• Strong motivation for advocating for the rights of displaced populations.

Contract period: Full time, open-ended contract
Salary/benefits: According to NRC Europe’s salary scale, terms and conditions

Application instructions

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